The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-10
JAPAN MASTER OF
THE SITUATION.
Russian Fleet SO Badly Crippled that
il Cannot Cope with japs.
Five Russian Warships Disabled
and Two Reported Captured.

tive nuSSt6ts Wdt Stt1pS OtSoEs00
and Two Reported Captured.
Japanese Landing Troops in Corea Prac.
tically unhindered.
Che Foo, Feb .9.-The steamer Co.
lumbia has arrived from Port Arthur
with additional news of the attack ssby
the Japanese feet upon the Russian
feet in the roads outside Of the har-
Dor of Port Arthur. The Columbia
was in the roads at the time and felt
the first shock of torpedo explosion
at II O'Clock on Monday night. The
attack continued all night and at day.
light this morning the two Russian
battleships and one first class cruiser
was seen to have been disabled and
beached at the entrance Of the harbor.
The cruiser was badly listed to one
side.
This morning the Russian forts
opened fire on the Japanese feet which
was about three miles distant. The
Japanese vessels returned the fire, hit
ting several Of the Russian ships, but
| doing little damage. The Russian
cruisers then went out and the Japa-
nese vessels disappered. They we're
seen later going in the direction Of
Dalny, apparently undamaged.
The two battleships disabled are the
Poltava and the Czarevich. The disa-
| bled armoured cruiser Boyarim and
| the grounded battleships block the en-
trance to the harbor, preventing gun
boats from going out and battleships
and cruisers from going in and get
ting COAL
Besides this Japan has the Russian
gunboats Varyg and Korietz caught at
Chemulpo. They we're bound for Via
livestock.
The Japanese feet was under the
command of Vice Admiral Togo and
consisted of six fast cruisers, the
Chito, Kasage, Tofago and Yashima,
which circled outside, drawing the
fire of the Russians. They then join
ed the main feet aud all went in to
attack the armored cruisers. In the
japanese feet, which consisted of two
divisions we're the Kikasa, the hag-,
ship, the first class battleships Ashi,
Fuii, Shikishima, Hatsuse and the
dispatch boat Tatsuma. The second
division Of the feet under command
of Admiral Kamimura on the flag
ship Ijdsumo, consisted of the armor-
ed cruisers Yakima, Iwat and Asama.
When seen by the steamer Foo Chow
| Tuesday morning, the fast cruisers
were circling in radius Of six miles.
No torpedo boats were seen and it is
probable that they left the vicinity
afterss the torpedo attack of Monday
night. The Russian feet outside of
the harbor consisted of the battleships
Petropaulovsk, flagship: Perewset,
sub-hagship; Pobieda, Poltava, Czare-
witch. Retvizan and ssSebastopol, and
the cruisers Novik, Boyarin, Bsyaru,
Dianu Palada, Askold and Angara.
The disabled battleships are inside
forts Huan Ching Shan and Chi
Kwan-Shan. The cruiser is outside,
but within range of the forts.
AN OFFICIAL RUSSIAN REPORT.
St. Petersburg, Feb. 10.-1 a. m.-
The following bulletin has just been
issued in the form of telegram from
Viceroy Alexieff's chief Of staff, dated
Feb. g:
BY order of the viceroy, l beg to
report this, that at about II O'Clock in
| the morning, japanese squadron
consisting of about Is battleships and
cruisers approached Port Arthur and
opened fire. The enemy was received
with cannonade from the shore bat
tery and the guns of our squadron
which also participated in the engage
ment. At about midday the Japanese
squadron ceased its FIRE and left, pro-
ceeding south.
Our Losses in the feet were two
officers wounded. nine men killed,
and Al men wounded On the shore
batteries one man was killed and
three wounded. The battleship Pol
tava and the cruiser Novik each had
hole knocked in her side below the
water line. The forts were slightly
damaged.
tSignedJ Major Gen. Flug.''
JAPANESE TROOPS LAND.