The Gainesville star. [volume] (Gainesville, Fla.) 1903-19??, 1904-03-01
JAP WARSHIPSSUNK
Report that Six Were Knock
ed Out at Port Arthua.
FRESH ATTACK REPULSED
one Account states that Four Were
Warshlps and Two Transports,
While Another Gays only
Fire ships Destroyed.

A cable dispatch from 81. Peters
burg says: II is officlally announced
from Port Arthur that four Japanese
battle ships and two Japanese trans
ports have been sunk In a fresh at
tack on Port Arthur. Tue attack was
repulsed.
1t now appears that the announce
ment from Port Arthur, that four Jap
anese battle ships and two japanese
transports had been sunk in fresh
attack on Port Arthur, was given out
as Official by mistake.
There Is no official confirmation in
st. Petersburg OF Russian victory at
Port Arthur.
Both the report Of the sinking OF
the Japanese ships and the denial that
the announcement was official was
sent out by the semi-offlcial telegraph
bureau, the Russian news agency.
ALExlEFF SENDS NEWS.
A telegram from Viceroy Alexieff to
the car says
AT quarter before o'clock In the
morning OF February 20, numerous
Japanese torpedo boats attempted 60
attack the battle ship Retvlzan and
sink larger steamers loaded with in.
fiammables. The Retvlzan was the
irst to observe the torpedo boats and
opened a strong fire on them. She
was supported by the land batteries.
She destroyed two steamers near the
entrance Of the harbor: they were
coming directly towards her. One VI
them went on the rocks near the light
house on Tiger peninsula and the 9TH
or sank under Golden hill. The Ret.
yizan observed four steamers in a
sinking condition and eight torpedo
boats departing slowly to rejoin the
waiting Japanese warships. A portion
OF the crews OF the Japanese vessels
was drowned. The grounded steam.
err Is still burning. The enemy is OBJ.
served in the ofing at Port Arthur
In two lines"
WERE ONLY FIRE SHIPS.
A dispatch to Reuters Telegram
Company CLondon) from ST. Peters.
burg, sent at IL o'clock Wednesday
night, says that on February 2S the
japanese attempted to send four
steamers filled with explosives among
the Russian feet In Port Arthur har.
Dor. These fire ships did no damage,
and we're themselves destroyed, two
being sunk and two going ashore.
Two Japanese boats, escorting the
fire ships were destroyed by Russian
guns.
THE NEWS IN PARIS.
A dispatch to The Havas agency
(Parls) from Port Arthur says that
four japanese cruisers and two Jap
anese transports have been sunk in
fresh attack on Port Arthur.
The dispatch adds that the attack
was repulsed and that the Russian
battleship Retvizan covered herself
with glory.
DOUBTS RUSSIAN REPORTS,
The Japanese legation In Washing
| tOu ulsCIcullb tue iSpoINb VI tue SHIN
ing Of four Japanese warshlps and two
transports at Port Arthur.
Attention is called to the fact that
both of the papers emanate from Rus
sian sources and therefore should be
accepted with caution.
Furthermore, the reference to the
participation of the ketvizan in the
lighting and the reported sinking Of
transports, are both regarded as cast.
Ing suspicion on the story. The Ret
vlzan Is understood to be In condi-
ton unfit for battle for many months,
while the presence of transports at
Port Arthur cannot be explained in
view Of the reported statements that
japan did not intend to land troops
on the Lao Tung peninsula at this
stage, and the transports could be
there for no other reason. No Official
advices have reached the legation re-
garding the matter,