The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-03-09
THE WAR IN The EAST.
Japanese Attacking Both YIadivos-
to:k and Port arthur, Russia's
Only Ports in the East.
First Great Battle Expected on
Yalu Thursday.
Bombardment of VIadiyostock Does Lit.
tie Damage Russians Claim to Have
Sunk Japanese Cruiser.

st, Petersburg, March S.-An un-
official report has been received that
the japanese fleet again bombarded
Vladiyostock yesterday but succeeded
in doing little damage. The report
states that one japanese cruiser was
sunk oy the return fire of the land
batteries and that the Japanese has,
tened to get their remaining ships
out of range.
TRYING TO BLOCK PORT
ARTHUR.
London, March 8.-A report has
been received from Paris that a news
agency has a dispatch from Chefoo
stating that the japanese made an
other attempt yesterday to block the
entrance to Port Arthur harbor by
sinking coasting ships in the channel.
The same dispatch asserts that the
first battle of Importance on the Yalu
is expected to take place on Thurs
day, although preliminary skirmishes
have already occurred between the
outposts.
THE COMMANDMENT OF VLADI-
VOSTOCK.
Valdivostock, March 7.-Outside Of
killing a woman and wounding a
few men, yesterdays bombardment
of Vladivostock by the japanese fleet
did no material damage. The wooden
cottage of an. artisan was the only
building wholly destroyed. It was
pierced by shell from 12-inch gun,
which, after traversing the roof and
wall, fell in the yard, killing the
woman previously referred to.
In the qaurter Of the city called the
dirty corner a shell fell On the
house of Col. Shufok without explod-
ing. 1t traversed bed room, destroy
ing stove, and penetrated the wall.
It finally brust near the regimental
safe, which was standing in the court
yard. A sentry guarding the asfe was
covered with mud, but was not injur-
ed. Evidently fearing an outbreak Of
fire the sentry, shouted: Help!
Save the regimental colors.' which
were in the house. These ultimately
were brought out by the colonePs wife
and the soldier.
Five sailors we're slightly wounded
by the explosion of shell in the court
yard of the Siberian naval barracks.
Outside of the casualties no one was
killed or injured, and there was no
outbreak Of fire anywhere in the city.
The fact that the Russian batteries
did not reply to the japanese lombard
ment was due partially to the slight
chance of hitting the enemy's war
ships at such long range, and partial
ly to a desire not to betray the posi-
tion of their batteries.
It is now thought that the attacking
squadron consisted of battle ship,
four armoured cruisers and two unpro-
tected cruisers.
COREANS DEFEAT RUSSIANS.
Seoul, March The Russian sold
iers operating in the vicinity of Anju
are committing all manner of excesses,
maltreating the native women and
perpetrating robbery upon every oppor-
tunity. Corean soldiers attacked a
body of the invaders on Friday last,
the 4th inst, and succeeded in killing
thirty of them. It is reported that as
a result of collision between Russian
and Corean soldiers at Kang He, the
IGUSB16uS WSIO QI4fOL OOy od0 9HO ga -
river.
RUSSIAN CRUISER SQUADRON.
London, March Up to late
hour this afternoon the japanese lega-
tion here had received no official in
formation regarding the bombardment
of Vladivostock. It is believed that
the information, however, that the
Japanese are now between the Russian
cruiser squadron and Vladivostock,
and there is reason to believe that the
Russian squadron is in the vicinity
of Possiet Bay.
Russian official dispatches do not
mention this squadron, and this fact
lends color to the belief that the Japa-
anese war ships have shut it out of
Vladivostock. 1t is pointed out at the
legation that if this is true the Rus
sian vessels are in critical position,
since they must run the gauntlet of the
japanese squadron off Port Arthur
before reaching a Russian port.