Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-05-10
PORT ARTHUR IN
STATE OF SIEGE
CUT OFF FROM ALL CoMMUN1CA.
TON By LAND.
JAPANESE TROOPS LANDED
Vice Admiral skyrdloff, En- Route to
Take Command Of Russian Naval
Forces, Will Be Unable Ia
Reach His Destination.


] st. Petersburg, May IA dispatch
received Friday night says that Port
Arthur is cut OF from all communica-
tion by land, the Japanese having dis
embarked in its rear, occupied the
railroad and cut the telegraph. Vice
Admiral Skrydloff, who is en- route to
Port Arthur to take command Of the
naval forces in the far east, will be
unable to reach his destination.
May Go to vladivostok.
Vice Admiral Skrydlor and Vice Ad-
miral Bezobrazoff cannot now reach
Port Arthur and will probably go to
Vladivostok to join the cruiser squad
ron there. Rear Admiral Wittsoeft,
who was left In charge Of the feet by
Viceroy Alexietf. will direct operations
at Port Arthur. Wittsoeft is good
officer, and it is believed he will render
excellent service.
Departure Of Alexie6.
It was because he was convinced that
Port Arthur was about to be cut OF
that Viceroy Alexieff, accompanied by
his staff and Grand Duke Boris, left
hastily. On Thursday several train
loads OF sick and wounded and other
ineftectives were dispatched northward.
1t Is reported here that the Japanese
ships bombarded Port Arthur early on
the morning Of May 6, and succeeded
at last in closing the entrance, but no
official confirmation Of the latter state
ment can be obtained. The exact hour
at which communication with the Rus
sian stronghold ceased has not been
established. The strength OF the gar
rison at Port Arthur is not revealed by
the authorities, who will only say that
1T is adequate for defensive purposes.
1t is not believed that the force there
exceeds 10000 soldiers.
Gen. Pfung Reports.
st. Petersburg, May THE ministry
Of war has received the following tele-
gram from Maj. Gen. Plug, chief of
the military staff:
According to the information
have received, seven Of the enemy's
transports, and afterwards about 40,
appeared opposite Pitsewo on the eve
ming of May 4. On the morning of
May 5 the Japanese began to land at
Pitsewo and on the coast near Caps
Terminal (about il miles southwest Of
Pitsewo), under cover Of artillery fire.
AT this moment about 60 transports
were observed bearing down upon the
whole front and our posts retired from
the shore. All papers in the post Of
fee at Pitsewo were removed and the
Russian inhabitants. abandoned the
town. According to Chinese reports,
by the evening of May about 10000
OF the enemy's troops had landed and
taken up quarters in the Chinese vii
lagos near the points Of debarkation
the enemy sent two columns Of about
one regiment each, one in q westerly
direction and the other to the south
ward"
Guarded by Fleet.
While the landing was proceeding
Thursday the enemy's ships, consisting
of the battleships Mikasa, Hatsuse.
Shikishima, Yashima and Full, and the
cruisers Iwate. Ideumo, Adsuma and
Asama, made q demonstration of Port
Arthur to prevent the possible egress
of Russian torpedo boats. A number
of Japanese torpedo boats were also
observed of Miado island, in Pigeon
bay.
Events Anticipated.
st. Petersburg, May 7.-Japanese
troops swarming across the narrow
neck Of the Liaotung peninsula, the
railroad and telegraph communications
cut and the Russian Gibraltar isolated
and left to Its own resources-all thie
the Russians seem to accept with great
stoicism These events have been an
ticipated since the outbreak of the war
and the authorities, in sense, appear
to be relieved now that the blow has
fallen. They assert that the fortress
is impregnable and amply provisioned
to stand a siege for year, and that II
can hold out until the time comes to
relieve it.
Another Landing Reported.
London, May IA dispatch to the
Central News from St. Petersburg Fri
day says the Japanese landed at Por,
Adams, on the west coast Of the Lao.
tung peninsula, as we'll as at Pitsewo.
Port Adams Is situated about so miles