The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-03-21
REPORT A
VICTORY
Russians Claim to Have De-
feated the Japs.
FIGHTING ON THE 'YALU
Fierce Clash in Which Both
Sides Appear to Have
Suffered.

LONDON, March pa dispatch
from Chefu says private message
received there states that battle has
taken place on the Yalu. in which the
Russians declare they captured 1,S00
prisoners.
Advices from ST. Petersburg say
Russian troops continue to pour into
north Korea. They are in excellent
condition.
1t is said here that typhus fever is
raging among the Japanese forces.
The Russian advance south Of the
Yalu has been checked, the command
ers having received orders to await an
attack. The ouposts of the armies are
in touch, BAt the Russians are expected
to remain on the defensive until Gen
eral KuropatlIin has assumed com
mand He is not expected to reach
Mukden before the end of the week.
Drifting ice is blocking the move
ment Of japanese transports attempt
ing to land troops west of the Yalu riy.
ers mouth.
Russia has submitted another pro
test against Japans alleged violation
of the rules of war, charging that her
walstips fired on the quarantine sta
ton at Port Arthur.
Stan orders issued at Hardin, which
have just arrived here by mail, show
that Chinese uoops have moved much
farther north than was. supposed Gen
eral Tin Cheng having concentrated
5000 men at Bodune, which is only
100 miles west Of Harbin, General Ma
having 10000 at Kaupantze, while an
other 5000 are at Tsimintun and TO-
600 at Ichau, all points bordering upon
the zone of Russian military opera
tons.
Vice Admiral Makaroff has reported
the miraculous escape of four sailors
from the torpedo boat destroyer Stere-
guschtchi, which foundered during the
naval battle off Port Arthur March 8.
The men escaped by swimming when
the boat sank and succeeded in keep
ing afioat until they were picked up.
The metropolitan archbishop of st.
Petersburg has sent an icon to the tor
pedo boat Roshitelny, which, in the
conflict of March 8, managed to elude
the Japanese fire. This icon, 1t is be-
lieved, will safeguard the boat from
further harm.
Vladiyostolx is strong by nature, and
il has been rendered impregnabe by
the fortitcations which command the
entrance and channel to the harbor.
The garrison in January amounted to
about 1900 to 10000 men of all arms.
mostly artillery. After the news of the
disaster TO Russian arms at Port Ar
thur Jewish merchants were ordered
TO get out as quietly as they could,
The Russian warships in the harbor
always seemed to have steam up ready
for sea. But they have never left the
harbor.
The whole sea front of Vladivostok
is network of submarine mines. The
Russians appeared to be greatly wor-
ried when II was learned that the rail-
way between Vladivostok and Harbin
had been torn up and dynamited.
Apparently no attempt was being
made to repair the damage whole
ocean around the islands for .eds
of miles seems to be patrolleG D. lap
anese torpedo boats, which on sight of
q strange vessel bear down on her at
thirty knots an hour.
One hundred war correspondents
were preparing to leave Yokohama for
the front.
Advices from Tokyo say the emper-
or, attended by the crown prince, per-
sonally opened the special session of
the diet there.
In his speech from the throne he
said: I'VE hereby open the imperial
diet and address each and all the
members of the house of peers and the
house of representatives. We announce
with high satisfaction that our re'q.
tions with the treaty powers are stead
lily growing in cordiality and unler-
Prompted by an earnest de-
sire TO maintain a permanent peace in
the extreme east, our government by
our command entered into negotiations
with Russia, but we regret that, owing
to an absence Of sincerity on the part
of Russia in her peaceful professions,
we have been compelled to appeal to
arms and hovine falfen that stpn we