Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-03-17
NAVAL ENCOUNTER
AND B0MBARDMENT.
PORT ARTHUR AGAIN ASSAiLED
BY JAPANESE.

Port Arthur for four housekeeping
Reports of ResuIts--Little Doing
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS on His Way
East--Japan's War Loan Quickly
Fioated.
port Arthur has once more been the
scene Of activity in the Japo- Russian war
the past week Last Thursday, hot en-
eaeement took place outside the harbof IN
n hich the torpedo boats and deatroyers OF +
both sides were the chief participants
The Russians lost one destroyer ana WIN
drew. Then the japanese hattleships ana
cruisers came up and bombarded Fort Ar
thur. the forts and ships within the harbof 4
for four hours. The fleet then Withdrew
and has not been seen since.
A wide discrepancy exists between hus-
sian and japanese reports OF these opera /
tious as TO the damages ana losses sus-
tanned by each. Admiral Makaron, COM
manuing the Russian squadron, reports ~
.ssix torpedo boats, which went out TO
sea The night Of March 10, four OF them
being under the general command OF
Cant. Mattoussevitch, encountered the
enemy's torpedo boats, followed pS eruis-
"A hot action ensued il which the tor
pedo boat destroyer Nlastini discharged
Whitehead torpedo and sunk one ot the
s,,sn1yfs tornedo boats. on the way back,
the torpedo boat destroyer Steregusehtehl,
commanded By Lieut.. herguelets susiallsu
damages her engine was disabled ana she
began 70 founder. by elght eioek y, nv
morning five OF our torpedo boat destroy
prs had returned When the critical posi-
ton 81 the steregusehtchi became evident
I i boisted my flag on the cruiser Noyik and
I went with tine Noyik and the cruiser Boy
arin 10 the rescue. But as nFe OF lhe euez
my's cruisers surrounded our deslroyets
i and as their battleship squadron was ap-
+ proachfup / did not succeed ia saving the
1tereauschtchi. Part OF the crew was
/ made prisoners and part was drowned.
..On the ships which participated m the
night attack one omcer was seriously anu
three others were slightly wounded, Two
soldiers were killed and eighteen were
sAt O'Clock. fourteen of the enemy's
shins assem- bled before Port Arthur and
/ bornbardment WAS begun with the heaN4
guns OF their battleship squadron at long
range. .,.,- =. 4ha
afternoon. Ii is estimated that the enehy
fired 1b4 twelve inch shells. Inc ahhase
10 our vessels was insignificant, and they
are again ready for battle. Our losses were
one officer slightly Nounded and ore SOL
der < illed and four soldiers wounded.
.The Illumination OF the sea at night by
the searchlights mounted at our pattsrles
was most satisfactory, and several times
isolated shots from our batteries forced
the enemyis torpedo boats TO retire
ttWith fhe commencement OF the boM-
hardtneut at dawn the guns OF the fortress
replied to the enemy's lire.
aThe crews of all the ships engaged gave
nroof Of remarkable GOODNESS IN action
below decks the work of the day followed
its ordinary course, in spite OF the shells
falling between the vessels and covering
them with fragments.
"a bombardment at such distance
must be considered Ineffective, but eh'
Japanese cruiser Takasago IS reported =
have been seen to suffer serious damage
the extent OF which, however, u was III
possible to ascertain at distance OF ave
miles. Many shells were fired at a range
OF seven and one-hslf miles,"
on the other hand, japanese Official ahe
private reports indicate that Nlce-Au
miral Togo's fourth attack on ~ -,
Arthur was the most effective since I'M
II rst assault of month ago. One hus'
sian torpedo boat destroyer was sum
and several Russian torpedo boat des
troyers seriously damaged. The tortin
cations ana city were subjected TO heays
bombardment lasting nearly tour hours
The peculiar Typographical conditions
! port Arthur make immunity from serious
loss from bombardment almost lmposslpie
Vice Admiral Togo's torpedo notlli
onened the action by boldly steaming 4
/, under the batteries and successful
placing a number Of mechanical NINE
at the mouth OF the harbor. Follow lns ".
tbara was desperate bow-to- bow en-
counter between the torpedo boat aes
troyers, in which the japanese appea
TO have scored a clear victory
Then came a long range duel betweei
the cruisers, ending in the retirement
the Novik and Bayan, the only hussiai
cruisers engaged. ,to,.7
nent Of the inner harbor by the Japanes
hattleshins The latter took posltio
southwest OF Port Arthur and used ON
The l2-inch guns. There were "a lz-int.
guns in the squadron OF SIX batliesh
ana each gun was nFSa nv I;oot;l !
making a total of 100 huge proleelAe
that were fired at the city. The pom
hardment was deliberate and carelull
nIapned In order to aid in perfectlh
!. fhe firing, Vice Admiral Togo stations
the cruisers in a position due east OF ~
IN entrance to the harbor ana at rig
angle to the battleships. -
m The cruisers observed the range an
effect of the firing and signalled the re
suits and suggestions by wireless teies
81 raphy, These observations ana regoI,
Greatly aided the guDners in their enor'
y. fo make every shot count.
Vice Admiral Togo was unable
lL a.6n,telv learn the results of the DON
- hardment, but later private reports u
- dicate that much destruction was cause
n the CITY. where series of hres broh
nnt There also was damage to batterle
20 Cant. Skokiro Asai, commanding u
eotiila Of torpedo boat destroyers whle
st engaged the Russian destroyers, Is q
hero of the attack. He had only thr'
)l destroyers, but attacked the six hussia ,l
10 destroyers, ordering his craft TO close
with the enemy. He steamed 50 ~ ~
~ the enemy's destroyers that m
almost touched and most despeIa
IN conflict ensued from which the hussiai
=, retired badly disabled. -
III Enoineer Minamisawa of the destroy
70 Kasnmi received a small wound. MIN
misawa participated in the first torpe,
,e. attack on Port Arthur, also IN the I
tempt to bottle up the harbor by sinhli
commercial steamers. He was commehu
Moth times for his gallantry.
The Japanese fotilla. which SUNK .
,,ines Al the mouth of the harbor, lal
sngaged two Russian destroyers. II
ea7ilIa was commanded by Command
y Wee Admiral Togo's object in sendi
rnisers to Talien Wan Bay was to E