New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-12

ST. Petersburg. March 1.-THE Emperor has
received a message from viceroy Alexiefr which
says:
Admiral Makarofr. commanding the fleet. re-
ports from Port Arthur under date Of March
10 % as follows:
Six torpedo boats which went out n sea the
night Of March 10. four OF them being under the
general command Of Captain MattOussevitch.
by cruisers
\ hot action ensued. in which the torpedo boat
destroyer Vlastini discharged a Whitehead tor
pedO and sunk one Of the euemy's torpedo boats
ON the way back the torpedo boat destroyer
Stereguschtchi. commanded by Lieutenant Ser
gueief, sustained DANA ges. her engine was dis
abled and she began to founder Fv & o'cIoct in
the morning five Of our torpedo boat destroysrs
had returned
When the critical position Of the Sters-
guschtchi became evident hOsted my flag on
the cruiser NOvik and went with he NOvik ard
the cruiser BOyarin to the rescue
As five Of the enemy's cruisers surrounded our
destroyer. and their battleship squadron was
approaching 1 did not succeed in saving the
Stereguschtchi. which fOundered. Part Of the
crew were made prisoners and part drowned
on the ships which took part i'm the night at
tack one officer seriously and three others
were slightly wounded. two soldiers were killed
and eighteen We're wounded
At O'Clock fourteen Of the enemy's ships as
sembled before Port Arthur. and bOmbartl-
men- was begun with the heavy guns Of their
hattleship squadron long range
s estimated that the enemy fired f54 12-inch
shells The damage TO vessels was fnsfg-
nifcant. and they are again ready for battle.
our losses were one officer slightly wounded and
one soldier killed and four soldiers wounded
The illumination Of the al night by ths
searchlights mounted at our batteries was most
satisfactory and several times Isolated sbofs
from our batteries forced the eEemys torpedo
boats retire
With the beginning Of the bonlbardnept at
dawn the guns OF the fortress replied to the
enemy's fire.
The crews OF all the ships engaged gave proof
Of remarkable coolness In action. Below decks
the work Of the day followed its ordinary course
in spite Of the shells falling between the YES
sells and covering them with fragments.
a bOmbardment at such a distance must be
considered Ineffective. but the Jana 1ese cruiser
Takasago IS reported to have been seen to suf-
fer serious damage. the extent Of which. how
ever, il was impossible to ascertain at a dis
tance OF five miles. Many shells were fred at a
range OF seven and Ore-half miles
7 have the honor to report the following 20
your majesty. ALExIEFF.~
An earlier dispatch sent by viceroy Alexier to
the Gar follows:
In the fight between our torpedo boats and
the Japanese cruisers on March 10 C9ptafD NTat
toussevttch. Ensign AlexandrOff and NTechanicar
Engineer BlinOff received slight wounds ana
E.nslgn Iaen was severely wounded in the head
The conmandant at Port Arthur reports the
ioI.o"lng details OF the bOmbardment OF the
fortress there on March 10.
AS soon as the enemy opened fire o,,r hat
terieS replied Six Of the enemy's ships re-
NAMED MAJ behind the Lao-Teai-Shan prornoutory
ana opened IRE on the fortress over that sheIte~
They ceased bOmbardfng ~ T.I5 m m Tn
enemy fired about two hundred prOtectfIes one
smell from battery No. IS. on Electric Cliff dam
aged n japanese cruiser seriously
The results Of the bOTnbardrnent were fnsic
nitcant Six soldiers were wounded. Three IN
haDitantS or the town were Killed and one was
seriously wounded.
., According 70 General stoessers report the
ofhcers and soldiers in the shore batteries dis
played exemplary courage and fred their guns
in perfect order
Admiral M1karoT marked his ASSUMPTION o.
The command Of the Russion feet at Port
Arthur by complete change OF tactics As
soon as he appeared he ordered the removal of
the batteshtp Retvizan. which was stranded
at the mouth Of the harbor and barred TIE
channel at certain stages OF the tide making m.
esress OF battleships impossible. and ordersl
the attack which he relates in the preceding
dispatch
March l2-The complete story or the ferrs
fight of Port Arthur between the tor,a1o a
tilas was not given out here until after -
night. TWO official messages from vicerov
AieXien had been received during the dav an.
presented to the Emperor but the pyhI,. -.
n aind in suspense When the tevts s,,....,
it became evident that the collisions batvrso, -
torpedo hotillas had occurred accidentau,, d..
ing the night. while the Russians were -
in search Of the enemy.
As far as is known here. this IS the frs, tim.
torpedo boats nave engaged each Other ,+ -
Although the odds were against the Fzusz,,,.
as the japanese hotiIla was supported nv ~.
cruiser squadron. The Russians made a h.-,s.
dash for the foe. and apparently had the ba,,s.
or the combat sinking a japanese torpedo boa.
until the cruisers got within range. and ons =,
the latter's shells crippled the stereguschtcbt
The gallant action of vice-AdmiraI Makarory
in transferring his flag 70 The Fast cruiser N,vis
and sailing our in the face Of the enemy in an.
attempt at rescue receives unstinted praise
stamping him at the outset OF his command a