Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-23
GOSSIP ABOUT THE WAR.
Losses to the Russian Fleet Since the
War Began.

If DISPATCHES from japanese sources
announcing the destruction of the rem
rant of the Russian fleet at Port Ar
thur are correct. the event merely ADDS
one more to the remarkable series OF
disasters sustained by Russians on the
seas since the war began.
AT the opening of the conflict Russia
had ut the Pacific stations fleet con-
sisting of eight battieships. four ar
moyed cruisers, six protected cruisers.
three unprotected cruisers. three ar
mored gunboats, four unarmOred gum
boats and thirty-four boats of the tor
pedo class. total of sixty-two. Three
months after the war began sixteen
ships of the fleet were destroyed or put
out Of action. Disaster succeeded dis
aster from both mines and futile sor-
ties, eliminating i'll the havoc wrought
by japanese guns on 2O3-Meter MIL.
All that remains uninjured is a frag-
ment of the fleet sheltered at VladiVos-
tok. The last of the battleShips re-
ported afioat at Port Arthur is the Sc
vastopol, first commissioned in 1895,
carrying four twelve-inch guns and
four torpedo tubes.
I'VE have heard much about the loss
of life and sickness in the Russian
army in Manchuria," says the New
York Sun. but very few details have
been made known concerning the loss
on the Japanese side.
1T seems from such reports as we
are able to obtain that in the month of
October last there We're nearly $4,000
sick and wounded Japanese soldiers
lying in the various hospitals estab-
lished in Japan. undergoing treatment
or convalescing. According to state-
ments to hand by the last Japanese
mail the number arriving weekly from
Manchuria and distributed among the
hospitals averages nearly 400. The
numbers. for instance. for the two
weeks from October Is to - were
1894; those for the week of November
40 were 1854, and there was one
week when they We're more than 5000.
These statistics indicate a loss OF
life in killed. wounded and by disease
that is appalling; for. of course. the
cases sent to Japan only represent a
part Of those disabled by wounds and
sickness. Those who cannot be moved
remain in Manchura, as do also the
less seriously disabled who may be able
to return to the ranks within a reason
able time.
''Of the totals of the killed in battle
and by disease we know nothing; but
it may be inferred that large proper
ton of the first 100000 troops sent
from Japan to the war will never re-
turn"
The envelopes containing the de-
scriptive accounts sent to New York by
the war correspondents with the Jap
anese army are artiStically indicative
of the treatment they receive before
being forwarded by the Japanese au-
thOrities. In addition to the customary
blue loosen stamp the face of the en-
vclOpe bears the impression of n rec
tanCular red stamp-block, an inch and
half long and an inch wide. composed
of Il thin line enclosing three columns
of intricate Japanese characters. three
TO the column. This is taken TO be the
stamp Of the imperial censor. Above
this is a smaller square. containing
four elaborate characters in a line. the
sign of the army post
ON the back of an envelope is an
oNoii Stiuip, diSO Ill Teu, pow uefN-
looking ink. quite filled with charac-
ters. This lies directly across the flap
of the envelope and aids in sealing it,
In the middle of the wrapper is a line
of written characters. Scrawled with a
purple indelible pencil. and toward the
foot of the envelope another string Of
red things, which probably means a
great deal not entirely clear to the
New York postal authorities.
For the service of correspondents in
the field the japanese provide special
post card pinkish in hue and blazoned
with a blue stamp, which looks like
T-square in d frame.
Regarding weather conditions in
Manchuria, Il correspondent writes:
M111r, he ,aSo