Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-03-16

has seen Russians retreating from the
route.
Japanese Captured.
One officer and four Japanese SOL
diers who recently were captured near
Wiju. Korea. were paraded through
the streets of Mukden on Tuesday,
March g.
On February 20 Maj. Gen. Pfleug
chief OF staff of Viceroy Alexieff, tele-
graphed from Port Arthur to St.
Petersburg that a number of Cossacks
marching from Win had captured a
Japanese major named Tatsuru, with
five soldiers and two civilians. An
other dispatch from Port Arthur of the
came date stated that a picket of Co.'S
sacks had captured some Japanese on
whom they found maps and papers.
Why Forts Were Silent.
Toxic, March 12.-The impression
prevails in certain generally well-in-
formed quarters here that the reason
for the Vladivostok forts not replying
to the Japanese bombardment of
March 6 was lack of ammunition which
had been transferred to Port Arthur
since the Japanese attack apparently
was concentrated there
Bonbardment of Port Arthur.
St. Petersburg, March 12.-Up to- z! Is
p. m. Friday no further news was OBJ
tainable of the bombardment of Port
Arthur, which was progressing, accord
ing to the latest advices, at eight
o'clock Thursday morning. Whatever
later information. if any, the emperor
may have is not known. Military and
naval circles are mystified at the pur-
pose Of the appearance of Japanese tor
pedo boats during the previous night, as
it was not accompanied by a serious
bombardment of the fleet from a posi-
ton off the Lio-Tishin promontory
which is five to six miles from Golden
Hill, at the entrance of the harbor, is be-
lieved to indicate that the Japanese
were afraid to risk a frontal attack un-
der the guns of the land batteries 1t is
considered doubtful whether any of the
guns of the Russian batteries command
the location from which the Japanese
were firing. 1t is pointed out that drop
ping shells into the harbor and town
even in fun is accompanied by danger.
and this haphaZard work is applicable
perhaps only on the theory that it was
meant as diversion to cover more Sc
rious operations elsewhere. Still, some
Of the experts here declare their belief
that the only object of the Japanese was
to keep the garrison and fleet worried.
Russian Story of Naval Battle.
Copies of the Novi Krai, of Port Ar
thur, which have just arrived here con-
tain the first detailed Russian descrip-
ton of the naval battle at Port Arthur
February 8. 1t says:
The Russian squadron, which was
prepared to resist attack when the Jap
anese were sighted by the scouts, was
composed of the battleship Petro-
pavlovsk, flag ship; the battleship
Peresviet, the battleship Poltava, the
battleship Sevastopol, the battleship
Pobieda, the armored cruiser Bayan, the
protected cruiser Diana, the protected
cruiser Askold, the protected cruiser
Boyarin, the protected cruiser Novik
and the transport Angara. The battle
ship RetviZan and the battleship Cesare-
witch, which had been torpedoed on the
previous night, were too badly injured
to participate.
AT eight o'clock in the morning four
Japanese cruisers rounded the Lao
Tishin promontory and then headed
southeast, with the intention of draw
ing the Russians in pursuit. The fast
Boyarin was sent out to reconnoiter.
She returned at 10: IS a. m. and signaled
the approach of large Japanese fleet,
which was sighted at 11:O7 1t was COM
posed of II vessels, six battleships and
six cruisers. They were steaming in line
abreast Four of the cruisers took up a
position behind the heavier ships. The
Japanese opened fire at four miles and
the Russians Immediately replied. The
latter, which had been disposed in line
altered their position, the hskold and
Boyarin advancing abreast of Liao-Tin
rock and the Novik moving down the
coast towards Liao-Tishin, while the
Bayan advanced and led the rest of the
fleet between the heavier vessels of
Russia's enemy and the coast. The land
batteries followed the fleet into action,
Viceroy Alexieff and his staff observing
the engagement from Golden Hill.
"The enemy steamed within 40 cables
length (about 5000 yards) at the end of
half an hour; in three-quarters of an
hour approached to within Is cables
length $1,000 yards), and then, heading
about toward the south, the fleet soon
disappeared in the mist which yelled the
horizon -. - -