Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-27
Japanese Attack Upon Port Ar.
thur and Its RepuISe Regarded
AS Victory.
WORK OF SHORE BATTERIES.
Firing Was Accurate and Inflicted
Much Loss on the Euemys
Ships,

London. Feb. 26.--Just what happened
during the engagements between the
Russian and japanese forces at Port
rthur Thursday and Friday Is diff
cult TO determine. No two OF the ca
bled accounts agree, as will be seen
by the following excerpts from cable
grams received In Russia under today's
date;
"A squadron OF the enemy's vessels,
numbering i6, Approached the fortress
at about II o'clock this morning and
opened bombardment on the cruisers
Askold, Baya and Noyika. which were
IN the outer harbor and also ON the
fortress, The firing continued for half
an hour,
Then our cruisers went into the
harb0r The enemy fired for several
minutes On one OF our batteries and
they began TO leave. They stopped
within slght OF the fort, but out Of
range Of fire.
AT this time four Of the enemy's
cruisers detached themselves from the
squadron and proceeded to Pigeon bay,
where they quickly opened ire Oh our
torpedo boats that were cruising there,
They directed also a strong cunnonade
against the shore. The commandant
consequently sent troops TO Pigeon bay.
THE firing lasted for 80 minutes, but
no landing was made. The Japanese
cruisers then departed. Suitable meas.
ures have been taken 10 oppose a pos
sible move on the part Of the enemy
TO crepe up by sea.
"Our losses this day were one man
wounded at the battery,
II respectfully report the above TO
our imperial majesty. ALEXlEFF"
The Japanese torpedo boat attack OF
Feb. % resulted In Russian sue
cess The accurate shooting OF the bat.
teries inflicted losses on the enemy and
caused tho boiler on one Of the Japan
ese torpedo boats to explode.
Early in the morning japanese fleet,
consisting Of six battleships and four
cruisers, appeared on the horizon. The
Russian cruisers Askold, Bayan and
Noyik were then In the harbor and the
japanese torpedo boats advanced TO
within 30 or 30 cable lengths TO attack
them, The Japanese battleshlps AMI
cruisers separated and then advancing
again on two Russian torpedo boats
cruising in Pigeon bay. one Of the lat
ter broke through the enemy's lines un-
der hot fire and reached harbor. At
1915 o'clock fierce engagement took
place between Japanese battleehip
and the Russian cruisers. supported by
the shore batteries,
In view of the superiority Of the en-
emy's six battleships over the three
Russian cruisers the latter were With
drawn The enemy ceased fre at ll.25
o'clock and at II o'clock the japanese
cruisers which were chasing the Rus
sian torpedo boats began TO fire on the
forts, but the firing did not last long.
ToGo's FAILURE,
Toxic, Feb. 26.--Vice-Admlra Togo's
attempt TO bottle up the Russian fleet
at Port Arthur by sinking a fleet Of
stone laden merchant steamers I'm the
mouth OF the harbor evidently failed,
though the venture caused no loss of
life and the vessels lost were not Of
great value.
Five ships were prepared by Vice.
Admiral Togo for the attempted block.
ade. -Four are reported to have been
sunk but the fate Of the fifth Is UNI
known here. II is presumed that II
withdrew with the other japanese ves-
sells The FIVE vessels were filled with
stones so as 10 make the obstruction
permanent, and were manned by volun-
teer merchant crews, 1t was impossi-
BILE to select naval officers and sailors