The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-12
RUSSIANS MAKE DASH
 ON JAPANESE FLEET
TAKE INITIATIVE IN HOT FIGHT
 OFF PORT ARTHUR.
Torpedo aud sink One Torpedo Boat and Sustain the Loss of a Torpedo- Boat Destroyer-Pars of the Crew of the Latter captured by Japanese- Finally Compelled so Rstirs-Aetion Followed by Long Bombardmept by the m.kado,s ships.
the nI.kado's ships.

St. Petersburg, March 1.-The em- peror has received a message from |Viceroy Alexieff which says Admiral Makaroff, commanding the fleet. reports from Port Arthur under date of March DO @ as follows:
 ''Six torpedo boats which went out to sea the night of March 10, four of them being under the general command of Captain Mattoussevitch, encountered the enemy's torpedo boats followed by cruisers.
 "A hot action ensued, in which the torpedo destroyer Vlastini discharged a Whitehead torpedo and sunk one of the enemy's torpedo boats. On the way back the torpedo boat destroyer Stere- guschtchi, commanded by Lieutenant Sergueieff, sustained damages; her en- zine was disabled and she began to founder. By o'clock in the morning Hive of our torpedo boat destroyers had returned. When the critical position of lfthe Stereguschtchi became evident I hoisted my flag on the cruiser Novik and went with the Novik and the cruis- Ter Boyarin to the rescue. But as five E of the enenys cruisers surrounded our destroyer and as their battleship Squadron was approaching, I did not succeed in saving the destroyer, which foundered. Part of the crew was made prisoner and part was drowned. "On the ships which participated in l the night attack one officer was serious : ly and three others were slightly wounded, two soldiers were killed and Ieighteen were wounded.
 At 3 o'clock fourteen of the enemy's ships assembled before Port Arthur, and Ia bombardment was begun with the heavy guns of their hattleship squadron ht long range.
 This lasted until o'clock in the af- ternoon. It is estimated that the enemy fired 154 F inch shells. The damage to bur vessels was insignificant and they are again ready for battle. Our losses were one officer slightly wounded and one soldier killed and four soldiers wounded.
 The illumination of the sea by the searcflights mounted at our batteries was most satisfactory and several times isolated shots from our batteries forced the eneny's torpedo boats to retire.
 Wllu lIle commencement Ol tIIG UOIIl-i bardment at dawn the guns of the for ress replied to the enemy's fire.
 The crews of all the ships engaged gave proof of remarkable coolness in action. Below decks the work of the lay followed it's ordinary course, in spite of the shells falling between the vessels and covering them with frag- N nents.
 t "A bombardment at such distance 2lnust be considered ineffective, but the Japanese cruiser Takagso is reported to have been seen to suffer serious dam lge, the extent of which, however, it vas impossible to ascertain at a dis ance of five miles. Many shells were fired at range of seven and one-half miles.
 T have the honor to report the fore going to your majesty. (Signed)
 'sAlexieff.''
 Later another dispatch was received from Admiral Alexief as follows:
 In the fight between our torpedo boats and the Japanese cruisers on March 10, Captain Mattoussevitch, En- Eign Alexandroff and Mechanical En- gineer Blinoff received slight wounds Rnd Ensign Zaeff was severely wounded In the head, losing his right eye.
 'The commandant at Port Arthur re- ports the following details of the bonn bardment of the fortress there on March lO;
 '.As. soon as the enemy opened fire our batteries replied. Six of the enemy's S ships remained behind the Lao Tishin promontory and opened fire on the fortress over that shelter. They ceased bonbardings at 1:15 p. m. The enemy fired about 200 projectiles. One shell from battery No. 15, on Electric Cliff, damaged a Japanese cruiser seriously.
 ssThe results of the bombardment were insignificant. Six soldiers were wounded. Three inhabitants of the town were killed and one was seriously wounded.
 "According to General Stoessel's re- bort the officers and soldiers in the shore batteries displayed exemplary courage and fired their guns in perfect order
 FIGHT OF TORPEDO BOATS.