Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-06-30
Is View Russia Takes of
Absence of War
News.
PORT ARTHUR REPORT
Denies Damage Has
Been Done to the
Fleet.

St. Petersburg. June 30.-A Rus
sian torpedo boat has arrived at New
Chwang from Port Arthur. Her COM
mander denies that any Russian ships
were sunk or damaged in the fight off
Port Arthur June %. He declared that
after clearing away the Japanese mines
the whole Russian fleet returned safe
ly to the harbor.
silence OminOus.
No word came from Kuropatlin la
ter than June %. and not single
newspaper dispatch has been received
from the front during the last "a
hours. The silence is regarded as a
sign of a coming storm.
The Novoe Vremya denies the re-
port from Narva that two Japanese
spies were arrested there Tuesday
while masquerading as organ grinders.
Squadron "LOOse" AgaIu.
Toxic, June 30.-A report from Gen
san says the Vladivostok squadron APP
peared there today and attacked that
place.
The Liao Yang Japanese column
which forced the passage of Molten
pass is advancing on Liao Yang by
the eastern road with the object of
cutting the Russian communications
north of here.
LOSSES nt FenshuI Pass.
London, June 30.-A dispatch to the
Japanese legation from Toxic giving
details of operations at Fenshui Pass
says the Russians left 80 dead on the
main road, but the number left else
where is not estimated. Six Russian
officers and $50 men were captured.
The Japanese casualties are estimated
at 40.
TOrpedOes in "a Fire.
st. Petersburg, June 30-Fire at
Cronstadt last night destroyed a shed
20 Whitehead torpedoes.
The alarm was given in time TO pre-
vent a serious loss of life or property.
The fire is believed to be incendiary.
Armies Unite.
London, June 3O.-The Toxic CORE
spOndent of the Post says that the
Japanese second army has effected a
juncture with the first army and that
the whole force has now a fighting
front of 120 miles.
Oku Has Not Retired.
London, June 30.-The Toxic cor
of the Times says that the
report from st. Petersburg of Oku's
is ridiculed in Japan where
he delay in forcing a great battle is
well understood TO be due to the habit
IF the Japanese generals in not strik-
ng before deliberate completion of
all their prelimnaries
Russia WANTS Coal.
The Paris correspondent of the
FINES says it is reported that Russia
las applied to the French government
or permission to have all vessels Of
he Baltic fleet coal at French ports
N their way to the far east The Rus
sian government. the correspondent
jays, is at present negotiating for a
arge supply of coal not only in France.
,ut also in Germany.
Tell of Port Arthur.
ChefOo, June 30. $50 a. m.-Fifty
Europeans who left Port Arthur June
. arrived here today from Pigeon
'ay, where they embarked on a junk
une 2S. They say that in the naval
of June % the Russian
'attlesbip Sevastopol was slightly
damaged. and Is days will be required
o repair her The torpedo dispatch
'oat Amur Alo was badly damaged.
The Europeans had not heard of the
esult Of the night engagement in
which the Japanese claim to have sunk
battleship of the Peresisvit type
When the Russian fleet went out
# Port Arthur the hopes of the resi-.
ents were high and there was much
disappointment when the feet return
d without engaging the enemy
Strength OF RussIan Fleet.
The Russian fleet is now reported
o consist of six battleships and five
ruisers, with "a smaller vessels.
une %, the Gay on which the Euro.
'eans left. the Japanese were report
ID to be trying to capture the We Fou
strongly fortified posi-
ion 10 miles from Port Arthur.
A Frenchman who has been in PORT
Arthur since the war began states
hat there are $4,000 fighting men
here and the food supply is sufficient.