The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-17
Jap Torpedo FIOtIIa Laid Mines in Port Arthur HarbOf
 Tuesday Night
ENTICED THE FLEET ID
 COME OUT INTO THE OPEN
Officials at St. Petersburg Cannot Be- lieve That the laps Could Lay the Mines Without Be-
 Ing Discovered.

Washington, April 16.-The Japanese le- gation tonight received the following cable dispatch dated Tokio, April 16
 Admiral Togo reports that the com bined fleet as previously planned. com menced on April 11th, the eighth attack on Port Arthur The fourth and the fifth destroyer fotillas and the 14th tor- pedo flotilla and the steamer Keyro reached the mouth of Port Arthur at mid night on the 12th, and effected the laying of mines at several points outside of the port, defying the enemy's searchllghts.
 "The second destroyer fotilla discov- cred at dawn on the 18th one Russian de- stroyer trying to enter the harbor and after 10 minutes attack sunk her. Anoth- CT Russian destroyer was discovered from the direction of Liao Tishin and was attacked, but she managed to flee into the harbor On our side there were no casualties except two seamen on the Jkazuchi slightly wounded. There was no time to rescue the enemy's crew which drowned as the Bayan approached.
 "The third fleet arrived outside of Port Arthur at 8 a. m., when the Bayan came out and opened fire Immediately after ward the Novik, Askold, Petropaylovsk, Pobieda and Poltava came out and made an offensive attack. Our third fleet hard ly answering and gradually retiring, en- ticed the enemy 15 miles southeast of the port when our first fleet, informed through wireless telegraph from the third fleet, suddenly appeared before the enc my and attacked them While the enemy was trying to- regain the port, a battle ship of the Petropavloysk type struck mines laid by us the previous evening and sunk at 10:32 a. m-
 Finally Reeained Port.
 Although another ship was observed 10 have lost freedo,s of movement the confusion of the enemys ships prevented us from identifying her. They finally managed to regain port. Our third fleet suffered no damage and the enemys dam age, besides above mentioned, is proba- bly slight also. Our first fleet did not reach firing distance. Our fleets retired at l D. m, and prepared for another at tack They resailed April IA toward Port Arthur. The second, the fourth and the fifth destroyer fiotillas nd the ninth tor pedo fotila also joined at a. m and [ a. m No enemys ship was found out side the port.
 Our first fleet arrived at the port at 9 a. m, and discovered three mines laid by the enemy and destroyed all. The Kasaga and the Niasin were dispatched to the west of Liao Tishin and made in- direct bombardment for two hours, it be- Ing their first action The new forts on Liojen Liao Tishin finally silenced. Our forces retired at 1:30 D. m."
 The Kasaga and Nashin were purchas- ed from Argentina.
 In concluding his report, Admiral Togo says:
 'sThe fact that not a single man was injured in these successive attacks must be attributed to his majesty's glorious service. The officers and men proved gal lant and did their utmost in the discharge of their duties despite many things seem ed beyond human control
 ."I,he ships freely moving over the en- emy's ground, without suffering any damage, must be attributed to heavenly assistance