Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-03-18

st. Petersburg, March 12.--The en-
peror has received message from
Viceroy AleXieff which says: Admiral
Makaroff, commanding the feet, reports
from Port Arthur under date of March
IL as follows: six torpedo boats which
went out to sea the night of March 10.
four of them being under the general
command of Capt. Mattoussevitch, en-
countered the enemy's torpedo boats
followed by cruisers. A hot action en-
sued in which the torpedo boat destroyer
Vlastlni discharged a Whitehead tor
pedo and sunk one of the enemy's tor
pedo boats. On the way back the torpedo
boat destroyer Stereguschtchi, COM
manded by Lieut.. Sergueieff, sustained
damages. Her engine was disabled and
she began to founder. By eight o'clock
In the morning five of our torpedo boat
destroyers had returned. When the
critical position of the Stereguschtchi
became evident hoisted my flag on the
cruiser Novik and went with the Novik
and the cruiser Boyarin- to the rescue.
But as five of the enemy's cruisers sur
rounded our destroyer, and as their bat
tleship squadron was approaching, did
not succeed in saving the Stereguschtchi,
which foundered. Part of the crew was
made prisonerand part was drowned.
"On the ships which participated in
the night attack one officer was serious
ly and three others were slightly
/ wounded, two soldiers were killed and IS
were wounded.
Bombardment of Port Arthur.
"At nine o'clock IA of the enemy ships
assembled before Port Arthur and bonn
bardment was begun with the heavy
guns of their battleships squadron at
long range This lasted Until one o'clock
in the afternoon, 1t Is estimated that
the enemy fired 154 12-inch shells. The
damage to our vessels was insignificant,
and they are again ready for battle. Our
losses were one officer slightly wounded
and one soldier killed and four soldiers
wounded.@ ,,S,H.s.' - .,.i-
''The illumination of the sea at night
by the searchlights mounted at our bat
teries was most satisfactory, and sew
eral times isolated shots from our bat.
teries forced the enemy's torpedo boats
to retire. With the commencement of
the bombardment at dawn the guns of
the fortress replied to the enemys fire.
THE crews of all the ships engaged
gave proof 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
fbombardment at such distance must be
considered ineffective, but the Japanese
cruiser Takasago is reported to have
been seen to suffer serious damage the
extent of which, however, it was impos-
| sibe to ascertain at a distance of five
miles. Many shells were fired at range
of,7I5 miles
81 have the honor to report the forego-
| ing to your majesty.
"ALEXIEFF."
Port. Arthur Prepares. for Siege.
Tientsin, March lit is reported
the Russians are withdrawing all su-
| perfuous troops from Port Arthur to
Hardin and K.rin, owing to the short
ness of provisions at Port Arthur 1t
is stated that explosives are being
placed in houses at Dalny in prepara-
tion for the Japanese occupation of
that town, which is regarded as in
evitable in the near future
Russians at Newchwang are prepared
to block the river and scuttle the gun
boat Sivoutch in the event of the Jap
anese advancing on the town. Probably
in that event the Russians will with
draw, as it is doubted despite the 30,-
600 troops there, whether they would