The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-03-11
FOURTEEN SHIPS IN FIGHT
Many Shells Are Thrown into the
Russian Fortifications but the
Damage Is Unknown.

LONDON, March 11.--An official dis
patch from St Petersburg says the
ear has received the following mes
sage from Yiceroy Alexeieff at Muk
den:
The commandant of the fortress at
Port Arthur reports that yesterday
morning at about o'clock the outlines
of vessels, apparently torpedo boats,
were seen at sea within the area swept
by our searchlights. Our batteries
opened fire upon these vessels, but
soon ceased. -Four of our torpedo boats
put out to. sea at 2;40 a. m. and at
about 4 O'Clock met the enemy west OF
the Liaotichin lighthouse. After firing
several shots the enemy retired to the
south in the direction Of Shandun. Our
torpedo boats returned to the harbor at
G O'CLOCK.
"Later torpedo boats were again sent
b sea to reconnoiter. They returned
in half an hour, having learned that
the enemys squadron was approach
ing.
"At o'clock the Japanese opened
FIRE upon our cruisers and the fortress
The enemy had fourteen ships and
fired the entire time from behind Lao
tlchin."
Tokyo official dispatches say the
Russian and Japanese mounted scouts
were in collision north of Pingyang
on Wednesday night. After a brief
engagement the Russians retreated.
No casualties are reported on either
side.
The report Of Vice Admiral Kami-
mura, in command OF the Vladivostok
naval expedition, has just reached the
navy department and states that the
Russian squadron remains safely with
in Vladivostok harbor under the pro-
lection of the shore batteries, where it
lay during both visits of the japanese
squadron. The admiral says that he
bombarded the harbor for forty min
utes and believes the fire was very ef-
fective. At o'clock in the evening
the japanese discerned volumes of
smoke ascending over the eastern
mouth of the harbor, and it was
thought for a time that the Russians
were getting steam up to come out ANA
give battle, which was eagerly await
ed, but the smoke gradually died away,
with no appearance of any of the Rus
sian ships.
The Japanese ships searched the sur
rounding bays until noon, when they
again steamed back to the eastern en-
trance of Vladivostok harbor. The
forts there did not fire at the approch-
ing ships, and no trace was found of
the Russian squadron. q, Admiral Ka-
mimura then steamed south, reconnoi-
tering Polsset bay and other inlets in
that vicinity, but found no trace of
the Russians.
The Japanese journalists are rejolc-
ing at the friendly tone observable in
the American papers which have just
been received in this country.
a Yinkow report says the concen-
tration of troops ut the Russian stra-
tegical base has resulted in much suf-
fering among the Chinese inhabitants,
especially at Liaoyang, where even
private buildings have been appropri-
ated to accommodate the soldiers, and
thousands of Chinese are consequently
without homes.
Advices from Chefu report that two
Russian torpedo boats as scouts left
Port Arthur on March in the morning
and have been unheard of since.
1t is feared they have fallen into the
hands Of the enemy.
1t is stated at Port Arthur that Ad-
miral Makaroff ordered the Retvizan
towed into the harbor and that this
order has been successfully executed.