The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-10
New York Sun Special Service.

New York Sun Special Service.
Chi-fu, China, Feb. 10.-The jap
anese fleet has won a double victory
in the first naval battle of the war.
The battle, In which there were two
engagements, was fought off Port
Arthur. 1t began at 1870 o'clock
Monday night with a daring attack by
the Japanese torpedo boat flotilla on
the Russian fleet, which lay in the
roads outside of Port Arthur. This
attack was continued internationally
until 2:30 o'clock Tuesday morning.
The conflict ended at noon yesterday
after a general engagement between
the fleets which lasted an hour and in
which the heavy shore batteries took
part.
Five Warships Damaged.
AS q result, five Russian men-of
war were seriously damaged; the
Czarevitch, the largest and heaviest
armored battleship In the squadron;
the battleship Poltava, and the pro-
tected cruiser Boyarin, and less seri
ously the crisers Pallada and Novik.
The CzarovitCh, the Poltava and the
Boyarin were struck by torpedoes dur
ing the night attack. To save them,
they were grounded at the entrance to
the harbor. AS they lie now they pre-
vent battleships and crisers from en-
tering to coal and gunboats from leav-
1nS the narDOr.
Killed and Wounded.
The Russians acknowledge a loss
during the engagement Of nine men
kille dand two officers and forty-one
men wounded in the fleet and one man
killed and three wounded in the shore
batteries.
After the battle the Japanese fleet
steamed away, having suffered no
damage, apparently.
ha cruisers
were in the Russian fleet. The Jap
anese fleet was commanded by Vice
Admiral Togo and numbered fifteen
vessels. The first division was made
first-class battleship Asahi Full,
Yashinia, Shikishimia and Hatsuse,
and the dispatch boat Tatsuma.
Vice Admiral Kamimura command
ed the second division, which was COM
posed Of the flagship Idzumo, the
armored cruisers and the Chitose,
Kasagi, Takasago and Yoshino, fast
protected cruisers.
Attack at Night.
The first attack of the torpedo boats
under cover of darkness completely
surprised the Russians. The steamer
Columbia, which arrived here yester-
day, lay near the Russian fleet Monday
night. Those on the Columbia felt the
first shock of q torpedo explosion at
ii o'clock. The Japanese torpedo
boats, whose numbers are Var1ously es-
timated at from tento fourteen, had
stolen In on the fleet under the very
guns of the land batteries. The in
slant after the speck was struck the
whose scene was illuminated by the
brilliant searchlights Of the Russian
warships. their decks swarming with
men.
The Russian guns instantly opened
fire toward the sea and swept the
water with a rain Of lead. SO far as
it known it did not hit anything, for
the sweeping searchlights could not
discover the torpedo boats, which had
apparently let fly the torpedoes and
kept swiftly on their course.
The firing lasted only for e. short
time then all was quiet, a1tho the
searchlights illumined the water for
an hour.
Second skirlnish.
Made holder by their first success,
the Japanese torpedo boats again ap
preached all enemy whom they had
aroused and who was watching for
them.
At o'clock in the morning those
on the Columbia felt more shocks,
caused by torpedoes being discharged
and striking. Again the Russian
searchlights sought their evasive and
deadly enemy; again tremendous
broadsides tore the waters. The
Japanese did not answer with a shot.
At o'clock in the morning the
Czarevitch and the Poltava steamed
slowly in from the outer roads and
were, beached across the entrance to
the harbor. They were ssoon fol-
lowed by the cruiser Boyarin, which
was badly listed and whose steer
ing apparatus seemed to be useless.
She was beached at the harbor's en-
trance, too. None Of the vessels was
Il ~ Ia
parently.
Drew Russian Fire.
When daylight broke the Russians
sent out Il fast cruiser to watch for
the Japanese fleet.
The four fast Japanese protected
cruisers lay off the harbor and cir
cled in a radius of six miles. No tor
pedo boats were seen, and they prob
ably steamed away after the nights
attack.
The Russian fleet outside Of the
harbor consisted Of the battleships
Petropavlovsk, flagship; Perevief, sub
flagship; Pobieda, Poltava, Gar
evitch, Retvizan and Sevastopo1, and
the cruisers Novik, Boyarin, Bayan,
Diana, Pallada, Askold and Aurora.
The four haunting Japanese cru1s-
ars drew fierce fire from the Russian
fleet and batteries, but for while the
Russians, crippled by the loss Of
three VESSELS, SeGlleu ulS1nCnneQ TO
accept the challenge to general
action.
Japs Withdrew in Review Order.
The four cruisers then rejoined the
two divisions of the main fleet, which
at 10 o'clock, approached, and at
range Of three miles opened fire on
the Russian ships and forts, which re-
piled vigorously.
The Russian fire fell short. That