The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-08
Togo Sends in Official Report on Successful Effort to
 Block the HarbOr
VESSELS WERE SEPARATED
 DURING RAGING SEA STORM
Merchantmen Are Loaded With Stone and Blown Up When They Could
 Get Close Enough
 In the Harbor.

Tokio. May T. 4 p. m.-Vice Admiral Togos official recital of the latest en- gagement off Port Arthur, which was received here today, shows that the Japanese have blocked the entrance to the harbor.
 On Tuesday morning afteE the blockad- ing fotilla had been scattered by a gale and the commander of the 1otila had signaled in vain that the attempt be abandoned, pending the moderation of the storm, the crews of the separate ships in no wise daunted by the weather which isolated them from their com panons, proceeded to the work on their own desperate initiative They forced their way in the face of the Russian fire which was more deadly than ever before, as a result of the improved Russian de- fences over the field of mines. Many of these exploded, yet five out of the Japanese blockading ships were damned into the inner channel and now prevent egress from the harbor to all craft ex- : eepting small boats. The attack ex- ceeded all It's predecessors in despera- ton and the courage displayed by the volunteer crews is equal to that shown in any event in the war history of the world.
 Was Expensive in Lives.
 Although Vice Admiral Togo again avoided damage to a single one of his vessels, the attack proved to be expen- give in lives
 The blockadIng fiotilla consisted of eight stone laden merchantmen. The bloc lding vessels and their escort left the maiu squadron for Port Arthur on Monday evening. They encountered a sorSseaste,ly gale and by Il o'clock at night the seas were mountainous and l it Was impossible to keep the steamers X together
 s Commander Hayashi who was in com mand of the expedition observed the inn possibility of keeping the f1otilla intact and signalled 1t to abandon the attack.
 These signals repeated until 2 o'clock In the morning. but they failed to reach the vessels of the expedition which were swept apart by the tempest uous seas, and proceeded separately to the mouth of the harbor. Upon arriving there, the Mkawa -Maru, one of the mer- chantmen, saw that the enemy was firing upon the fourteenth torpedo boat f1otilla. The men aboard the Mikawa-Maru thought the other steamers had reached the harbor mouth, and they steamed boldly in. She was followed closely by another of the merchantmen, eyed to be the Sakura Maru.
 Fires Burning on Shore.
 The Russians had fires burning at tLe mouth of the harbor and they used also many powerful searchlights on the in vading Japanese vessels. They poured an
 ncessant fire into the channel.
 Lieutenant Sosa, who was in command of the Milkawa Maru unhesitatingy forced his ship into the channel, rammed his way through the booms and reached the center of the inner entrance. Here he anchored his vessel and then blew her up. She sank immediately.
 Another steamer, supposed to be the Sakura Maru, then came to anchor near a projecting rock at the mouth of the harbor and sank. Following the Sakura Maru, came the Tolmoa Tchldo Maru |, and Otaru Maru, the Sagami Maru and Aikoku Maru and the Asagawao Maru \ These six steamers advanced to the mouth of the harbor. The Russian fire now be- came highly effective, while a number of sunken mines, which were struck by the steamers, began to explode. These ex- rlosions caused heavy casualties among the Japanese on board the blockading vessels. The Tomoia collided with a boom. This turned her stem to the east ward and she sank athwart the passage. blocking nearly one-half of the entrance of the harbor When the Yedo Maru reached the mouth of the passage and was lowering her anchor, her captain, Commander Takayangi, was shot through the stomach and killed. Sub. Lieutenant Nagata succeeded to the command. He anchored the Yedo Maru and sank her
 Two other stone-laden steamers. be- lieved to be the Otaru Maru and the Sagami Maru. then entered the mouth of the harbor and sank.
 Vessel Strikes Mine.
 ba okt Moru ctr ,,,ip five cable lengths from the mouth of the passage which exploded and caused her to sink. The lieutenant of this vessel, Uchida, Chief Engineer Aoki and eight men are missing
 A steamer thought to be the Asagawo Maru, which appeared to have her rudder broken, blew herself up at the foot of Golden Hill and sunk there.
 Vice Admiral Togo, in his report, says: 1 ms undertaking, when compared with the last two, resulted in greater casual ties to our side. Owing to the inclem- E ency of the weather and the increased / preparations for defense completed by the enemy we could save none of the officers or the crews of the Otaru Maru xhe Sagi Maru, the Sakura Maru. or fhe | Asagapo Maru. It is to be regretted that nothing particular could be learned con- corning the brave discharge of their duties, but the memory of their exem- plary conduct will remain long in the imperial navy.
 "The destroyer and the torpedo boat fotillas. besides resisting the enemy bravely fought against wiEd and wave | The torpedo boat fotila approached close | to the mouth of the harbor and rescued | more than half the men. Torpedo boat No. 67 had a steam pipe broken by a shell and was disabled but a consort, torpedo boat No. 70. went to her assist ance and lowed her away. Three of ths crew of No 67 were injured
 Engine Damaged By She'll. The destroyer Ackta had her larboard engine damaged by shell, and one sailor on board her was killed. One sailor on board the Hayabusa was killed by shell. '"r-- third detachment Rear Admira!