The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-04-12
FIRED ON BY
GARRISON
Russians Make a Mistake at
NewChwang.
misunderstood SIGNALS
Over a Score Of Shots, Some
from Heavy Guns, Sent after
Merchantmen.
misunderstood SIGNALS

LONDON, April IA Newchwang
dispatch says some heavy firing was
done by the forts during the night.
The garrison misunderstood flash sig
mails made at the mouth of the river
for the purpose of enabling ships to go
to sea. Thinking the signals came
from the enemy, the fort opened fire
upon the pilot boats and merchant
vessels outward bound, causing much
excitement on board and among the
troops ashore.
During the excitement among the
troops a sentry fred and killed two
Chinese sampan men opposite the for
elgn settlement, three miles from the
forts. The two had become alarmed
at the firing and endeavored to cross
the river.
In view Of the reports received here
of japanese activity in Korea and Of
the arrival Of Japanese troops on the
Yalu river it is understood that the
troops Of the garrison had been fully
warned that 1t was possible the Japa
nese would make an attack on this
place. Citizens hearing the firing sup
posed that the attempt was being
made last night.
A St Petersburg report says NJ: Les
sar. the Russian minister ut Peking,
has made strong representations to the
Chinese government on the subject Of
the japanese military instructors in
the service of China and the japanese
officers with General Mas army. de-
manding the issuance of orders for
their dismissal. Russia regards their
continued presence n most serious
threat to her.
Exceptionally reliable information re-
garding the Russian military plans is
that the plan of campaign will not
mature until late in the summer. They
are of far greater magnitude than is
generally believed abroad and take
into account all possible contingencies.
General KurOpatkin, remembering
the experience of Russia during her
war with Turkey, when the Russian
army of 10000 placed in the field at
the beginning had to be more than
doubled, has insisted that the men and
guns to be placed at his disposal shall
cover the extreme limit required to
settle the fate of the campaign.
The Russian plaas are to be worked
upon Napoleon's dictum that God
fights on the side of the heaviest bat
talions," and they are being planned
and timed so as to apply to superior
ity of numbers on land and sea stimuli
taneously. The army is designed to at
tain the enormous total of half a mil
lion at the time scheduled for the re-
enforcement of Vice Admiral Maka-
roffs fleet with the Baltic squadron.
The Seventeenth and Tenth army
corps now drafting are expected to
reach Manchuria by the middle Of
June. The mobilization of four other
corps, at least two of which will be
from the Nolga, will be announced by
the middle of next month and will
start eastward a month later, reaching
their destination at the end of August.
Rear Admiral Rojestvensky will
hoist his flag as commander of the for
iBdlNlI curly III July
and will sail Immediately for Port
Arthur with large and powerful fleet.
General Kuropatkin intends to have
the Caucasian mountaineers operate in
Korea, which they will enter when it
is considered that the decisive moment
has arrived to drive out the japanese,
which will not be before August.
A Seoul dispatch says it is believed
that the Russians north of the Yalu
are not sufficiently numerous to with
stand the japanese advance for any
considerable distance beyond the river.
Heavy rains have flooded the rail-
ways and blocked the roads throughout
southern Manchuria. The field tele-
graphs have been interrupted, and the
country is impossible.
Russian officers at Newchwang con-
slider that Japan lost the chance of oc-
cupying that town, where the defenses
are now amply sufficient to repulse at
tacks.