The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-07
Japanese Are Pounding Russian
Warships to Pieces.
The POltava Is Sunk and the
Bayan Is Aground.
is BOMBARDED DAILY.
An Armistice of Five Hours for
Removal of Dead.
Heavy Cann0nading Heard in
Vicinity of Mukden.

| Toxic, Dec. 7.-Noon-The headquar-
ters of the Japanese army in front OF
Port Arthur has reported confirming
the disabling of the Russian battleshipS
Retzivan and Poltava and stating that
the cruiser Bayan is aground. The re-
port goes on to say follows:
Owing to the plunging fire from 203
Meter hill the enemy has withdrawn to
Akaskai hill
'On December 6, our forces occupied
an entire fort at 1 p. m. Subsequently
our forces after dislodging the enemy
occupied eninence north of Suerh-
| kou and two eminences north of San
lichiam at p. m.
''On December 6, at 4 p. m, in re-
sponse to the bearer of the enemy's flag
of truce, an armistice of five hours was
granted for the removal of the dead"
! The commander of the japanese naval
guns in front of Port Arthur, tele-
graphing on December 6, says:
AN observation taken from 203
Meter hill shows that the turret ship
Poltava is sunk and that the battleship
Retvizan is listing heavily to port.
| observations taken December 6, COW
ered~the results of the bombardment
of December 5. Are now taking obser-
vations from hill near Shuishiying.
'Sfnce December 2, we have daily
bombarded the enemy's fleet lying
south of Paiyu mountain. From that
point only the maSts and funnel tops of
the battleship Pobedfa, Retvizan or the
cruiser Pallada could be seen, but 1t
was impossible to count the number of
shells taking effect. On other ships
explosions, resulting from our shells
could be seen, but owing to their posi-
tions behind hills it was difficult ex-
actly to identify them
1.-The total of our shells taking effect
| on the enemys ships were as follows:
On a vessel of Pobedia type "a; on the
battleship Retvizan or the cruiser
Pallada "a; on the turret ship Poltava
IL. Besides these, so other shells
struck the battleship Pobedia and
about 2:30 p. m. big explosion was
lobserved south of Paiyu mountain, re-
sulting from the effect of our shells
evidently on a powder magazine.
1.-THE successful result of the bonn
| bardment on December 5, is inspiring
our men to still greater effort
The Poltava was an armored turret
ship of 10960 tons displacement and
| ,255 indicated horse power. She was
built in st. Petersburg in 1894 and
went into commission in 1898. Her cost
! of construction was nearly $4,000, 000
Her armament consisted of four 12inch,
twelve SO inch, and "a smaller caliber
breech loading rife guns of the Russian
Krupp pattern. She had a crew of
seven hundred men.
The Retizan is a battleship of 12,7 700
tons displacement and 10000 indicated
horse power. She was built in Phila-
delphia in 1902. Her armament con-
sisted of four II inch. % six inch, 20
three inch, 20 three Founders and 6 one
FOUNDER guns of Russian Krupp pat
tern. Her speed was 18 knots per hour.
CannOnading in Front of Mukden.
Pekin, Dec. 7.-Mukden reports a tre-
mendous noise of cannonade around
d., Lee ~ :, s1I,
began December 6. in the morning and
reached it's height from to 5 in the
afternoon 1t was unlike anything of
i the kind heretofore except at Port Ar
thur. The effect is due to the con-
stantly increasing number of siege
guns of large calibre. all of which
seemed to be in use at the time.
RumorS of Japanese attack set for
ing the past two weeks and it was the
impression that the bombardment of
December 6, was in anticipation of a
Japanese offensive movement.
Today the first s1eet and snow fell.
Blockade Runners Make Fortunes.
San Francisco, Cal, Dec III.
Frankel of Shanghai, who arrived on
the steamer Siberia, says that the
blockade runners are making fortunes
carrying supplies of food and money
from Shanghai to the Russians at Port
Arthur. One steamer ran in 100000
rifles and SO head of cattle in October
last and cleared $3.50, ,00O
Russians Driven Out.
St Petersburg, Dec. General
Sakharoff, under today's date, reports
that the Russian main guard at a viii
Iage southwark of Lao Tchengulni pass
was driven out yesterday by the Jap
anese artillery. The Russians fell back
on the pass after sustaining a few
casualties. The Japanese attacking
force subsequently retired toward Da-
pin mountain.
The night of December was quiet.
Kuropatlxin Reports.
st. Petersburg, Dec. General
Kuropatkin, in a telegram to the en-
peror, mentions Japanese attacks upon
Sinchinpu and Soudgianin, both of
which were repulsed and an unimpor-
tant outpost affair on the right wing
onetted a Japanese guard.
Military Strength Untouched.
st. Petersburg, Dec. THE military
the present war, according to an official
report of the war office. OF the 764 dis
tricts in Russia there has been thus far
partial mobilization in 423 districts and in
"A of the latter only few categorieS were
touched In none are the reserves ex-
cludes guard and grenadier CORPS two
cavalry corps and . regular corps, exclu-
sive of the two in the Cauca ssias, two in
Turkestan and the Siberian corps. Ten
more European corps and five rifle bri-
gades are also under orders to fill up the
three armies to 150. 600 men each The
present plans contemplate the use of only
eight of the q regular European corps.