Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-05-26
RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR

mine lis more serious than the loss OF
the Petropavlovsk. for she was much
the better ship Of the two. The Yo-
shine was merely fast protected
cruiser, little inferior to the Variag,
and her loss will not affect the balance
OF power. There is still no question
that Japan holds the sea, despite her
heavy losses"
H. w. Wilson;~the Daily Nails ma
val expert, in commenting on the Jap
anese naval disaster, says:
From a naval standpoint the loss of
the Hatsuse is a very serious matter
for the Japanese navy, reducing Its
fighting force, roughly, one-tenth, or
in terms of land war, by about di-
vision. The loss of the Yoshino is not
of any great importance, though she
was a good, fast scout, but her battle
force was insignificant because she
lacked armor."
Russians Lose 1000 Men.
The Standards correspondent at
Tien-tsin cables that while the Japan.
ese fleet was covering the landing OF
troops near Kai Chau on Monday a
fierce engagement occurred at Hsin
Yen Cheng. Two thousand Russians
were killed or wounded The Russians
retreated and the Japanese occupied
both Kaiping and Kai Chau.
Rear Admiral Perishes.
Toxic, May 81. - 1t is unofficially
stated here that Rear Admiral Nashi-
wa was lost on board the battleship
Hatsuse off Port Arthur. The Hatsuse
was Nashiwas flagship. He was a
most experienced and valuable officer
Russian FIotilla Repulsed.
Washington, May 81. Advices re-.
ceived at the Japanese legation from
Toxic confirming the Associated Press
account Of the sinking Of the cruiser
Yoshino end the battleship Hatsuse
state that after the Hatsuse had been
struck by Russian mechanical mines,
Russian fotilla of sixteen torpedo
boats and destroyers appeared, but
they were repulsed by the Japanese
cruisers, which saved 800 of the Hat
5uoS ClcW, EtAuIultdi Ma
shiba and Capt. Nakao.
Japanese Lose Two Warships.
Z Chefu, May 20. - Russian refugees
who arrived here to-day on junk from
Dalny say that the, Japanese lombard
ed Port Arthur last Monday. Russian
officers who were on Golden Hill de-
clared, according to the refugees, that
during the bombardment a japanese
batt4eshiD and a cruiser struck mines
and sank.
The warships reported to have. been
sund off Port Arthur are the battle
ship Shikishima and the armored
cruiser Asama. The story is not be-
lieved here, but the Russians who
brought the news insist that it is true.
Drive Russians Out Of kai Chau.
London, May 20. = The Daily TeIe.
graphs Niuchwang correspondent, I'M
der date of May Is, says:
After driving out 1900 Russians
and destroying the railway the Japan.
csc re-embarked from Kai Chau, the
combined fleet heading southwark.
The Russians re-entered Niuchwang
with 1000 infantry and two batteries
OF artillery, but all preparations are
made for another hasty evacuation"
Russians Fall Back.
Washington, May 20.-The Japanese
legation has received the following
cablegram from Toxic:
The commander of the landing
forces in the Liaotung peninsula re-
ports that between the 18th and 18th
instances there have been daily
skirmishes. japanese detachments sue
cessfully driving the enemy back and
destroying the telegraph and railway,
At Pulantien and vicinity on the 10th.
after serious fighting, the japanese oc.
cupied the heights three and one-half
miles from Kin Chow The Japanese
casualties were 14e, including nine Of
fcers killed" Z
Z - :