The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-03-14
A CLEAN VICTORY
Japs Again Show Superiority as Sea
FIGHTERS.

Toxic March 14.-Oficial and pri-
vate reports both indicate that Ad-
miral Togos fourth attack on Port
Arthur on the 10th inst was the most
effective since the first assault of
month ago One Russian torpedo
boat destroyer was sunk and several
Russian torpedo boat destroyers were
seriously damaged. The Notifications
and city were subjected to a heavy
bombardment lasting nearly four
hours. The naval bombardments of
land works have generally been inef-
fective yet the peculiar Typographical
conditions of Port Arthur make inn
munity from serious loss from bonn
bardment impossible. Admiral To
go's torpedo fiotilla opened the action
by boldly steaming in under the bat
teries and successfully placing a num-
Der Of mechanical mines at the mouth
of the harbor. Following that there
was a desperate bow-to-bow encounter
between the torpedo boat destroyers
in which the Japanese appear to have
scored a clear victory. Then follow
ed a long-range duel between the CRUZ
sers, ending in the retirement of the
Novik and Bayan, the only Russians
engaged.
The closing action was the bonn
bardment of the inner harbor by the
Japanese battleships. The latter
took a position southwest of Port Ar
thur and used only their 12-inch guns.
There were twenty-four Pinch guns
in the squadron of six battleships,
and each gun was fired five rounds,
making a total of 12O huge projectiles
that were fired at the city. The bonn
bardment was deliberate and careful
~ planned. Admiral Togo was una
BILE to definitely learn the results of
the bombardment, but later private
reports indicate that much destruc-
ton was caused in the city where
serious fire broke out There was
also damage to batteries.
Capt Shojiro, assistant command
ing the fotilla of torpedo destroyers
which engaged the Russian destroy
ers, is the hero of the attack. He had
only three destroyers, but attacked
the six Russian destroyers, ordering
his craft to close in with the enemy.
He steamed so close to the enemy's
destroyers that they almost touched,
and a most desperate conflict ensued,
from which the Russians retired bad
ly disabled.
Engineer Minamisawa of the de-
stroyer Kasumi received a small
wound Minamisawa participated in
the first torpedo attack on Port Ar
thur, also in the attempt to bottle up
the harbor by sinking commercial
steamers. He was commended both
times for his gallantry.
The Japanese fiotilla which sunk
the mines at the mouth of the harbor
later engaged two Russian destroy
ers. Admiral Togo's object in send
ing cruisers to Talienwan bay was to
encompass the destruction of a sig
nal station mine depot at Samshan-
tao. This object was achieved and
the buildings were demolished.
Rear Admirals Dewa and Uriu par
ticipated in the operations under Ad-
miral Togo, the details of whose OPP
erations became known in Japan only
on Sunday, and the news created in
tense enthusiasm. Admiral Togo is
permanently numbered among the he
roes of the empire. The latest reports
place the Japanese loss at nine killed.
five seriously wounded and seventeen
slightly hurt. The Japanese fleet was
not engaged in the fighting.