Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-05-19
FORTS AND DOCKS AT DALNY
BLOWN UP.
LEAVE NOTHING FOR JAPS
Cars Forces Unable to Hold Their
Easternmost Positions Prepare to
Evacuate by Destroying by Whole
sale Their Cities, Ports and Ships
Port Arthur Isolated.

London, May 17-hTe Russians are
retreating and are burning their
( fortresses, cities and ships behind
them. They cannot hold their east
ernmost ports and are determined to
let nothing of value fall into the
hands of the enemy.
Viceroy Alexeff has telegraphed to
the czar announcing that the Russians
have blown up the docks and piers at
Port Dalney, Lao Tung peninsula
presumably to render more difficult a
Japanese landing at that point Later
kilograms received indicate that the
whole of Port Dalny has been de-
stroyed by the Russians The value of
the property destroyed is estimated
at from $16,00O,000 to $20,000,000.
Port Dalny, on Talienwan bay, ON
the east coast of the Lao Tung PENN
sula, was intended by Russia to be the
chief commercial emporium of it's
eastern dominions An edict provid-
ing for its construction was issued by
the Russian emperor July 80, 1899,
and Port Dalny, fully equipped with
all modern improvements, docks,
warehouses and railroad facilities, was
opened to commerce in December
1901.
Talienwan bay is one of the finest
deep water harbors on the Pacific 1t
is free from ice in winter time and
ships drawing 80 feet of water can en-
ter at low tide without difficulty and
without the aid of pilots can sail or
steam alongside the immense docks
and piers, where their cargoes can be
loaded into railroad cars and run di-
rect for 6 900 miles into the city of st.
Petersburg.
Five large piers had been construct
ed, each supplied with numerous rail
road tracks and immense warehouses
and elevators, gas electric lights and
water and large breakwater was be-
ing constructed so that ships could lie
at the piers and load and ! load re,
CARELESS of the weather. Locks for
foreign vessels, steam and sail, extend
ed between the piers and along the
shore for two miles. There were two
first-class dry docks, one intended for
ordinary ocean steamers and the other
designed to accommodate the largest
vessels of war or commerce.
over $6,000,0O0 had been expended
on the harbor system before the end of
1902. and it was estimated that the
cost of completing the works would be
nearly $2O,000,000, but this does not in
any way represent the total cost of the
erection of this great commercial port.
which, with Port Arthur distant about
twenty miles, was leased by the Chin
ese government to Russia in 1898
Nearly $4,000 men were employed
daily on the work of constructing the
port and town, The total population
has been estimated at about 10000,
mostly Chinese, Japanese. Coreans and
Russians.
Port Arthur Telegraph Wires Cut.
St Petersburg, May 17.-An attempt
TO send response to private tele-
grams from Port Arthur received yes
terday failed the postof1ice officials
refusing to accept it.
Jap Army Active,
St Petersburg, May 17.-General
Karkaveitch in a dispatch to the gen,
eral staff says that on May a part of
the Japanese vanguard appeared in
the valley of the Sedzi river and that
q considerable body of the enemy
continues to occupy Douanmyo An
other attachment composed apparently
of one battalion of infantry and half
squadron of cavalry is about five miles
north of Takushan. Other information
indicates that, May 10. Japanese
force 10000 infantry and so guns,
chiefly Of the mountain type, halted
for the day at Hungkiapus2e ana adj.
vanced. May ] towards siuyen.
Battle with outposts.
st, Petersburg May 17.-General
Karkeyitch reports that Japanese
detachment of four or FIVE companies,
May 9, attacked the Russian posts
near the village of Shihei. killing four
Of the frontier guards and wounding
eight He also says;
IA detachment of Japanese advance
guards occupied the village Of Mutsi.
atun and Siatatin, nine miles south
of Polandieuo. Other detachments
Of the Japanese advance guard have
taken up positions seven and one.half
miles west of pitsewo. A squadron
of the enemy's cavalry approached
within Is miles east of Wilmington
but turned back on meeting our
scouts The village OF Tantsiafang
was found occupied by a detGchment
OF cavalry artillery and infantry
Cannon fire was opened BY the Japan. !