Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-28
Four Merchant Ships
Disabled by Rus
sian Guns.
SUNK NEAR ENTRANCE
JapS Refuse to Join in
Battle With
Fleet.

| Toxic. March 2S.-A telegram from
New Chwang today says at 3 yester
day morning the japanese succeeded
in sinking four steamers at the
mouth of Port Arthur harbOr. \ flo.
tilla of destrOyers conveyed the mer.
chantmen which were subsequently
sunk and rescued the volunteer crews
Later the japanese battleships bonn.
barded the town and its defenses.
Related by MarakOf.
st. Petersburg, March 2S. Vice
Admiral AIalaaroff, commanding the
Russian naval forces at Port Arthur,
has sent the following telegram to the
emperor, dated March %: Il beg most
humbly fo report that at = o'clock
this morning the enemy made i second
attempt to block the entrance to the
inner roadstead. For this purpose they
dispatched four large merchant steam
ers, conveyed by six torpedo boats, to
the entrance. The enemys ships were
promptly discovered by the search
lights and were bombarded by the
batteries and by the guardships Bohr
and Otvajny.
Torpedo Boat Blocks the Game.
Fearing the enemy's ships might
break through Lieutenant Krinizkl,
commanding the guard torpedo boat
Stilni, attacked the enemy and de-
strOyed the bow of the foremost Jap
anese steamer with torpedo. This
steamer turned to the right and was
followed by two others, with the re-
suit that the three were stranded to
the right of the entrance. A fourth
steamer went to the right OF the en-
eny'S ships. and likewise sank to the
side of the fairway. The Stilni then
battled with the enemy's six torpedo
boats. Engineer Artificer Swycreff and
six seamen Were killed. and the COM
mander and twelve seamen were
wounded.
Jap Attempt Was q Failure.
~At daybFeak the enemy's battle
ship and cruiser squadronS appeared,
and 1 proceeded with the fleet under
my charge to meet the enemy. The
second attempt of the japanese TO
block the entrance to Port Arthur has
failed, thanks TO the energetic defense
by the sea and land forces who acted
rs they did during the first attempt.
The harbor remains perfectly clear
Russian TorpedO Boat Damaged.
1.-The torpedo boat destroyer SLIM, |
which stranded on a reef in conse- |
quence of damage to herengines by one
Of the enemy's shells, was fioated dur |
ing the course of the night and en- |
tered the harbor, thanks to the energy |
Of her crew. Her commander, Lieuten-
ant Krinizki, who was slightly wound
ed I'm the arm, did not quit his post"
Japs Decline an Engagement.
An official dispatch from General
supplements the foregoing |
with the following, also dated March
,7: "A Hotchkiss 1-inch caliber quick
irer was found aboard one of the
;unken steamers from which a fire
lad been kept up on our torpedo boats.
boat left each of the sunken ships
their crews. One of these Is
believed to have been picked up. The
torpedo boats reappeared at )
o'clock this morning They We're
sighted south of Port Arthur, and the
batteries reopened on them. Towards
O'Clock the enemy's squadron ap-
reared on the horizon and ours
steamed out to meet IL. At $50 the
'atteries opened fire. Our ships bat
cries soon ceased, the japanese draw
ng of to the southeast, evidently de-
lining an engagement. At 10 O'Clock
hey disappeared below the horizon"
Gen. Kuropatkin Arrives.
Mukden, March 2S.-General Kuro-
atkin arrived here yesterday and pro-
eeded to the headquarters Of Viceroy
Alexien.
St Petersburg, March 2S.-A report
rom VladivOstok says that mine has
cen discovered under the fortress
With wires leading to a Chinese house
a the town
Tien-Tsin, March 2S-The Russians
ave proclaimed New chwang under
martial law. 7,
st. Petersburg. March 2s.-For the {
rst time since the war commenced /
he Russian squadron Saturday left {
'ort Arthur and the protection Of its