The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-03
Has Been Declared from VIadi-
vOstOck to Port Arthur.
Russians Will Mine the River at
New Chwang.
PING YANG FORTIFIED.
Severe Weather Prevails In
Disturbed Territory.
Russians Are Awaiting Next
Move of Japanese.


New York. March 3-Port Arthur,
Vladivostock and the region traversed
by the East Chinese railroad and the
Blagovestchensk, trans-Baikal and
Amur territories have, cables the st.
Petersburg correspondent of the Her
aid, been formally declared in a state
of siege.
TO MINE RIVERS MOUTH.
New York, March 3-Russians say
they intend to place mines at the
mouth of the river at New Chwang and
use the Sivouch as a floating fort, but
there are no indications, according to a
Herald dispatch from Tien Tsin, that
they mean to defend New Chwang.
Anti-Russfan proclamations in Chi
nese posted in New Chwang have been
torn down by the Russian soldiers
| JAPANESE OCCUPY PING YANG.
| ST. Petersburg, March 3.-An official
dispatch received from Major General
Phung, Viceroy AIexieff's chief of staff,
dated March 2. SAYS:
According to the reports of our pa
trolls to Ping Yang and on the road to
Gensan (Won SAM there were no signs
of the enemy. Ping Yang has been oc-
cupied by 5000 Japanese, who include
200 cavalrymen. No particulars have
been obtained concerning artillery. 1t
has been learned that the japanese
| bring troops by sea from Fusan to
Chemulpo, whence they come to Ping
Yang.
Between 1000 and 1000 Korean
troops have been sent to Ping Yang
from Seoul. Our patrols on February
! 2S were within II versts 6 TniIes) Of
Ping Yang, and report that the Japa-
nese have fortified the town. The enc
1ny's troops are arriving daily. At Port
Arthur and in Manchuria all is calm.
1iAccording to Korean reports a detach
| ment of 2,5e0 japanese without artil
| fery. landed as Song Chen( (Hueng Seng!
north of Cape Bruat) on February 10
and marched toward southern Man
| churia.
There have been heavy snow falls
| at Port Arthur and in Manchuria re-
Gently. At Port Arthur there were ten
degrees of frost, and Vhadivostock had
a heavy snow Storm
| NO FIGHTING SOUTH OF YALU.
! Toxic, March 3.-It has been learned
here that the Russians have occupied
the telegraph offices at Anju and Yong
hion north of Ping Yang. They have
| imprisoned the district governor and
| have confiscated official papers. The
| Russian force near Anju numbers
| about 40 men. The main Russian force
| is concentrated at Yaio Yang. The
Russians near Antung aggregate 1000.
No important engagement is expected
south of the Yalu river. which it is
| said the Russian will make their main
| line of defense.
AWAITING JAPAN'S NEXT MOVE.
/ St. Petersburg, March 3.-Since the
disappearance of the Japanese fleet
| from before Port Arthur the Russian
authorities have been awaiting anxi-
| ously the next move of the Japanese on
| the sea. There is an inclination here
TO believe that the Japanese have been
discouraged by the failure of their at
tacl<s and perhaps by losses they have
| not announced.
| 1t is evident even from the meagre in
formation regarding the Russian dis
T! positions in northern Korea that the
| plan for checking the Japanese land ad-
vance is perfected and that heavy re-
| serves are being brought up the Yalu
/ river.
Every energy of the authorities is now
directed to prevent a blockade on the
Siberian railroad. Twenty new sidings,
each of 220O feet, are being erected. Ow-
ing to the heavy movement of rolling
stock carrying reinforcenlents, war mu-
nitions and commissariat stores east
ward there is great danger that in
bringing back the empty cars the whole
line may be stopped With the sidings
now being built the authorities hope to
be able to keep the line clear and to
send eleven trains in each direction
daily
Mail advices from Siberia say that the
army reserves from the rural districts
| seem to be much more anxious to go
to the front than the townsmen. Many
of the latter are presenting certificates
of illness. The government bank ball
ance March 1, showed a decrease of
only $4 000,0 co. The gold in hand amount
ed to $456, 900. 900.
CAPTURES UPHELD BY COURT.
Nagasaki. March 3.-The naval prize
court in session at Sazebo yesterday
upheld the legality of the capture by
Japanese cruisers of the merchant
steamers Augun, Mukden, Michael and
Rossija and the whalerS Nicola and
Alexander. Other cases are pending.
An appeal was allowed to be taken
within so days.
The Augun, belonging to the Chinese
Eastern Railway company was captur-
ed by the cruisers Sal Yen and Hal Yen
in the neighborhood of Fusan, Korea
at the outbreak of the war. She was
taken to Sazebo on February L. The
other prizes named reached that part
about the same time.
RUSSIANS FORTIFYING ANTUNG.
Seoul, March 3.-The Russian forces
at Anju are compelling the Koreans
to supply them with rice, fodder and
fuel The Russians are fortifying An
tung heavily, with the apparent inten-
ton of preventing the Japanese from
crossing. the Yalu.
/ The commander of a British gunboat
bringing down residents of that nation
ality from Songa Chong reports the
death of Prince Vi Chai Sun, a nephew
of the former knig and a man who has
from time to time filled all high posts
in the kingdom.
Ewing for Congress