New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-05

! a
russians report having seen ten vessels Soma
what west or Ytng-KOw, steanina north and
~esS Inc strategic importance OF a landing
IN that region would be enormous with respec1
den '- ~ -iOIA-
Again Port Arthur has been at+acl,Aa a,.,,
1t is said TO have been closed. and again n 4,
said to be still open. The japanese appear =,
nave sent In more hulks than ever before. eight
or them having been in line and sunk Thess
are called fire ships in the dispatches. but II
must not De supposed they are such IN the old
sense Of the term. namely. burning YES
sells sent In to collide with the enenlv's sbips
and set them also afre. on the contrary. thew
are not atre at all. nor are they laden with
combustibles and explosives but with stones
They steal in as far possible in darkness. but
the moment they are discovered by the enemy
they light huge torches or other fires on deck
In order to produce great flame and smoke
that Will completely envelope them without de-
stroying them. In this fiery and murky cloud
which conceals their exact position from the
enemy they keep moving onward toward their
goal: also. the flames and smoke form a screen
for the fighting ships which may be following
tended TO be set atre unless TO prevent the capt
ure OF them by the enemy. but rather to be sunk
intact TO block the channel
even in home waters. The grounding Of the
Orel at Cronstadt was at first supposed to be a
trifing matter; but the vessel Is still aground
and her bottom is said 10 have been severely IN
tured. If II escapes complete wreck Il will have
10 be put into dock and undergo repairs. The
Orel is one of the new ships which are TO be
sent around from the Baltic to the China seas
this summer. 1t is a consort OF the Borodino
the Alexander III. the SuvarOfr and the Slava-
1t was launched in 1902. and is Of 1852 tons
displacement, carries four Pinch guns has a
speed Of eighteen knots and has a ten knot
radius of $500 knOts-a formidable vessel
which the Russian navy could i'll afford to lose.
The gunboat Gilyak figures IN the days news
as having done good work in repulsing the latest
Japanese attack upon Port Arthur. II is .
little affair, Of less than a thousand tons dt.
placement, 1000 horsepower and only twsrvs
knots speed Its armament Is very light. con-
sisting Of 47-fnch quick firing gun and
eleven smaller pieces. For harbOr defer~~ against
is OF value
Russian estimates OF the strength OF the re-
spective armies are far different now from what
they were a few weeks ago. Then were told
that General Kuropatlin would have at the front
nearly 100000 men by May l. and that the Jap
anese army on the YalI could not possibly con-
tain more than $4,000. Now it is said that the
Russians had only 5000 men at the Yalu.
though where the other $4,000 were does not
appear, and that the Japanese had 100000
Nevertheless, we have heard no withdrawal or
modification OF General kurOpatkin's declaration
That by the end OF the coming summer he VIII
nave driven the Japanese out of the continent
To the sea. 1--WE shall go to Japan" he cOntn-
ued; remember that Europe may intervene
may talk. may NEEDLE. may act how and when
sne pleases. We shall not concern ourselves
ABOUT her. IL Is at Toxic and nowhere else ma
We shall sign conditions OF peace" Those wores.
quite In " E,rcless vein. were uttered Just oelore
ne set out for the war. 1t would be interesting
TO know II he feels equally confident aow