The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-31
LAY MINES.
Japanese Place Explosives in
Peter the Great Gulf.
Took Advantage of Fog to Shut
Up VladiYostok.
ONE BOAT BLOWN UP.
Make Another Attempt to Block
Port Arthur.
Russians Say Three War Vessels
Were the Price.

from information received mere LnaL
the japanese have mined Peter the
Great gulf, on which this town is
situated. a task of easy accomplish
ment because of the recent heavy
fogs. One small Korean sailing vessel
was blown up yesterday.
The region is quiet so far as mill
tary operations are concerned.
Japanese Lose Three War Vessels.
Mukden, May 31.-The japanese on
the night of May 2S made another at
tempt to block Port Arthur by sinking
merchant vessels in the harbor en-
trance. The attempt was discovered
through the operations of a search
light and one japanese gunboat and
/ two torpedo boat destrOyers were
sunk. The merchantmen then re-
| tired.
Japanese Occupy Dalny.
| Chefoo, May 31-2:45 D. m.-One
hundred Chinese refugees arrived here
/ today from Dalny and Talien Wan.
| While their statements differ in many
respects regarding existing conditions
on the Lao Tung peninsula, the ma
jOrity agree upon the point that the
Russians had left both places before
| the junks sailed on the 2Sth instant.
| Upon evacuation by the Russians,
/ bandits attacked both. towns and COM
menced burning and pillaging. The
Japanese arrived later and took steps
| to protect the Chinese merchants. One
/ Russian official was killed by the ban
dts. The Japanese troops captured the
naval guns taken from Port Arthur to
/ Nanshan hill.
New Forts at Port Arthur.
Toxic, May 31.-Four gunboats, two
to Port Arthur early on Monday
morning by Vice Admiral Togo effect
ed a careful reconnaissance, facing
heavy fire from the land batteries. They
/ At T-rN11 14cr1f
station and one or two new forts on
the Lao Tien Shan promontory. Num-
4 Der 3 gunbOat was struck by smell
which killed one petty officer, and three
men and damaged one of her guns. The
otner boats escaped without any dam
age.
Russians Left Much Property.
Toxic, May 81, 3 p. m.-The Rus
slams evacuated Dalny SO hastily that
! they failed to destroy much property
which will prove highly valuable to
! the japanese. General Oku'S scouts
| report that over 100 barracks and
| storeh ouses remained uninjured. The
| railway and telegraph station with
| 200 passenger and freight coaches are
| also uninjured. The Russians destroyed
| the big pier and blocked all the dock
| entrances with sunken steamers They
| destroyed all the small railway bridges
/ in the vicinity of the docks but left
! the jetties uninjured- It is evident
that the Russians fed quickly when
=
General Oku would imme ediately take
possession Of Dalny. All previous re-
ports of the occupation of the town
were false.
DaIny Is a Prize.
Washington, May 31.-The Japa-
| lowing dispatch from the home gov
/ ernment at Toxic, embOdying a report
from General Oku, as follows:
General Oku4 commanding the
reports that our troops occupied
| DaIny on May 80. Over 100 ware
| houses and barracks, besides teIe-
graph office and railway station, were
] found uninjured. Over 200 railway
cars are usable, but all small rail-
way bridges in the neighborhOOd are
destroyed. All dock piers except the
| great pier, which was sunk remain
uninjured. Some steam launches
were also found at the mouth of the
dock.
Fear Loss of Port Arthur.
New Chwang, May 31.-Refugees who
continue to arrive here from the south
ern part of the Lao Tung peninsula
report daily fighting there and severe
! losses for both armies, but the reports
are not confirmable officially. The Rus
slams here are depending on the press
| bulletins for news from that vicinity
The very highest Russian authority
/ here, while not believing that Port Ar
| thur will fall admits that its loss would
|
The same authority says Russia may
send large army to the south of New
| Chwang in the event of General Stoes-
sci being able to hold his own at Port
Arthur. This, however, is not possible
at present, owing to the positions oc-
cupled by the Japanese armies operat-
ing from the YaIu river and Taku
Shan. The Russians are not sanguine
as to the outlook for Port Arthur More
contraband of war is arriving here
Two cargoes of flour and timed meats
and some specie were rushed to Muk-
den as soon as they We're unlOaded
| Heavy rains are daily making the
roads almost impassa BILE.
The Chinese brigands are becoming
active.
Not Much of Fight.
st. Petersburg, May 31-1:3O P NJ
The war Office has received detailed
report of the fight at Al Yang Pier
Men, about 60 miles northeast of Fene
Wang Cheng, on Saturday night, in
which two battalionS of Japanese in
fantry and one squadron of japanese
cavalry, numbering about 1900 men, at
tackled five squadrons Of Cossac cls. The
Russian losses were seven Cossacks
killed and one officer wounded and
nine horses killed. The Cossacks were
encamped u miles northwest of Kuar
Dian Sian, which was held by several
japanese battaliOns, two of which and
one squadron of cavalry left May 2S fol
Saimatsha. This force encountered the
| CoSSack biVOuac at 10:30 o'clock the
same night and attacked the Cossacks
, who retired in good order, keeping VI
a running fight along the road to Sal
matsza. There was great deal OF
ing in the dark, it was very ineffective
! &c