The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-25
BOMBARD PORT ARTHUR

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are plenty and there is no lack of am
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rich are subscribing
JAPANESE ATTEMPT TO LAND.
New York, Feb. 25.-During the en-
! gagement of Tuesday night at Port
Arthur. says a Herald dispatch from
Chefoo, the Japanese attempted to land
at Society Bay, but were repulsed.
Four transports were sunk by the
forts while trying to enter the channel.
The engagement lasted nearly an hour,
after which the Japanese retired, their
| losses being four ships sunk.
A Chinese steamer, the first merchant
man cleared from here for Dalny, was
forced to return, having been unable to
obtain permission to enter the port of
Dalny. The steamer signalled for five
| hours and finally received a reply or
! dering her to depart Immediately. Her
captain reports that he sighted part of
the Japanese fleet % miles off Dalny.
RUSSIANS ADVANCE ON PING
YANG.
Seoul, Feb. 25.-Russian videttes ad
vanced south of Anju and have cut the
| telegraph wires between Anju and Ping
Yang.
PRAISE FOR THE RETvIzAN.
St Petersburg, Feb 25.-1:45 p. M
No further details were available today
of the unsuccessful attempt of the Jap
anese to bottle up the Russian fleet at
Port Arthur by sinking big merchant
men at the mouth of the harbor. The
| brief details contained in the official
| dispatch indicated that the coup was
planned according to the usual Japanese
tactics to take place during the night,
that it was desperately pushed and
backed by eight torpedo boats, which
continued fighting until daylight, but
that it failed completely. Great praise
is given to the Russian battleship Ret
vizan which lay outside the harbor en-
| trance, for her gallant work in beating
| off the enemy. Her part in the action
| shows that the reports of the injuries
1 xEyhi oh hn ic otd TO hax tai aAd in
the attack of February were grossly
| exaggera ted.
GUARD SHIPS AT PORT ARTHUR.
| ST. Petersburg, Feb. 25.-The battle
ships Retvizan and Czarevitch will be
temporarily employed at Port Arthur
as guard ships. in which capacity it
has been decided their formidable guns
| can be utilized to good advantage. 1t
| has been found that the necessary re-
/ pairs to these ships can only be fully
made in the dock at Vladivostock so
| the vessels will be temporarily patched
| up and remain at Port Arthur until
circumstances will permit of their be-
| ing sent to Vladivostock. The rumors
/ that the savings banks will not meet
| the demands of payment of deposits in
consequence of the war are emphatical-
1 ly denied by the Official Messenger.
I FALSE REPORTS CIRCULATED.
New York, Feb. 25.-Many false re-
ports are being circulated here, says
a Herald dispatch from st. Petersburg,
Hfniral Evans U. S. N, has 1000 ma
rfnes ready to dispatch at a moments
/ notice. This once again stimulates
anti-Ameriean feeling among certain
! classes. One newspaper publishes a re-
port that $4,000 Chinese soldiers have
gone over to the Japanese army. AS
| consequence of such rumorS the belief
seems to grow that the outlook is
tending in the far east toward interna-
tional complications.
TO RAISE THE VARIAG
New York, Feb. Enclosures are be-
ing taken for raising the cruiser Va
Times dispatch from Toxic. The YES
sci is said to be not seriously damaged.
RUSSIAN REFUGEES.
New York. Feb 25.The British
Colombo with the Russian refugees
who escaped from the Variag and the
Koreitz to the cruiser Talbot. SAYS a
Herald dispatch from Seoul. Those
who escaped to the Italian cruiser Elba
will leave today on an Italian gunboat
for Hong Kong. but their final destina-
| ton is now undecided.
GAR CONGRATULATES ALExIEF'F'
| st. Petersburg, Feb. 25.-The czar
| has telegraphed warm congratulations
! to Viceroy Alexieff and the entire Rus
sian squadron at Port Arthur on the
able manner in which they repulsed
the latest attack on the Japanese
VI YONG-IK TAKEN AWAY
Seoul, Feb. 25-Yi Yong-Ik, who was
formerly minister of war and practically
the dictator of Korea and considered a
friend of Russia, was taken by the
Japanese when they entered ChemuIpo
and on the same night put on board of
a warship which took him to Japan. He
went on board in court dress
| TRIED HOBSON PLAN
Paris, Feb. 25-In a dispatch from
Hardin the correspondent of the Matin
says that the Japanese in an attempt to
repeat at Port Arthur the experiment
made by the Americans at SANTIAGO
sent in three merchant ships to be sunk
IN the entrance to the harbor The
Russ1an battleship Retvizan, although
still stranded, perceived them and sank
them before this design could be carried
out.
Alexieff has postponed his arrival
mere, aods the correspondent, and horses
are pelng sent to Mukden for his use.
/ JAPAN SEXES CARGO OF BEEF.
Nagasal1i, Feb. 25.-The Japanese gov
ernment has seized $40 tons of mess
beef which was shipped from San Fran
cisco on the steamer Korea February 2,
ana which was consigned to the Rus
sian government at Vladivostock. IT is
thought that the Japan government will
purchase the beef
ALExIEFF'S OFFICIAL REPORT.
St. Petersburg, Feb 25-2:45 a. M
A telegram from Viceroy AIexieff to
the czar says:
AT quarter before 3 in the morn
ing of February "a numerous Japanese
torpedo boats attempted to attack bat
tleship Retvizan and sink large steam
ers loaded with inf1ammables The
Retvizan was the first to observe the
torpedo boats and opened a strong fire
4 on them. She was supported by the
land batteries. She destroyed two
steamers near the entrance of the har-
oor; they were coming directly toward
her. One of them went on the rocks
near the light house on Tiger peninsula
and the other sank under Golden HILL
The Retvizan observed four steamers
IN a sinking condition and eight tor
pedo boats departing slowly to reioin
the waiting Japanese war ships
portion of the crews of the Japanese
vessels was drowned. The grounded
steamer is still burning
The enemy is observed in the offing