Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-03-16
Such News As Is Available Net
Dsfiuate
ACTIVE H0STILlTIEs HAVE BEGUN
Sharp Fighting Reported Between
the Forces of Russia. and Japan.
News 'ndefInate. -.


St. Petersburg, BY Cable.-The En-
.peror received message from Yicerey
Alexieff which says:
: "Admiran Marakoff, commanding the
feet. reports from Port Arthur under
date of March 10 as follows:
six torpedo boats which went out to
sea the night of March 10, four OF them
being under the command Of Capt.
Nattoussevitch. encountered the enc
rnys torpedo boats followed by cruis-
ers. A hot action ensIed in which the
torpedo boat destroyer i Vlaslini dis
charged Whitehead torpedo and sunk
one of the enemy's torpedo boats. SOn
the way back the torpedo boat destroy
er Stereguschtchi. commanded by Lieu
; tenant Sergueieff, sustained damages: I:
gan to founder. By O'clock in the
morning five of our rpedo boat de-
stroye-s and returned. When the crit
ical position of the Stereguschitchi be-
came evident I hoisted MY flag OH the
cruiser Novik and went with the NoYik
and the cruiser Boyarin to the rescue.
But as five of the enemy's cruisers sur
iounded OUR destroyer and as their bat
tleship squadron was approaching,
Gid not succeed in saving the Steregus-
chichi, which foundered. Part Of the
crew was made prisoners and part was
drowned.
On the ships which participated in:
the night attack, one officer was seci-
ously and three other were Slightly
wounded, two soldiers were killed and
eighteen were wounded.
AT 8 O'Clock fourteen of. the ene-
my's ships assembled before Port Ar
thur and dsagsbombardment was begun
with the heavy guns Of their battle
ship squadron at long range.
"This lasted ,until@1 o'clock in the.
afternoon. 1t is estimated that the
enemy fired 154 twelve-inch shells: The
damage to our vessels was insignif-
cant. and they are again ready for
battle. = Our losses were one officer
slightly wounded and one solder killed
and four. soldiers, wounded. /
"The illumation of the sea at night
by the searchlights mounted at our
batteries was most satisfactory, and
several times isolated shots from our
batteries forced the enemy's torpedo
boats to retire.
S with the commencement Of the
< bombardment at dsyn the guns Of the
fortress. replied to the euemy's fire.
"The crews of all the ships engaged
gave proof Of remarkable GOODNESS in
action.
g ga: bonn bardment at such distance
peGst be considered Ineffective, but the
$tpanese: cruiser Takasagos isSIeported
5shave eeea.,=ese-s....
Samags. the extent Of which, however,
4 sif was Impossible to ascertain at "a
distance of five miles. Many shells
were fired at a rance of 77s miles:
81 have the honor to report the foio-l
going to your Majesty.
("Signed) LlEAEfF.
:. -
Toxic. BY Cable-0ificial and pri-,
avte reports both indicate that admiral
Togo's: fourth attack on Port Arthur on
the 10th instant was the most effective
since the first assault Of a month ago.
I One Russian torpedo boat DESTROYER
was sunk and several Russian torpedo
boats seriously damaged. The fortlh-
cations and city were submitted to
heavy bombardment lasting nearly
four hours. The naval bombardments
of the land works have generally been
ineffective, yet the peculiar topograph-
ical conditions Of Port Arthur make
Immunity from serious loss from BON.
bardment almost impossible. Admlfa!
Togo's torpedo fotilla opened the ac-
ton by boldly steaming in under the
batteries OF mechanical mines in the
harbor.
The closing. action was the lombard
ment Of the inner harbor by the Japan
ese battleships. The latter took po,
sition southwest of Port Arthur and
used only their twelve-inch guas.
There were twenty-four twelve-!nch