The sun., 1904-12-09
MORE RUSSIAN SHIPS SUiK.
JAPANESE FIRE FIPTNG OUT THE
PORT ARTHUE FLEET.
Toxic New Has Confidence That the naitic
Fleet Can he Met With an 6verwhefu,-
ing Force-Rivairy Among the jap
anese Gunners ON 7O3 Metre Hill.
Special Cab. D,,pa,eh 10 THE Sun.


anese Gunners on 3O3 Metre Hill.
Special Cab. Ds,pdteh 10 THE Sun.
TOXIC, Dec. S.-With the de 1ruction OF
practically all the large warships at Port
Arthur confidence in the ability Of the
Japanese fleet to dispose Of the Baltic fleet
II IL continues its voyage TO the Far East,
has become strong while the retention
OF eos Metre Hill and its apparent i'm
munity from attack by the guns OF the
other forts creates the belief that the end
OF the fortress is very near.
The chief q nxiety is whether the be-
siegers will be able to prevent the garrison
from rallying at Liaotishan, where resistance
may be made so long as food and ammuni-
ton hold out,
Unofficial reports represent 2os Metre
Hill as commanding not only the entire
harbor, but the communications OF the
principal forts with Liaotishan. 1t Is.
therefore, hoped that the Japanese will be
enabled to prevent the Russians concen-
tating at the latter place.
1t il stated that the besiegers are atte npt-
ing to sink everything ahoat in the harbor.
There Is keen rivalry among the gunners
to hit the destroyers and torpedo boats,
which are tiny targets at long range.
Whether guns have been mounted or
are being mounted on 2o3 Metre Hill Ia
unknown. 1t is believed that at present
II Is only used as an observation post from
which to direct the guns at other points.
1t is reported that the Russian counter
attacks on 2os Metre Hill ceased on Dec
s and that the attackers have withdrawn
toward Yayangkau. The Russians have
also slaokened their opposition to the
Japanese sappings Of the eastern forts.
The defenders are dwindling in numbers
and are suffering from exhaustion.
The battleships Poltava and Retvizan
are both resting with their keels on the
bottom. The Retvizan's stern walk is
awash.
The battleship Peresviet was set on fire
at o'clock yesterday afternoon by jap
anese shell.
The cruiser Pallada and the batt,eship
Pobieda have been hit many times. The
Pobieda has been greatly damaged. The
copper sheathing below her water line is
visible from the west. showing that she
has a heavy list to starboard.
LONDON. Dec. 8-The correspondent Of
the Telegraph who il with the Japanese
forces besieging Port Arthur. in describing
the havoc wrought by the fire OF the big
japanese guns. says that in addition to the
warships already named as being sung
OF damaged the gunboats Giljak and Fus-
adneck have also bse sunk. The torpedo
boats alone are intact.
A Toxic despatch says that the armored
cruiser Bayan, which was reported aground
in the harbor, was sat on fire to-day and the
battleship Sevastopol was sunk.
WASHINGTON, Dec. s.-The Japanese
legation has received the following from
Toxic:
The Port Arthur army reports that the
bombardment against the Russian ships
on "Wednesday was fruitful Of many effect
i've shots on Palsds and Peresviet. Po-
bieda and Peresviet took fire at 3:lS p. NJ.
The commander Of the navy artillery
corps reports that observation from 1os
Metre Hill on Wednesday afternoon showed
Retvisan to have moved evenly up to stern
walk, apparently resting on bottom. The
Pobieda listed considerably TO port