The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-03-11
DAMAGE
Done by the Japanese
Fleet.

Toxic. March SIT Is announced
that a report has been received by
the navy department from the feet
which on Sunday bombarded Vladlvos
tok. The report was sent to Fukuy-
anna in the southern part of the islano
of Yezzo and from there was cabled
to Toxic.
While the report is by no means a
complete one, and will not be made
public for strategic reasons, il Is stat
ed that it contradicts fatty the otii
cial Russian dispatches that state the
shell fire OF the fleet did no damage
to the Russian defenses On the con
trary the Japanese commander claims
that his shell fire was wondrously
effective and that the bursting of the
lyddite bombs could be clearly OBJ
served from the flagship. Especially
was this true of the fire OF the Cd.
suma. which was exclusively directed
first at the battery at Cape Tokarev-
ski and afterwards al the Copper
NAhN 'e'INi hhbt
shells went true to the mark and 1t
was plain to see that nearly all of
them exploded after hitting the mark.
According to the report, both bat
teries, which are among the most i'm
portant of the defenses of the town,
were so seriously damaged that their
usefulness for defense purposes Is
gone and they cannot readily be re-
paired.
When an attempt was made to learn
the official opinion of the location OF
the Russian Siberian squadron the
naval experts positively declined to
discuss the matter other than to state
that they would be taken care of
wherever they are. Ii Is known that
a Japanese flying squadron is search.
ing for the Russians in the sea of ia.
pan.
One report has it that after being
seen off Gensan on the Korean coast
on Thursday last the Russians sailed
northward and are now preparing to
strike blow at some Of the Japanese
coast cities before trying to force a
passage into the open Pacific.
As the Russian fleet is composed
entirely of war vessels that can easily
make and retain speed OF twenty
knots for long period, and as all
carry a large supply of coal. their
bunkers being of enormous size, they
are decidedly formidable opponents.
The squadron is made UP OF the ar.
mored cruisers Cromoboi. with ton.
mage of 1864; the Russia. 12,20O; the
Rutik, l1,000; the Protected cruiser
Bogatyr, $500. and the auxiliary
cruiser Lana, 1e,250. AS with the ex.
ception of the last two they were
built as commerce destroyers, and
their bottoms were scraped in dry
dock within six months. they are In
shape to run away from most of the
vessels OF the Japanese feet and dis
tanced them effectually. This fact in.
fuenced the navy department. 1t Is
stated. to select its fastest cruisers ana
battleships for the Vladiyostok expe,
dition and the flying squadron con.
tains the Swiftest six vessels in the
Japanese navy. Their identity is kept
secret by order of the admiral com.
manding.
There are known TO be ten torpedo
boats in the harbor of Vladiyostok and
this fact has prevented night attacks
by the Japanese fleet as the destroy.
ers assigned to duty in northern wa
ters have not as yet arrived. When
they put in an appearance 1t is ex.
pected that night attack will take
place, but this of course is simply con-
lecture as the Japanese officials are
doing all in their power to cloud the
movements and deceive the CORE.
spondents.