Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-19

and attacking the transports was an
absorbing anxiety to Togo, but it was
necessary to take the risk. AS the sun
was setting in the sky, on Feb. s, Togo
found himself within 60 miles of Port
Arthur. The Is destroyers then re-
ceived orders, Go sink the enemy 5
squadron; success to you all
The destroyers steamed in single col
umn at Il speed of % knots. Presently
two squadrons of eight destroyers bore
10 the nOrthward toward Talienwan.
where two Russian ships We're sup
posed to be lying. The remaining ten
continued in their course. At midnight
they could discern the Russian ships in
the distance. The Russians were dis
posed in wedge formation, coming from
the harbOr's mouth. the huge Care
witch at the head of the wedge.
AS the destroyers drew near a Russian
vessel showed up close by, probably on
lookout duty. Her presence almost PROV
ed fatal, for one of the destroyers was
| on the point of torpedoing her Instead
of that betrayal. Russian hail receiv-
ell n Russian answer, and the little fiOtil-
la held its course uninterrupted. At COO
meters the column broke in two, SO each
half commanded the mighty Russian
squadron.
At 500 meters 20 torpedoes We're
launched In a moment the searchllglIts
i flashed. the big guns doomed from the
| forts. and the quick-firers rained a show
err of shells from the ships. The destroy
ers We're never brought into the field of
electric blaze. nor even touched by shot
or shell. Immediately on discharging the
torpedoes the two divisions, heading in
opposite directions. steamed away at full
speed.
What material destruction the destroy
erS wrought remains uncertain. Since
AleXieff's report reached Europe there
have been many statements from many
sources. all tending to diScredit the vice
roy's subsequent attempts to minimize his
losses.
The destroyers having been ordered to
return to the point of departure. Togo
had no immediate knowledge of their fate.
He did not even know whether the Rus
sian fleet was at Port Arthur. His first
intimaton of its presence there was OBJ
taned ny message n ir %hch
the one word "AskOld' was deciphered.
Presently on the morning of the 9th.
the leading division signaIled that Port
Arthur was in sight, and reported the
| Russian ships lying outside the harbor,
some showing evident signs of having
| suffered by the torpedo attack. 1t was
now nearing noon. Admiral Togo ordered
his men to eat dinner and, aIIer joining
the officers and drinking to the success
| of the fleet, ran up the signal reminding
the men that the fate of ,the war de
pended upon the deeds they were now
to do.
Firing commenced at 5000 meters. The
Japant would have lessened the dis
lance but for the heavily armed land bat
teries. The Russian ships chung tena-
ciously to their shelter. Their gunncry
was radically defective: Aided by the
shore batteries they succeeded in strik-
ing only four japanese ships and failed
to infiict any sensible injury. The Rus
slams, on the contrary, had four of their
best vessels crippled.
The Japanese officers describe the fight
ing as much easier than in the battle of
the Yalu. when the Chinese were then
advcrsaries. There will soon. no doubt
be sufficient details forthcoming TO fur
nish material for expert criticism One
fact must not, however. be omitted. that
is, the inferiorty of the Russian projec-
tiles and explosives. The japanese shells
appear to prove exceptionally destructive