Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-02-20
MASSING AT HARDIN
Russia Preparing to Crush
Japan's Land Forces.
WILL SOON HAVE 100000 MEN ON YALU
survivor Tells story of ChemuIpO
Observation-Disclosures of the Rus
slams Fighting Against over
wIaelming odds.

ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 20.-There
Is definite information here that Rus
sian troops to the number Of 100000
are massing in the lower Yalu river.
At the Russian base at Hardin, Man
churia, it is said that that number of
men will have been distributed through
: Manehuria within twelve days.
The soldiers/are taking ell the pro-
! visions and fodder of the country, the
= value of paper money is falling. and
an exodus of the d~emoralized populace
has set in. Thousands clamor for
transportation to western Russia by
The Siberian railroad, which is unable
to carry them owing to the demands
upon 1t for the conveyance of troops.
The following account of the fight
Is from Shanghai by a survivor of one
of the Russian ships held on board the
French cruiser Pascal: :
"a japanese squadron consisting of
six armored cruisers and eight torpedo
boats arrived off Chemulpo prior to
the declaration of war. Admiral Uriu,
commanding the japanese squadron,
requested the cruiser yariag and the
torpedo gunboats Korietz to put out to
sea, threatening otherwise to attack
them at their anchorage. A protest
was made by the captains of the
French cruiser Pascal, the British
cruiser Talbot and the Italian cruiser
Elba. The captain of the United States
gunboat Vicksburg alone refrained
from protesting.
1.-The heroism displayed by the crews
of both the Russian warships so i'm
pressed the foreigners present that
many of them wept, believing the Rus
slams we're going to certain destruc-
tion. AS the Variag. and the KorietZ
steamed past the foreign wal vessels
the crews manned the sides and cheer
ed continuously, and the strains Of the
Russian national anthem accompanied
the Russian sailors as they went into
battle.
"A3 soon as the Russian ships APP
preached the mouth of the harbor the
Japanese poured out their fire upon
them. Every gun took part in the ter
rllc c%annonade. which lasted for al
hour. AT / o'clock in the afternoon the
Variag, severely damaged, and the 10
cietz returned to their anchorage.
1.-The Russian officers and crew be
haycd splendidly. TlNiee times flames
broke out on. board the Variag while
she was under fire, and each time they
we're e~Xtinguis.ed as coolly as if the
men had been at drill. The wounded
men were carried below, and the mem
bers OF the crew who lost their lives
we're replaced by others. The holes
made in the Variag by the %projectiles
Of the enemy were not stopped up.
rhe Varlag sustained terrible damage.
Both starboard and port bulwarks were
destroyed, her guns were crippled, and
her hull was riddled with shot. Thir-
.y-three men Oh board of her were kill
I'll, including Midshipman Count Nj
rod. The captnin of the Variag was
bruised. The Korietz suffered no in
Jury.
"The Japanese squadron lost many
men. Two Japanese cruisers were Sc
Fercly damaged, and one torpedo boat
was sunk.
"Ior four hours we remained in the
narbor expecting the Japanese to en-
.er and ene the attack. The inju-
lies of the variag made it impossible
'or her to fight any longer, and in or
} Ter to prevent the Japanese from get