Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-03-01
JAPS ATTACK AGAIN
Admiral Togo's Fleet Ham,
 mers Port Arthur.
CARS SHIPS RETREAT, BATTERED
%apane Squadron Ordered to Att tack and Capture Stronghold To-. day at All Costs--Toky0 Claims
 Victory In First Land Fight.

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 tack and Capture stronghold To- day at All Costs-Tokya Claims Victory In First Land Fight. LONDON, March IA dispatch from Yinhow says:
 Fifteen Japanese warships furfously bombarded Port Arthur from 10 until F o'clock noon yesterday. The Russian cruisers Novik, Askold and Bayan, &C., cempanied by four. torpedo boats, steamed out to meet the attack. They were, however, forced to retire. The Askold was in sinking condition. The Novik was badly damaged, and a tor pedo boat was sunk. The Russian bat tleship Retvizan was again damaged. The Japanese withdrew in good order"
 A Tokyo report says the first shots of the war on land have been ex- changed at Pingyang. A small detach- ment of Russian infantry, evidently scouts. appeared to the northward of the town. The Japanese outposts open ed fire from a range of 1,70O meters, and the Russians retired.
 It Is presumed that there were no losses on account of the small number 
 rating the opposing armies.
 In northern Korea the Russians are scouting over an extended area close to the Japanese positions, but a general engagement Is not expected to occur for some time, as the Russian force south of the Yalu river is inconsidera- ble, It's greatest strength seeming to be in the vicinity of Wiju. North of the Yalu the Russian army is constantly increasing in numbers and is being mobilixed, but the chances of it as stunning the offensive are slight.
 The Japanese are constantly strength ening their pos.tlon and increasing their forces in Korea.
 A report from Liaoyang, Manchuria, says that the Japanese Acct has re- ssived orders to attack and capture Port Arthur today at all costs.
 A Port Arthur dispa tch says that General Stoessel, commander of the garrison, has issued general order tdt- reeting the attention of the troops and inhabitants to the fact that the Japa- nase intend to land and seise the fer treas.
 The general declares the Japanese consider the seizure of Port Arthur to be Q question of national honor, and from their obstinate attacks and hom- bardments of the fortress and bays he can only conclude that the enemy will make every effort to capture the for. tress, failing which the Japanese will destroy the railroad and withdraw.
 A Japanese major, Togo Tazusiro, aud five men, captured byACossacks at Wiju, are prisoners at Laoyang.
 The concentration of Chinese troops westward of Mukden. in the district of Gubantsa, is not relished by the Rus slams. War material is being brought up, and the militia posts are being strengthened. The people at several points refuse to sell produce to the Russians.
 Snowstorms are raging here, and the frost Is intense.
 It is reported from Hakodate that Viadivostok is blockaded by Japanese vessels. During the Japanese land ing operations in Korea the Russian warships to the north were a constant menace, and blockading them would be the most effective means of secur- ing nontnterference.
 It is the belief that the Japanese have commenced important land and sea operations against Port Arthur, with view to it's immediate fall.
 The pause in the war operations in the far east has been broken by an- other Japanese attack on Port Arthur, of which only the foregoing brief ac- count Is yet to hand. This report, how ever, shows repetition of the now fa- nliliar tactics of Japan.
 r 1t is presumed that this attack was made in bad weather, previous tele- graphic advices having reported a se- we're gale raging at Port Arthur. As usual the Japanese did not remain long enough off the harbor to enable the gunners at the forts to get their range. Again also the same three cruisers-the Bsyan, the Askold aud the Novik-came out to meet the at- tack, and this suggests that either they were the only effective ships there or that the larger battleships were una ble to get out.
 The Russians are transferring the guns from. the disabled ships to the Port Arthur forts. ...t
 A dispatch from Chefu says a Japa- nese cruiser and torpedo boat entered that harbor without lights at 1 o'clock an the morning of the 29th. and 1t is believed they embarked the Japanese who took refuge there after the at tempt to bottle up Port Arthur. A Tokyo dispatch says the steamers sunk by the Japanese on either side of the Russian battleshjp Retvigan at Port Arthur partially obstruct the en- trance to the harbor.