Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-03-28

the Combat, His Attempt to Stop the
Channel Being Entirely U~nsuccess-
full.
LONDON, March 2S.-A st. Peters
burg dispatch says Vice Admiral Max
aroff, commanding the Russian naval
forces at Port Arthur, has sent the
following official report to the en-
peror:
"On Sunday morning before day
light another daring but unsuccessful
attempt was made by the Japanese to
block the entrance to Port Arthur and
bottle up the Russian feet by sinking
four stone laden steamers in the ell
trance to the harbor. The steamers
were conveyed by eight torpedo boats.
"As the japanese feet, consisting OF
sixteen ships, neared Port Arthur they
were soon discovered by our torpedo
boats acting as scouts. When the -four
steamers approached the harbor they
were sunk by the guns of the forts
and the Russian ships Bohr and OF
ranjuy lying in the outer harbor,
winch opened u lerflHc nfe.
Fearing the enemy's ships might
break through, Lieutenant Krinizki,
commanding the guard torpedo boat
Stilni, attacked the enemy and de-
stroyed the bow of the foremost Japa-
nese steamer with a 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 enc
my's ships and likewise sank to the
side of the fairway. The Stilni then
battled with the enemy's six torpedo
boats. Engineer Artificer Swyereff of
the Stilni and six seamen were killed,
and the commander and twelve sea-
men were wounded.
"At daybreak the enemy's Date
ship and cruiser squadrons aprfnored.
md l proceeded with the fleet under
my charge to meet the enemy. The
torpedo f1otilla was followed at a con-
siderable distance by the ~battleships,
which opened fire on the forts, sup
porting the action of the fireships and
torpedo boats.
lowing to the heaviness of our ar
tillery fire and the holiness of our tor
pedo boats the fireships did not reach
the entrance to the harbor. Two of
them grounded on a reef under Golden
hill, another sank behind the first turn
of the channel, struck by a torpedo
from one of our boats, and the fourth
sank, it's bow touching a Japanese
steamer sunk in the previous attempt
off Majatschnaja Goroda. The en-
trance to the harbor remains clear.
"a Hotchkiss one inch caliber quick
firer was found aboard one of the
sunl1en steamers from which a fire had
been kept up on our torpedo boats.
"a boat left each of the sunken ships
carrying their crews. One of these is
believed to have been picked up.
Toward 4 O'Clock a. m. the enemy's
torpedo boats retired, and the bonn
bardment ceased. l at 0nce proceeded
in a steam launch to inspect the en-
emy's sunken steamers.
"The enemy's torpedo boats reap
pCdlCu Ut NhOIh. LhCJ WClC olEHlCO
south of Port Arthur, and the batteries
reopened on them. Toward 6 o'clock
the enemy's squadron again appeared
on the horizon, and Our ships steamed
out to meet 1t. At $3.50 the batteries
opened fire. Our ships batteries soon
ceased, the Japanese drawing off to the
southeast, evidently declining an en-
gagement. At 10 o'clock they dlsap-
peared below the horizon"
1t Is believed that the Japanese lost
two torpedo boats in the attempt.
1t is acknowledged that one Russian
torpedo boat was sunk In the engage
ment, but it is thought the vessel can
be refloated.
When Vice Admiral Makaroff with
his fleet sailed out to engage the enc
my Vice Admiral Togo decided to de-
cline the issue and drew off.
Among all classes the gallantry of
the SLIM and her commander is the
the moral effect of Vice Admiral Max
aroff's Willingness to engage the n
my, showing that he considered him
self strong enough to fight, produced
a big impression.
In high official circles this new eff
fort is looked upon as meaning only
one thing-namely, that the Japanese
are preparing for a heavy landing Of
troops in the gulf of Liaotung, either
at Newchwang or on the west coast
Of the Manchurian neutral zone, to eff
feet which in safety the immobility Of
Vice Admiral Makaroff's feet is alb
solutely essential while the transports
are being conveyed around the south
ern end Of the peninsula. If the at
tempt had succeeded it would have re-
quired several days at least to blow
up the steamers and clear away the
w~reckage, during which time the Jap
ancse would be assured of noninterfer.
ence in the carrying out OF their prlr.
nose. The failure of the Japanese yes