Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-03-16
Such News As Is Available Net
Defiaate
ACTIVE HOSTILITIEs HAVE BEGUN
Sharp Fighting Reported Between
the Forces of Russia and Japan
News irdeflnate.z

St. Petersburg, By Cable The En-
.peror received messagesfroms Yicere.
Alexieff which says:
/. Admiran Marako e, J commanding th
feet, reports from Port Arthur under
date Of March 10 as follows:
Six torpedo boats which went out t,
sea the night Of March 10, four OF then
being under the command. Capt
Nattoussevitch, encountered the enc
ny's torpedo boats followed by cruis
ers. A hot action ensued in which the
torpedo boat destroyer !. Ylaslini dis
charged Whitehead torpedo and srnl
one Of the enemy's torpedo boats. SOI
the way back the torpedo boat destroy,
er Stereguschtchi. commanded by Lieu
tenant Sergueieff, sustained damages;
her engine was disabled and she be-
gan to founder. By O'clock in the
morning five Of our torpedo boat de-
stroyers and returned, When the crit
ical position Of the Stereguschitchi be-
came evident hoisted my flag on the
cruiser Noyik and went with the Novik
and the cruiser Boyarin to the rescue
But as five Of the enemy's cruisers sur
rounded our destroyer and as their bat
itleship squadron was approaching,
did not succeed in saving the Steregus-
chichi, which foundered. Part of the
crew was made prisoners, and part was
drowned.
"0n the ships which participated in
the night attack, one OFFICER was seri-
ously and three other were Slightly
wounded, two soldiers were killed and
eighteen were wounded.
AT 9 o'clock fourteen of the enc
my's ships assembled b.,ore Port Ar
thur and ds.assbombardment was begun
with the; heavy guns Of their battle
ship squadron at long range.
"This lasted until@1 o'clock in the
afternoon. 1t is estimated that the
enemy fired 154 twelve-inch shells. The
damage ito our vessels was insignifi-
cant, and they are again ready for
battle. !. Our losses were one officer
slightly wounded and one soldier killed
and four! soldiers wounded.
"The illumation of the sea at night
by the searchlights mounted at our
batteries was most satisfactory, and
several times isolated shots from our
batteries forced the enemy's torpedo
boats to retire.
with the commencement of the
bombardnent at d9sun the guns OF the
fortress. replied tofthe enemy's fire.
'.The crews of all the ships engaged
gave proof Of remarkable GOODNESS in
action.
s g A bonn bardment at such distance
spaust be considered Ineffective, but the
japanese cruiser T Takasagos issTeported
45haveS6e
saamagss the extent Of which. however,
Twas simpossible to ascertain at a
distance of five miles. Many shells
were fired at rance of 77s miles.
'I havesthe honor to report the fore
going to your Majesty.
("SignedD LlEAEFF.
. : 49, -.
Toxic, BY eCahle-Official and pri-
ayte reports both indicate that Admiral
Togo's fourth attack on Port Arthur On
the 10th instant was the most effective
since the first assault of a month ago..
One Russian torpedo boat DESTROYER
was sunk and several Russian torpedo
boats seriously damaged. The fortlfl-
cations and city were submitted to a
heavy bombardment lasting nearly
four hours. The naval bombardmeuts
of the land works have generally beea
ineffective, yet the peculiar topograph
ical conditions Of Port Arthur make
immunity: from serious loss from bonn
.bardment almost impossible. Admlfa!
Togo's torpedo fctilla opened the ac-
ton by boldly steauling in under the
batteries OF mechanical mines in the
harbor.
The closing action was the lombard
ment Of the inner harbor by the Japan
ese battleships. The latter took a po.
sition southwest of Port Arthur anu
used only their twelve-inch guns.
There were twenty-four twelve-lnch