The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-07-08

anese torpedo flotilla, attacked the YES
sells engaged in clearing out the mines
and hampered the work.
DEsTRoYERs ATTACKED.
At o'clock seven Russian destroy
ers appeared and the Japanese vigor-
ously attacked them. one of the Rus
| sian destroyers. which was hit and set
| on fire, retreated to the harbor burn
ing. The Novik attacked the Japanese,
who scurried away. The vessels en-
| gagged in clearing the harbor finally
made a passage and the Novik led the
Russian fleet seward. In the mean
| time Admiral Togo concealed the posi-
tons of his ships, and at o'clock sent
| the third squadron out into the vision
of the Russians with the object of draw
ing them seward. The Russian fleet
stood southeastward and then south
ward. During this time Admiral Togo
concealed his first squadron south of
| Gugan rock. AS the Russians APP
preached Admiral Togo assembled his
| fleet and prepared to attack. At 6:l5
| p. m. the Russians were in plain sight
| eight miles northwest of Gugan rock.
The Czarevitch led and the nine others
| followed in single line. The Novik
and seven destroyers were placed at
| the right of the line. Admiral Togo
waited, with battle flags flying from all
the tops. The Japanese fleet forma-
ton represented the first letter of the
Japanese alphabet inverted.
At 1880 p. m. the Russians headed for
the Japanese, and Admiral Togo veer-
ed slightly to the right in order to bring
pressure against the head of the Rus
sian formation. At p. m. the Rus
slams changed their course and headed
northward Admiral Togo followed in
long single line, ordering the destroy
ers and torpedo boats to prepare for an
attack after shutdown.
At S:22 p. m. the small flotillas swung
around the rear of the Japanese fleet
and headed toward the Russians at fun
speed. At $3.50 p. m. the fourteenth flo
tilla delivered the first attack on the
Russian fleet now in the rear of a point
five miles outside the entrance to Port
Arthur. Immediately afterward the
fifth flotilla delivered second attack.
The Russian fleet was confused, and it
was impossible for it to retreat quickly
into the harbor on account of the mar
rowness of the channel and possibly
the low tide.
BATTLESHIP TORPEDOED.
At 1880 D. m. the Russian fleet an
chored in single line extending from
the foot of Wantsucing fort 10 the
base of Chentaorhan. During the
night the torpedo fiotillas kept up
constant attacks on the Russian fleet,
going in eight times.
The most effective attack was that Of
the sixteenth fotilla, which at 1850
p. m. caught the Russians roun 1iag
Shen Shen. The first-class torpedo
boat Shirataka, Commander Waka-
bayashi, sent two torpedoes into Il
battleship of the Peresviet class. She
was seen to sink in volume of smoke
and fire. Other effects of the attack
We're not observed on account of the
heavy firing, which cast volumes of
water over the fiotilla, and the heavy
cannonading which rent the air. The
searchlights from the ships and forts
also blinded the Japanese.
AT dawn Friday reconnaissance OF
the entrance was made by the fourth
and fifth flotillas, whose report con-
firmed that of the patrol ships as to
the Russian loss.
Admiral Togo says the moonlight
and the narrow line of the enemy pre-
vented his fleet from infiicting greater
damage.
The japanese loss was unexpectedly
small. The destroyer Shirakumo was
struck in the cabin and three Of her
crew were killed and three wounded.
The first-class torpedo boat Chi
dori was struck in the engine-roor.
Torpedo boats Ga, &C and SO were cam
aged. The others engaged were un-
injured. In concluding his report, Ad-
miral Togo says
1.-THE effect of the attack and the
small loss must be attributed to the
illustrious virtues of his majesty"
MEAGER REPORT MYSTIFYING.
ST. PETERSBURG, June 27,-Em-
peror Nicholas has received the fol-
lowing telegram from Viceroy Alex
Jeff dated June eth:
according 10 reports received from
Rear-Admiral Wittsoeft and Rear-Ad-
miral Grigorich, dated respectively !
on June Goth and June 23d, the sortie |
of the Port Arthur squadron was pre-
ceded by prolonged work in destroying
the enemys mines by means of nets
carried on all the ships boats and by
the harbor dredging flotilla on the |
night of June 22-23 fight occurred |
off Port Arthur between our torpedo
boats and the Japanese torpedo boats,
in which Captain Bliosieff and Lieut.
enant Smyrneff We're slightly wound
ed. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon our
squadron put to sea, when eleven Jap |
anese ships and twenty-five torpedo |
boats We're visible on the horizou,"
Viceroy AleXieff's message tonight, |
with the brief dispatch from Rear
Wittsoeft naval command Ter
at Port Arthur throws little additional |
light on the sea fight off Port Arthur.
The Admiralty and the Emperor are
awaiting further details with the same