The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-08-19


VIadivostok Squadron at dawn Sunday
north OF Tsu Island. in the Strait oil
Korea, and attacked the enemy al
once. The battle lasted for FIVE hours
and resulted in complete japanese
victory. The Russian cruiser kurik
was sunk and the cruisers Rossia and
Cromoboi hed TO the northward, alter
having sustained serious damage.
Vice Admiral Kamimura cables the
Navy Department that the injuries IN
flicted upon his vessels were slight.
The fate OF the crew Of the kurik
is not known. Ii is presumed thas
MANY of them were killed or drowned.
The strength OF the feet under Wee
Admiral Kamimura is not known, but
II is presumed that he had the Adsu.
ma. Idsumo, Iwate, Takashiko ana
other light cruisers.
Flags are flying, lanterns are glim-
merinq and cries OF "BanzaiF are
ringing in the streets OF Toxic in hon.
or OF the victories gained at sea by
Admiral Togo and Vice Admiral ka-
mimura.
Underneath the jollity of the popn-
lace lies a feeling OF deep satisfaction
and qualification at the disposal OF a
desperately serious problem OF the
war. -,
The Russian squadron which con-
fronted Admiral Togo refused battle
II was stronger than Admiral Togo
squadron in battleships and armored
cruisers, and had it elected TO hght
the result might have altered the tor
tunes of war. The strength OF the
squadron which opposed Admiral To-
90 compelled him TO draw vessels
from the squadron under Vice Admir-
al Kamimura, and left the japanese
navy powerless to operate against the
Russian Vladivostok squadron and
unable to prevent the raids OF these
vessels.
The raid conducted by the Vladi-
vostok squadron in July was extreme
ly expensive to Japan, and not only
was retaliation tempting, but It was
demanded by commercial interests.
The Navy. however, grimly refused
to make a diversion and stuck to
Port Arthur. 1t was confident that the
harbor soon would be untenable for
the Russian warships, that II would
eventually get fair fight in the open
sea away from the Russian land bat
teries, and that the Japanese would
win. These calculations OF the Navy
were correct and the Russians, with
the chances even, have been hopelessly
defeated.
Vice Admiral Kamimura, after
months of weary and patient waiting,
finally got his chance at dawn Sum
day off Tsu Island.
He sunk the Russian cruiser Rurik
and sent the cruisers Gromoboi and
Rossia fleeing back from the fight.
Japanese guns dominate the dock
yards at Port Arthur, and in view of
this fact it would seem to be impossi-
BILE again to make seaworthy or Tight
able the Russian battleships which
have returned to Port Arthur. 1t is
probable that the Russian battleship
Czarevitch will disarm at Tsingchou.
The best possible naval force that
Russia can now concentrate at Vlad-
ivostok is four cruisers.
In the fight Of August 10 the squad
ron under Admiral Togo was. practi-
cally uninjured. The battleship Mika-
Cd SunCIEu tHC HIOSty Dut SHC SOutlnuCs
on the fighting line.
The cruisers Yakumo, Nisshin and
Kasuga also were hit, but temporary
repairs already have been made, and
they are fully serviceable.
Eleven wounded officers and &c
wounded men arrived at Sasebo today.
The imperial Prince Hiroyasu Kwacho
who holds the rank OF commander in
the Japanese Navy, was hit in the re-
! gion of the heart. His wound, how
ever, is slight.
The steamer Gaelic, bound for
Shanghai, at 10 o'clock Saturday morn
ing sighted Russian cruiser, evil
IDENTIFY the Novik, steering southeast
by east. This course showed her to
be heading for Van Diemen Strait.