Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1904-04-21

st. Petersburg, April ia dispatch
from Port Arthur says several eye
witnesses assert that q Japanese
cruiser was lost outside Port Arthur
April IL by striking one of its own
floating mines.
Japanese Transports Sighted.
Port Arthur, April 19.-Rumors are
current here that twenty Japanese
transports conveying troops have
been sighted steaming in the direction
Of Yinkow. The rumors cannot be
confirmed. The Russians are impa'
tiently awaiting Japanese landing.
eombardment Resumed.
Tien-tsin, April 19.--1t is reported
that the bombardment of Port Arthur
was resumed yesterday.
To Cover Landing Of Troops.
st. Petersburg, April 19.-It is said
that the Japanese torpedo fotilla at
tack on Port Arthur April 10 was in
tended to cover a landing from nine
transports at Shwang Tai-tse, twenty
miles southwest of Takushan. with a
view to cutting of the retreat Of the
Port Arthur troops to Stu Yuen and
Kapping, destroying the railway and
preventing troops stationed in the
Southern Lao Tung from etfecting a
junction with the main Russian forces
concentrated at Lao Yang and Muk-
den. The execution of this operation
only failed owing to the fact that all
places on the peninsula suitable for
the landing of troops are protected by
mines, well fortified and we'll guarded.
EIated Over Togo's Successes.
Toxic, April 19.-The Japanese are
elated over the successes they have
won at Port Arthur. They are also
proud of the achievements of Vice
Admiral Togo, particularly of his new
est strategy Of countermining the en-
emy's harbor and decoying him across
this field of mines to an equally
dangerous flank attack.
The success of the system Of plac-
ing deadly countermines is due large
ly to a series of careful observations
made by the Japanese during their
previous attacks on Port Arthur. The
Japanese saw the Russian fleet leave
the harbor and return to 1t several
times, and they discovered that the
Russian warships followed an identi'
cal course every time they came out
or went in, evidently for the purpose
Of
Avoiding Their Own Mines.
The Japanese took bearings on this
course. When the destroyer divisions
Of the Japanese torpedo flotilla laid
the countermines during the night of
April 1918 they placed them along
this course. The laying of these coun-
termines was exceedingly perilous be-
cause if any japanese boat with mines
on board had been struck by lucky
Russian shot she would have been an
initiated.
The weather of the night of April
1918 favored the work. There was
heavy rain, the night was dark and
cloudy and the Russian searchlights
playing over the channel failed to re-
veal the presence of the Japanese de-
stroyers.
Rear Admiral Dewa was in CON-
mand of the Japanese squadron which
decoyed the Russian ships over the
field of mines. His squadron consis-
ted of the cruisers Chitoso, Yoshino,
Kasagi and Takasago, all unarmored
vessels, which presented a tempting
bait for the heavier Russian ships.
Russians Discover Trap.
Vice Admiral Togo directed the
flank attack. He had the battleships
Hatsuse, Mikasa, Ashcni. SAikishima,
Yashima and Full. He waited thirty
miles out at sea until Rear Admiral
Dewa signalled him by wireless teleg-
raphy to come in. His vessels then
dashed at full speed toward the en-
trance of the harbor. 1t is not clear
what warned the Russians that they
had been trapped, but they probably
discerned the battleship squadron on
the horizon and retreated precivtate-
" to the harbor. Vice Admiral Togo
did not succeed in preventing the
Russians from entering but did force
them to a disastrous retreat, which
ended in the destruction of the Petro-
pavlovsk and the disabling of the
Pobieda. After these occurrences the
cruisers Nisshin and Kasuga were
used to lombard Port Arthur.
Warm Tributes for Japs.
London, April 10. - Vice Admiral
Togo's report is accepted here as fully
explaining the mystery of the destruc-
ton of the battleship Petropavlovsk,
and the newspapers pay warm trib
utes to the daring and skill displayed
by the Japanese. contrasting these
with the apparent foresight and VIZ
lance on the part Of the Russians.
War correspondents arriving at
Pingyang report that the roads are IN
terrible condition hut that the japan