Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-12-28
TOGO W|THDRAWS FLEET.
Reports That He Is Ready to
Meet Baltic Squadron.
WILL MAINTAIN BLOCKADE

Toxic. Dec. 24.-Admiral Togo an
nounces the withdrawal of the majority
of the fleet from Port Arthur.
Admiral Togo telegraphing under date
of December %, says:
After 2O3-Meter hill was occupied as
the result Of a gallant and desperate at
tack by the besieging army, the lombard
ment Of the enemy's squadron by siege
and other heavy guns became effective.
FLEET DESTROYED.
I'm consequence the battleships Pol
taya and Retvisan were sunk and sub
sequently the battleships Pobieda and
Peresviet, the protected cruiser Pallada
and the armOred cruiser Bayan We're
sunk. The battleship Sevastopol escaped
the land bomDardment, left the harDor
! December y and anchored near Chentao
mountain. She was attacked there con-
tlnuously by our torpedo boats and heaV-
| lily damaged.
ENEMY is CRUSHED.
THE main strength of the enemy is
completely crushed. Only weak gun
boat, the Otvashni, and several torpedo
! boat destroyers remain ahoat. Under the
circumstances our combined fleet has
been removed as unnecessary from the
blockage of Port Arthur, which had been
maintained since May 1. l have ar
ranged for a closer watch for ships at
tempting to run the blockade and to
watch the remnant of the enemys
squadron.
JAPANESE LOSSES.
During the blockade we suffered from
the enemy's mines, both laid and floating
on the nigh seas, and from dense tOgs.
Ine cruisers Mlyako, Salyen and 1o-
snlno; hatsue, battleship; Aaimon, gun
boat, ana Helen, coast defense vessel,
were sunk and many gallant and loyal
oncerS and men Killed, out we succeeded
in maintaining the blockade. W hen the
enemy emerged from the harbor our fleet
successfully engaged 1t and finally with
the valuable support of the besieging
army succeeded IN crushing nearly all
the enemy's squadron. Our second
squadron SO heavily damaged the Vladi-
NoStok squadron that II mas since been
Unable to leave port.
All this success is gratefully attributed
to the brilliant virtue of our Emperor.
VALIANT WORK DONE.
During the blockade all the ships I'M
der my command spIendluiy accomplished
the Work ana DUTY assigned TO Ineln. rs
! peclaIy to be noted are some OF those
VINO are engaged III the difficult and risky
task OF DIockadlng or VINO ureleSsly ac-
compllshed the work of laying mines III
the presence Of the enemy, others who
| Drawing ali dangers were engaged In the
| Work OF clearing mines away and others
/ sui VINO were posted to watch the enemy
and guard against the enemys ships.
| 1heir combined work strongly contupuU-
| ed TO the accomplishment OF the blockade.
l deem 1t my DUTY to especially mention
my recognluOn OF the valuable service
! rendered by the officers and men.
CAPTURE MOkE HEIGHTS.
! The japanese forces besleglng Port Ar
| thur yesterday Stormed ana now LOid the
| nelgntS east OF nouyangsnukou.
PRISONERS captured by the japanese re-
/ port that the RUSSIAN general, hondra-
! lenko, and another general omcer, whose
name is not known, nave been Killed. ana
that Gen. rock Is among the WOUNDED.
BUMBARD RUSS DEFENSES.
A dispatch from the japanese army be-
fore fort arthur timed nlIdnlgnt says:
''On december Il the Russian defense
| WORKS on the heights east OF hOuyanga-
! hukou, Sungsnu mountain, kihlung
mountain ana the ~ forts were bonn
! barded by the japanese with heavy guns
which inflicted considerable damage. AS
a result of the bombardment a detach-
ment Of the japanese right wing at dawn
/ December % attacked the enemy on the
heights east of Houyangshukou and cap
|
morning.
HAND TO HAND FIGHT.
Afterwards the enemy concentrated
! its hre from several forts at Taiyang-
| kou and Yahutsui upon our newly occu-
pied position following this with a de-
termined counter attack during which
hand grenadeS were thrown, but our
force hnally repulsed the enemy. Later
as the enemy's bombardmenr abated we
/ cd
that our occupation became more as
| sured.
FORT SET ON FIRE.
GAS result Of our heavy guns bonn
bardment during and before the attack
the fort west OF Taiyangkou was set on
fire. One 15-centimeJer gun in each Of
the forts was destroyed. The covers
were also considerably damaged.
LOSES THREE GENERALS.
According to the statement of prison
ers captured at KeekWan mountain De-
cember IS and Of Russians who surren-
dered in the vicinity Of Elise mountain
December % during the battle of 2O3-
| Meter hill Gen. kondratenko, command
er Of the Seventh East Siberian rifles di-
vision, and Gen. Irman, commander of
the Fourth artillery brigade, were killed,
and Gen. FOck, commanding the Fourth
East Siberian division, was wounded"
GREAT CONFEDERATION.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 24.-The
japanese legation today received the fol-
! lowing cablegram from Toxic dated to-
! day: port Arthur army reports that
the right detachment occupied a hill on
the east of Houyangshukou. Thereupon
the enemy made a fierce counter attack,
but was repulsed. Our occupation is now
nearly assured. This hill is situated one
mile and a half south of 203-Meter hill
The bombardment of our heavy guns
caused a great confagration on the north
fort of Hsitayanghao."
n1rcc pnMpApn TIE IApc