Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-04
RUSSIAN SHIPS SUNK
TWO ARE ToRPEDoED BY TILE
JAPs AT PORT ARTHUR.
Desperate Night Attack-vladivosto
Fleet Eludes Enemy Under Cover
Of oarkness-Ruse Failed.

cablegram from Tokyo last night saysl
A belated report from Admiral Togo re-
cords desperate and successful torpedo
attack at the entrance Of Port Arthur last
Monday night, June n, in which Russian
guardshfp and a Russian torpedo boat de-
stroyer were sunk.
. The guardship Is described as having two
masts and three tunnels. She was either a
battle ship or cruiser, and she was tor
pedoed and destroyed. The torpedo boat
destroyer was struck and then blew up and
sank.
Admiral Togo reports the loss Of one Off
Ger and thirteen men killed and one officer
and two men wounded He makes no mem
ton of damage to his fleet.
Made Desperate Torpedo Attack.
The twelfth torpedo fiotilla, under the
command Of Commander Yamada, deliver
ed the attack. The Japanese vessels were
revealed by the Russian searchlights. and
the shore forts opened q heavy fusillade
on them. The Russian guardship was sur
rounded and attacked by the Japanese, who
saw this vessel sink amid huge volumes OF
water thrown up by heavy explosions.
Following this the Russian torpedo boat
destroyers at once attacked the Japanese
vessels, which responded to the onslaught
A Russian destroyer, while within the area
lit up by the searchlights, was seen to ex-
plode. rise. fall back into the water side
ways and sink.
The guardship sank near the base of
Golden Hill.
The cause for the delay by Admiral Togo
in forwarding this report Is not known, but
it is presumed that he was busy and did
not have time to communicate with Tokyo.
The Japanese legation has received the
fp1I fpcr hi a
admiral Togo reports that on the night
of June q the twelfth torpedo boat fot1lla
attacked and sank the enemyS guardshlp,
with two masts and three tunnels, outside
Port Arthur The same fiotilla then ex-
changed fire with the enemy's destroyers;
one Of which was observed to capsize and
sink. Our casualties were fourteen dead
and three wounded.
Russian Reports Of Fights.
Recent reports from the Russian sources.
Chefoo and elsewhere, mention continued
activity and several engagements by lana
and by sea near Port Arthur from June
"a to June 80. A Russian official report
said that on the night of June 24-25 Jap
anese torpedo boats approached the Tort
ress at Port Arthur, and that on June -, 20
a Japanese land attack was supported by
a cannonade from the warships. during
the evening Of June 20 the forts and pat
teries at Port Arthur opened fire on Jap
Chefoo said q big battle was fought on
land near Port Arthur on June 26 and on
June 81 No mention, however, has been
made of Russian losses to correspond with
those reported by Admiral Togo.
The Russian torpedo boat destroyer Lieut..
Burukoff left Port Arthur the night or
Tuesday, June %, and reached Niuchwang
the next day. She is believed to have come
out with dispatches for the army at ST
Petersburg The Russian foreign office has
given out a dispatch, dated June 3d. an
nouncing that the Russian warshps safely
re-entered Port Arthur after the fight OF
June %, and that not one of them was
damaged.
The Russian Naval Methods.
Refugees from Port Arthur who have ar
rived recently at Chefoo, report that four
Russian battle ships with gunboats and tor
pedo boats are kept in the harbor. While
two battle ships, Ave cruisers, and fotilla
Of torpedo boats make excursions to sea.
Foreigners who left Port Arthur the even
ing of July / rea ched ChefOo July z.
Their reports l-iade no mention OF the
sinking of two Russian warships.
Recent Russian denials or naval losses
have been particularly directed to the state
ment contained in q previous report from
Admiral Togo that ON June %, the Japanese
inflicted serious losses on the Russian fleet
off Port Arthur.
Vladivostok Squadron Disappeared.
The Vladivostok squadron was sighted at
Gas Friday evening, between Tsu-shima
and Oki-shima Islands. by Kamimura' s
squadron Kamimura attempted to reduce
the distance between his ships and the
Russians, but the latter steered north
northeast at full speed until nightfall. Kan
imura ordered the torpedo fiotilla to get
close to the enemy at any cost. From the
main squadron flashes were seen, denoting
that an attack was in progress. The Rus
slams suddenly concentrated oil their
searchlights on the attacking craft, and
then quickly extinguished all Of their lights
and slipped away in the darkness upon an
unknown course
The two squadrons met early in the even
ing. the Russians being north of Xxi Island
and the Japanese south of Tsu Island. They
were ten miles apart. The Russians boited
to the northeast when they were discovered
by Vice Admiral kamimura. The latter
chased them at full speed The Japanese
torpedo boats steamed ahead and entered
within the range of the Russian guns The
Russian vessels vigorously shelled the jap
anese torpedo boats.
Russian Ruse Failed.
According to the latest accounts the Rus
sian ships which bombarded Gensan fred
some 400 shells into the settlement without
causing any injury to life or limb. It is
supposed the cruisers laid mines outside the
harbor. The purpose Of the vladivostok
cruisers apparently was to draw the ia
panese to Gensan and then to take advan-
tage Of their absence to pass Tsu-shima, but
the JAPANESE fathoming this design, re-
NAMED In the vicinity.
Togo Reports Two Vessels Sunk.
The Japanese legation has received the
following cablegrams from Tokyo:
Admiral Togo reports that on the night
Of June q the twelfth torpedo boat fotilla
attacked and sank the enemy's guard ship,
with two masts and three tunnels outside
Port Arthur. The same fotilla then ex-
changed fire with the enemys deetroyers.
one of which was observed. capsized and
sunk. Our casualties were fourteen dead
and three wounded.
Alleged Russian Barbarism.
The chief Of staff Of the second army tel
egraphed as follows:
"'On the 18th of June a petty officer and
other soldiers. six in all. belonging to the
18th Infantry Regiment. encountered while
scouting about fifteen Russian troops at
Shengtsu-Shan and were killed. after hand