The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-03-29
!. BOTH FLEETS
SEEN BY NEWSPAPER COR
RESPONDENTS
SEA FIGHT WITNESSED
But at Too Long Range
to be Interesting.

W bSS tSskSs SShbs6s
wei-Hai.wei, March 2S, by De For
rest Wireless Telegraphy from the
steamer Haimun, on the ShanTuns
Reconsideration Times)-We en-
countered fve Russian battleships and
cruisers accompanied by large fleet
of torpedo boats and destroyers,
while off the entrance of Port Arthur
harbor on Saturday last. The Rus
sian Acct was sailing slowly north
west and was of the island of Hwang-
Chang Tau, thirty miles southwest OF
Port Arthur. The leading Russian
cruiser fioated the nag OF Vice Ad-
Iniral Makaroff, and the feet was
headed towards Port Arthur. 1t had
been cruising among the islands ap-
parently loohing tor the japanese
meet. the battlesnips and cruisers
were steaming in single formation
with their TANKS protected by the
torpedo boats and the rear protected
a fan shaped formation. lnquiry re.
vealed the tact that they had not signt-
ed any trace OF the Japanese.
A close inspection oil the Russian
fleet showed the rearmost cruiser to
be the Ragazan (Bayanj. The ileet Is
evidently beginning a more or less et-
fective patrol OF the entrance to the
gulf Of Pechili. 1t is likely that de-
cIsive naval battle will yet be fought
as reports are current from reliable
sources that Admiral Makaroff is rap
idly getting some of his still disabled
war vessels in shape for use again.
After the Russian fleet had passed
out of sight we cruised southwark,
and at daylight of Sunday, March 27,
we sighted the Japanese feet COM
manded by Vice Admiral Togo. They
were picked up by our lookout about
q IN. on the northern horizon to.
wards the entrance of Port Arthur.
We jailed rapidly northward and sooh
came within range SO that by aid OF
powerful night glasses we could To-
cate both the searchlights of Port Ar
thur and the Japanese feet. We were
! too far away to hear the sound of fir
ing, but 1t was plain that at least a
skirmish was on.
The Haimun maintained her posi-
tion until eight o'clock when course
was steered direct for Port Arthur
An hour later we picked up the Jap
anese feet sailing In leisureIy man
ner southwark in two divisions, with
large fiotilla Of torpedo craft In the
rear. This was about twenty miles
southeast Of Port Arthur and we real
lied that night attack had been
made, but unfortunately we arrived
too late to witness 1t from close range.
Besides 1t is impossible to approach
with the Haimun, within the zone of
fire without antagonizing both bellig-
erents.
The Japanese feet presented mag
nificent spectacle as the vessels steam.
ed slowly along. The sea was as
smooth as glass and once the fleet
overhauled us, but did not answer sig
nails and for the first time since the
war began, failed to board us SO that
no information of the movement was
secured. A close examination through
powerful glasses failed to reveal any
signs of hard usage ON any of the
craft.
1t was interesting to compare the
Japanese squadron with the Russian
detachment first encountered. Both
divisions were steaming in double
line, with the torpedo boats following
in echelon formation and the destroy
ers bringing up the rear. The Rus
slams are using Japanese coal pur-
chased before the war and could easily
be detected twenty miles away by the
immense black volume of smoke that
poured from their stacks. The Jap
anese, on the other hand, burn moth
ing but picked Welsh coal which
makes practically no smoke, the faint
white haze from the stacks being
quickly eliminated by the atmosphere.
So soon as 1t was seen that no
news could be secured from the Jap
anese feet, the Haimun was headed
towards Chinampo, where the land
ing operations have been completed
and where tho frot nauo ~ N yoaa -.