Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-04-21
RUSSIANS SURPRISE LANDING
FORCE AND DRIVE THEM
BACK TO SHIPS.
PORT ARTHUR AGAIN BOMBARDfD
JAPANESE FLEET FIRES 1856 PRO
JEcTlLEs AT FORTRESS
AND TOWN.

| London, April H. - The ST. Peters
burg correspondent of the Standard
sends a rumor to the effect that Vice
Admiral Togo's fleet escorted a jap
anese landing of troops to the west
ward of the Yalu river. When $4,000
men had been landed the Russian
troops, which were lying concealed,
suddenly attacked them, driving them
back to the ships with heavy losses in
men and guns.
| The Times this morning prints a
dispatch from its correspondent at
sea off the coast of Korea The dis
| patch is dated yesterday, and in it
the correspondent says he believed
| that the entrance to Port Arthur is
now sealed.
| Port Arthur Bombarded
| ST. Petersburg, April II. - A teIe-
gram from Admiral Alexieff from
! Port Arthur to the emberor says that
from s:15 o'clock yesterday morning
| to midday the Japanese eet in two di-
visions bombarded the fortress and
| the town alternately from the Liao
Tishan promontory, firing 1876 projec-
tiles. The Russian squadron, includ-
| ing the battleship Pobieda. replied
from the anchorage by a plunging fire.
| The batteries also participated.
Losses on Land.
The losses on land were seven Chi
nese killed and five soldiers and three
Chinese wounded.
The Russian warships sustained no
| on them.
A dispatch from Lao Yang says
that the Russian intrenchments on
| the Yalu river have been completed.
The center of the line Of fortified po-
siuons is Antung The right flank
| rests on Tatungkau and the left flank
on Kulien Cheng on the west bank of
| the Yalu.
Japanese Submarine Dil 1t.
Paris, April II. = The Mathis ST.
| Petersburg correspondent sends an in
terview which he had with the Grand
Duke Vladimir in which, after giving
the details of a telegram from Grand
Duke Boris relating to the escape of
Grand Duke Cyril, Vladimir said:
Here we all believe that the catas-
| trophe to the petropavloysk was
caused by a Japanese submarine YES
sci. 1t must have been submarine
| that discharged torpedo which,
Striking the Rattleship
near the engine room caused an explo-
! sion of the boilers. We know that the
Japanese had two submarine vessels.
but we could not imagine that they
would be mad enough to send such a
little boat so far from the fleet or
that they would even risk them at the
entrance of, Port Arthur harbor. The
submarine which effected the destruc-
ton of the battleship must certainly
have sunk
Togo Is Persistent.
st. Petersburg, April 17-That Vice
Admiral Togo has not given up hope
I'of further damaging the Russian ships
now that there is little possibility of
their again going to sea, is shown by
his bombardment of Port Arthur yes-
terday. Unquestionably Togo is aware
of the effect of his previous lombard
ment, aud the fact that he has repeat
Led it, indicates to the officers here
that he believes there is good chance
Of projectile hitting target. In
order to drop shell into the harbor
or city a high
Angle Fire Is Necessary.
This is the reason the Japanese
squadrons took up position at Lao
Tishan It is not known whether the
new guns which have been Installed at
Port Arthur command this point, but
it is certain that Togo's ships escaped
without material damage. The aban-
donment OF Vice Admiral Makaroff's
policy of taking the feet to the outer
roads to return the japanese fire, il
shown in the report of viceroy Alexier
that his ships fired over the hill.
May Have Been Jap Mine.
st. Petersburg, April II. Informa-s
ton which has slowly reached St.
Petersburg has modified the opinion
at first prevailing concerning the
original cause Of the destruction Of
the battleship Petropavlovsk. There
lis gradually developing disposition
to admit the possibility that after ali
japanese torpedo boats may have,
dropped mines at the entrance Of Port
Arthur harbor.
Russians Lose Heart.
Influential Russians in all parts OF
the empire are uniting 70 avert a com.
Iplete collapse Of national confidence.
The feeling in the cities and towns
almost amounts TO q panic. and even
the peasants in remote localities are
beginning TO waken up to sense Of
tho disasters that have struck the ma
ton.
The authorities view with apprehen.
sion the movements e OPTICAL sincen-