The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-12-16
FIRE ARSENAL
AT PORT ARTHUR
JAPANESE KEEP UP RAIN OF
SHELLS ON THE TOWN
AND FORTS.
FLEET is OUT OF BUSINESS
COMMANDER REPORTS THAT
RUSS FLEET is NO LONGER
DANGEROUS.

Toxic, Dec. 1.-THE commander of
the Japanese naval land battery, re-
porting yesterday, says:
-Four Russian ~battleships, two
cruisers, n gunboat and one torpedo
storeship lying in Port Arthur harbor
are completely disabled. There is no
further necessity for bombarding the
Russian naval force.
Are now engaged in Smelling the
town Of Port Arthur, which is being
heavily damaged"
Dispatches received yesterday from
the Japanese army b~esieging Port Ar
thur report that the interior of the
fortress was bombarded with heavy
guns the previous day, seriously dam
aging the battleship Poltava, the trans
port Amur and the wireless telegraph
station at the foot of Golden hill. and
that the arsenal was set on fire.
Russians Are RepuIsed.
A dispatch from the headquarters of
the Japanese army in Manchuria says:
AT 2 o'clock in the morning of Dec.
II a body of the enemy's infantry at
tackled Peitaitozu, but at dawn was
completely repulsed northward.
"In the afternoon of Dec. II the en-
emy's artillery, holding a position
west Of Manpao mountain, opened a
cannonade against Yaotun and Tang
~chiapaotzu, and the enemy's artillery
posted west of Da mountain shelled
Putsaowa. Neither caused damage.
Mamacheih, on the right bank of the
Hun river, was attacked by the ene-
my's cavalry. The Russians were
driven westward, losing a number of
men. The Japanese sustained no cas-
ualties."
Have No Late News.
st. Petersburg, Dec. IA. The au-
thorities have no late news from Port
Arthur. and like the public are COM
PEELED to depend on information fur
nished by the Japanese. There is an
inclination to accept those reports
with a good deal of allowance.
Men Are Scarce.
London, Dec. IA dispatch from
Toxic to the Daily Mail says:
can officer who has returned from
the army before Port Arthur said that
the Russian preparations for gather
ing the dead during armistices showed
a scarcity Of available men in the gar.
risOn."
Retreat With Heavy Loss.
London, Dec. 13.-The correspond
emit at Shanghai of the Daily Tele-
graph in a dispatch dated Dec. II,
says that according to Pekin reports
the Russians have retreated from the
south bank of the Hun river after sew
enty-two hours fighting, with heavy
losses. On the fourth day of the fight
ing, the correspondent says, the Jap
anese assumed the offensive. The
Mukden station is reported to be in a
wild state of confusion.
The Daily Telegraph thinks the au-
thenticity Of the foregoing reports
from Chinese sources of heavy fight
ing is very doubtful.
Pound Port Arthur Fleet.
Toxic, Dec. 13.-The Japanese con-
tinue to batter the Port Arthur fleet
and there is little ground for expect
ing that it will ever again engage the
japanese. The battleship Sevastopol
continues to anchor outside. but pos
sibly returns to the harbor at night
and anchors inside the outer boom
which protects her from torpedo
boats.
The recent heavy weather has given
added protection to the vessel. Naval
experts are discarding the theory that
the Russians themselves sank any of
their ships. The fact that the vessels
drst showed lists while in exposed po-
sitions and the efforts made to save
the se%vastopol are regarded as con-
| elusive evidence against the theory Of
their being sunk by the Russians. A
majority of
The sunken Warships
lie headed northward. They received
the bulk Of the fire across their port
sides. and the fact that at least two
Of them showed lists to starboard,
gives rise to the theory that Japanese
shells exploded inside the ships and
against the %starboard armor. driving
the armor outward and causing leaks.
To make sure the destruction of the
Russian warships the Japanese COZ
Hill q eel = "a nm NAV