The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-03-10
Seven Vessels Were Sighted Near
Askold Island Making For
Ussuri Bay.
OPENED FIRE ON VlAOIvos1ok.
Japanese Troops Are Advancing To-
ward Musan in Northern Korea
Threatening Russian Flank.
In Order to Checknate This Move the
Russian outposts, Which Recently
Crossed the Tuman, viii Oc-
cupy koyryone.

st. Petersburg. March IA commu'
nication from Viceroy Alexieff to the
czar from Mukden. bearing Sunday :
date, says:
81 most humbly inform your majesty
that the commandant at the fortress
at Vladivostok reports that at $3.50
this morning seven vessels were sight
ed south of Askold island At 9:45
they were seen to be warships making
for Askold island. About noon the
enemy's squadron was midway be-
tween the coast and Askold island
making for Ussuri bay. They we're out
Of reach of the shore batteries. AT
1880 the enemy opened fire. Two YES
sells in the squadron were probably the
first class cruisers Idzum and Yakumo
but the names Of the other vessels are
unknown"
Official dispatches received here con
corning the bombardment Of Vladivo
stok by Japanese feet Sunday after
noon do not mention any Russian
losses. but previous advices say that
five were killed, four sailors and the
wife OF an engineer. II Is apparent
the Japanese were afraid to risk ex
posing their ships to the plunging fire
Of the land batteries and 1t Is consid
cred probable here that the attack was
really for the purpose of drawing the
fre of the Russian forts, compelling
the Russians to disclose the position
and caliber of their guns and also for
the purpose of ascertaining whether
the Russian squadron is in port. II
this was the object Of the japanese II
is believed to have failed signally, as
the batteries did not fire a shot and
IL the squadron is in port 1t could not
be seen from the Japanese position In
the Bay Of Ussuri on account Of the
high land which rises from the coast
on that side. obstructing the view oi
the harbor.
Advices from Vladivostok say tina,
the $500 Japanese troops who landed
at Plaksin bay Ton the east coast OF
Northern Korea. are advancing to
ward Musan (21S miles from Gensan)
with the intention Of ultimately reach
ing Hun Chun Ton the left bank Of the
Tumen river, about 100 miles west OF
Vladivostok). and threatening the Rus
sian flank. In order to checkmate this
move the Russian outposts, 1900
strong. which recently crossed the Tu
men, Is advancing to occupy Koyr
yong, on the Tumen river, a walled
city commanding the trails along
which the japanese must pass.
The wife of a naval officer gives a
graphic account of the bombardment
of Port Arthur February 8, and the
flight Of women and children the next
day. She was awakened in the middle
of the night by the heavy reports OF
the guns and her first thought was that
they were due to blasting operations
at the dock yard but when the guns
of the fortress began to boom. she
awoke the servants, who were terror
stricken. She then went out on the
balcony and saw the searchlights
wildly swirling
The officers wife, with an infant
took a train from Port Arthur In the
morning and she describes the awful
crush at the station and also at Dalny
where she learned of the fate of the
Variag at Chemulpo. Great hardships
were suffered by the travellers until
they reached Irkutsk, IS days later
The trains and stations were crowded
and the woman found II impossible
even to lay her baby down on the
floor of the car, which was covered
with baggage. She says that mother:
fought to get food for their children.
Direct through telegraph communi
cation is now established between
Viceroy Alexieff's headquarters a
Mukden and St. Petersburg. This Il
believed to be the longest circuit IL
the world, being over 5000 miles
whereas the direct communication be
tween London and Teheran, distance
of only 5000 miles, has hitherto beef
the longest
Vladivostok, March 4.-Eye wit
nesses Of the naval fight at Port Ar
thur have just arrived here. They de
clare that the losses of the Japanes,
up to February 25 were greater thar
has been admitted in foreign newspa
pers. In addition to five steamer
sunk they say that five torpedo boa
destroyers, one gunboat and two tor
pedo boats were put out of action ant
several others so damaged that the.
will require extensive repairA
A Rush Order Placed.