The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-28
ATTEMPT TO HoBsoN1zE.

ATTEMPT TO HoBsoN1zE.
Japanese Again Try to Plug Up the
Port Arthur Harbor.
Toxic, March 2S-4 p. ma telegram
received from New Chang this after
noon says at o'clock yesterday morn
| ing the Japanese succeeded in sinking
four steamers at the mouth of Port
Arthur harbor. hotilla of destroy
ers conveyed the merchantmen, which
were subsequently sunk and rescued
| the volunteer crews. Later the jap
anese battleships bombarded the town
and its defenses.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Chefoo, March 2S.@The Japanese
have made another attempt to block
the entrance to Port Arthur. At
/ o'clock Sunday morning four stone
laden steamers escorted by eight tor
pedo boats approached the harbor.
They were discovered by the Russian
vessels on scouting duty and as they
drew nearer. the Russian forts and the
ships which were anchored in theroad-
sted opened fire on them and sunk
them.
The japanese fleet which consisted of
sixteen ships all told remained off
Port Arthur until daylight. At this
hour, the Russian vessels weighed
anchor whereupon the Japanese ves-
sells disappeared
| The fate of the crews on the stone
! laden steamers is not known. Since
the arrival at Port Arthur of Viceroy
Admiral Makaroff, the Russian feet
has been more active.
RUSSIAN OFFICIAL VERSION.
| ST. Petersburg, March 28.-An Off
cial dispatch from Port Arthur to the
emperor says that at 1 o'clock Sunday
morning the Russian SearchlightS dis
closed four large merchant steamers
making for the entrance to the har-
Dor, supported by six torpedo boats.
A heavy fire was opened on them by
the batteries and some warships-
| The torpedo boat Stilni, commanded
by Lieutenant Kriniszki turned the
merchant vessels from their course by
| blowing up the prov of the first ana
then boldly attacked the enemy's tor
pedo boats. In the fierce fight which
followed, Chief Engineer Swyereff, of
the Stilni and six marines were killed
and the commander and twelve men
were injured.
The Japanese plan to block the en-
trance to Port Arthur was frustrated,
however, and the channel is still clear.
Vice Admiral Makaroff. command
! ing the Russian naval forces at Port
Arthur, has sent the following tele-
gram to the emperor:
Il beg most humbly to report that at
2 o'clock Sunday morning the enemy
made a second attempt to block the
entrance to the inner roadstead- For
this purpose they dispatched four large
torpedo boats. to the entrance. The
enemy's ships were promptly discov-
cred by the searchlights and were bonn
barded by the batteries and by the
| guardships Bohr and Otvajny.
Fearing the enemy's ships might
break through, Lieutenant Kruitnizlii
commanding the guard torpedo boat
! Stilni, attacked the enemy ana ds-
stroyed the bow of the foremost Japa-
nese steamer with a torpedo. This
l.steamer. then turned to the right, AMI
/ was followed by two others, with the
| result that the three We're stranded
to the right of the entrance. A fourth
I steamer went to the right of the enc
my's ships and likewise sank to the
! side of the Fairway. The Stilni then
battIed with the enemy's six torpedo
boats Engineer Artificer Swyeref and
/ six seamen were killed and the cont
! nander and u seamen were wounded
LAT daybreak the enemys battleship
the cruiser squadronS appeared ana
I proceeded with the fleet under my
I charge to meet the enemy.
/ 1.-The second attempt of the Japanese
TO block the entrance to Port Arthur
/ has failed, thanks to the energetic de-
tense by the sea and land forces who
acted as they did during the first at
| tempt. -,
The following official dispatch has
| been received from Gen. Smirneff:
/ Port Arthur March 27.-Last night
after moonrise the Japanese attempted
to block the entrance to the harDor
Four fireships were sent toward the
port. conveyed by torpedo f1otilla To-
/ ward 2;15 a. m. the approach OF the
ene1ny's ships was perceived by the
/ guard ships and battleShipS, which sim
/ ultaneously opened upon them heavily.
1.-THE fireships were preceded by tor
pedo boats and followed at a consider
| able distance by the larger ships, which
opened on the forts. supporting the ac-
ton of the firesh1ps ana the torpedo
boats.
/ lowing to the heaviness of our artil-
lery fire and the boldness of our torpedo
boats. the fireships did not reach the en-
trance to the harbor. Two of them
grounded on a reef under Golden hill,
I another sank beyond the first turn of
the channel. struck by torpedo from
out of our boats, and the fourth sank,
its bows touching a japanese steamer
sunk in the previous attempt off Ma
iatchnaja Goroda. The entrance to the
harbor remains clear.
"a Hotchkiss one-inch caliber quick
frer was found aboard one of the
sunken steamers, from which fire had
been kept up on our topedo boats.
"A boat left each of the sunken ships
carrying their crews. One of these is
believed to have been picked up.
Towards o'clock this morning the
enemys torpedo boats retired and the
bombardment ceased. Vice Admiral
Makaroff at once proceeded in a steam
launch to inspect the enemy's s. sunken
steamers.
1.-THE enemy's torpedo boats reappear-
ed at 5 o'clock this morning. They were
sighted south of Port Arthur and the
batteries reopened on them Towards 6
o'clock the enemyS squadron appeared
on the horizon and our ships steamed
out to meet it. AT $3.50 the batteries
opened fire. Our ships batteries soon
ceased, the japanese drawing off to the
south. At 10 o'clock they disappeared. .