The San Francisco call., 1904-03-14
TOXIC ENERGIES FROM SOLEMINITY
TO CELEBRATE A NAVAL VICTORY
War Correspondent of The Call Describes
Scene Following First Port
Arthur Fight.
By OSCAR KING DAVIS.


secrecy that has been hanging over the
japanese capital for more than month
was lifted yesterday, and ray Of real
enthusiasm broke through.
A great change came over Toxic The
sJoics dropped their masks and re
Vealed themselves as human beings
with human emotions, subject TO
human excitement They came out Of
their shells and gathered in the streets
and talked and laughed and cheered
and acted just as any other people
would who have received news Of a
great naval victory over a powerful en-
emy. Their JOY was real and infectious
and they exhibited il with spirit and
dignity.
But the contrast 10 the silence and
repression Of the previous days was all
the more remarkable. That period OF
waiting had almost fitted me to believe
that the japanese would go through
the entire war with Owl-like, unbroken
placi6lty, no matter what they won,
but now i am ready TO admit that they
can give way 10 popular feeling When
the emergency arises
Ii was all started by the receipt OF
reports from the main squadron OF the
navy. under Admiral Togo, to the ef-
feet that a battle had been fought on
Port Arthur and a great victory won.
For a day or two there had been
IumOrs that something interesting was
going on or about TO happen II was
known that the squadron had left
Sasebo. where il had been for so long,
but only guesses were heard as TO It's
destination
MEMS THRILLS THE CITY.
The secrecy that had prevailed took
on an added character. II became al
most breathless. Then, on the evening
OF the 9Th. suddenly, from no particular
point but everywhere at once. the word
came that there mad been d fight at
Chemuipo and that the japanese had
won The Russians had lost two ships,
one OF them the fine new American
. built cruiser Nariag, the other the little
gunboat koreitZ.
little ripple of enthusiasm started
on a cautious round OF the city, and,
meeting with a friendly reception, sue
ceeded in inducing others 10 come out
SO that by midnight there was fair
show Of interested excitement, and the
account Of the engagement had grown
10 the to-be-expecIed proportions.
Then came the big news yesterday
morning The japanese squadron had
come up TO Port Arthur and found the
Russian ships outside the harbor. In
The darkness Of midnight the Japanese
torpedo boats had sneaked into the en-
trance Of the harbor. getting behind the
Russian ships. Then Togo's lighting
line closed in
The Russians endeaYored to retire
into the harbor and were met in the
mouth ny the torpedoes. Three were
DESTROYED at once, the flagship Gar
evitch, the first-class American-built
batleship Retvizan and the big cruiser
Pallada- The Russians drew off TO
wait for daylight, leaving the japanese
in possession Of the entrance to the
harbor. There the report left Togo,
standing between the Russian and his
base and defying the enemy TO come
on.
It was beautiful strategy, that of this
report, for il left the japanese admiral
saying 10 the Russian, II is either you
or I now" If ii were true, il meant
that the japanese had cleared the Rus
SLAMS from the sea at the first encoun-
ter and we're free TO do their will un-
interfered with in the matter Of landing
troops.
There was no definite authority for
this report The naval authorities at
the department maintained their silence
and simply replied TO all questioning
that there had been no report from
Admiral Togo. Still, every man you
met assured you that it was an abso-
Lutte fact, and details were promptly
forthcoming.
The Jill Shimpo. which has the repu-
tatiOn Of being the most reliable news
paper Of Toxic, got out an extra, say
Ing that the information had been re-
ceived by certain department" from
reliable source, which might have
meant anything. But there was
enough for the people to go on.
FLAGS FIAMED EVERYWHERE.
Flags appeared as if by magic all
around the city. In the streets there
were long double lines of them hang
ing from the windows Of the shops and
dwellings. Some Of the more excitable
OF the people carried little ones about
and many wore them in buttonhole or
hatband. The soldiers Of the reserve.
who now flock about the streets. had
no question for the accuracy and re-
liability Of the news. They accepted
II eagerly and congratulated one an
other vigorously.
Then, about noon, came certain con-
frmatiOn Of the fact that there had
been a tight. The captain Of a British
ship reported at Chefoo that on leaving
Port Arthur he had seen two squad
rons At il, ano that the Russians had
lost two battleships and a cruiser.
The undemOnstrative japanese LET
themselves go after that Word went
around that there would be a lantern
and torchlight procession in the even
ing, and the flags multiplied them
selves. The wild men, who peddle
extras. dashed about the streets. clang-
n0A1JsS KTnNEv nTrTS