The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-18
JAP TROOPSRIPS SEEN
 HEADED FOR EINCHOW
LANDING NORTH OF PORT AR- THUR MAT BE IN PROGRESS.

THUR MAY BE IN PROGRESS. l. Recent Attack Reported to Have Been for the Purpose of Covering Land- ing at Takushan-An Quiet at Port Arthur Since the Bombardment Fri- day-Discussion as to Cause of Petro- paylOusIx's Loss.
 Port Arthur, April 17.-Rumors are I current here that twenty Japanese transports conveying troops have been sighted steaming in the direction of Yinkow This cannot be confirmed. The Russians impatiently await Jap { anese landing.
 Yinkow is about 100 miles north of 4 of Port Arthur.
 St. Petersburg, April 17.-It is said i that the Japanese torpedo flotilla at- 4 tack on Port Arthur April 1S was in { tended to cover landing from nine transports at Shwang Tai Tse, twenty I miles southwest of Takushan. with a 4 view of cutting off the retreat of the a Port Arthur troops on Siu Yen and q Kaiping, destroying the railway and q preventing troops stationed in southern a Liao Tung effecting a junction with the main Russian forces concentrated I at Liao Yeng and Mukden. The execu-. E tion of this operation failed only owing H to the fact that all places on the q peninsula suitable for landing of troops 4 are protected by mines, well fortified and strongly guarded.
 Port Arthur. April 17.-Since the ' bombardment of Friday all has been ,. quiet here.
 ] yiceroy Alexieff has hoisted his flag on the battleship Sevastopol. E The easter gifts received from the S grand duchesses have been distributed 10 the soldiers and sailors. | Seoul. April 17.-Thirty- Rus sians occupied Sungjin on the night of 1 April 16. Japanese refugees arrived at Gensan this morning from Sungjin. The rumor that 5000 Russians are fol- lowing the advance with the intention |of diverting the Japanese from the Yaln river is not credited owing to the Possibility of the Japanese landing and Icutting them off.
 There is no information here as to whether two English missionaries left Sungjin. but there are no fears for their safety.
 Standing Vice-Admiral Togo's claim that mines laid by his vessels were re- sponsible for the disaster to the Petro- pavlovsk,' said a high naval authority, who is in a position to have access to all government reports, to the Associ- Iated Press T am more than ever con- vinced that the Petropavlovsk and the fPobieda did not strike Japanese mines. Each ship was struck under the hull }amidships, while mine would have Exploded on first contact near the bows. The fact that in both cases the ships were struck amidships might warrant
 he acceptance of the theory regarding Fubmarine vessels, although personally
 do not hold that idea. The Pobieda probably escaped the fate of the Petro- oavlovsk because she carried coal in her bunkers between the bottom and
 he boilers, which, moreover, are of the Belleville type, whereas the boilers of he Petropavlovsk were of Scotch nake and were not protected by her bunkers.'
 One of the shrewdest naval attaches It St. Petersburg, however, told the Associated Press that he believed the
 apanese laid the mines which were re- Fponsible for the disaster, pointing out hat this was one of the oldest systems blockading when ships did not dare run the risk of entering under an en- myS guns. The attache said he bought they would do this when he
 oticed that the Japanese fleet always made wide detour of the entrance
 It is also significant that Chinese unks have been reported as cruising II the harbor, and it is considered pos- lble that the Japanese kept these unks there systematically in order to hroW the Russians off their guard if hey were seen when the actual time
 rrived to SOW the mines.
 Captain Grown, who went down with 1 he PetropaWlovsk, joined that ship on he previous day, having succeeded in citing through from Shanghai where
 c left his vessel, the gunboat Mandiur.
 aptain Grown was descendant of a 1
 cotchman who fought with Russia in | he war with Sweden, when he captured he first Retvizan.
 St. Petersburg, April 17--A dispatch rom Port Arthur says several eye wit
 esses assert that Japanese cruiser
 as lost outside Port Arthur April 12
 striking one of it's own floating hines.
 THANKS TO TOGO.