Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-11
RUSSIA DECLARES WAR
Gar Today Issues Formal Manifesto
Japan Makes statement-story of
Battle at Port Arthur Today is Not
Credited at St. Petersburg.
m*s ## y y Il *# #*** ,
WAR DEVELOPMENTS TO $
DATE. =

y First blood for Japan in attack y
$ Monday night upon Port Arthur. >
y Three Russian ships disabled, ten :
men killed and forty-sx injured.
In battle yesterday at Chemul-
: po, the port of Seoul, the Corean
capital, two Russian ships were
= sunk by the Japanese, who escaped
damages.
A Toxic dispatch says Japanese
= have captured Russian transports y
and 1000 soldiers.
"A private message to- Vladivo.
stock reports complete rout Of
= Japanese by Russian land forces =
's on the Yalu river in Manchuria.
- The same message says Chemul-
* po has been occupied by Russian !
y troops.
Newspapers in st. Petersburg :,
= today print wild reports of a deci-
# at Port Arthur but the story is not
s believed.
The car of Russia formally de-
= cIares war on Japan today.
s*** &* **N g - = 4 **-A
London, Feb. 1O.-The Japanese
minister here has received official
confirmation from Toxic of the de-
struction at Chemulpo of the Russian
first class cruiser. Variag and third
class cruiser Korietz.
Attack BY Russians.
The Dispatches state that the
japanese admiral, on arriving at
Chemulpo, sent in word to the two
Russian cruisers giving them a time
limit in which to leave. Shortly after.
wards the Russians came out and at
tackled the Japanese torpedo boat
which replied with torpedo ineffec
lively. A general exchange then fol
lowed,
Russian Ships Sink.
After a hot fire the Russians re
turned to Chemulpo and sank at the
entrance to the harbor.
Cause Not Known.
It is not yet known whether the
sinking was due. to the Japanese fire
or to the Russians own action, but
1t is believed the former was the cause
Seek Safety on French Ships.
The Russian crews sought refuge or
French warship at Chemulpo. There
we're no casualties among the Japan
ese and their vessels sustained nc
damage.
An American Built Ship.
The Variag was built at the Cramps
ship yard, at Philadelphia. 1t is o1
steel and unsheathed. Its displace
ment is $500 tons.
The KoTietz was built in Stockholm
She is of steel with i Alb tons dis
placement.
Japanese Ship Aground.
A Port Arthur dispatch says the
Japanese fleet returned there Tuesday
afternoon and again bombarded the
fleet and forts but soon withdrew
The losses to the Russians were small
During the firing a Japanese cruiser
was grounded.
Japan Loss in Land Fight.
vladivostock, Feb. 10.-Private tele
grams received here report the com
plete rout Of the Japanese by the Rus
SLAMS on the Yalu river.
ChemuIpo in Russia's Hands.
These adV1ceS claim CnemuipO ma
been occupied by the Russian soldier
and marines.
Russia Stops Communication.
st. Petersburg. Feb. 10. 2:S0 p. M
No further details of the fighting of
Port Arthur have been made publ,
!, here, beyond the official bulletins. Al
the newspaper dispatches over th
Siberian line have been stopped, ant
the telegraph Office refuses to accep
private messages for the far east.
Some Are Skeptieal.
Skepticism is expressed in certain
quarters that the full extent of th'
Russian losses has not been given out
',.,t in government circles the officia