The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-04-28
PENALTY
OF mCARELESSNESS
RUSSIANS SUFFER FROM AN
OTHER MINE EXPLOSION.
TWENTY-oNE MEN KILLED
Disaster Occurs in Harbor of Port Ar
thur-Three Killed and Seven
teen Woundedin Skirmish +,
with the Japs.

St. Petersburg, April 23.@The en-
peror has received the following tele-
gram from Viceroy Alexieff, bearing
Fridays date:
Il respectfully report to your majes-
ty that to-day, during the placing OF
mines by some steam launches, Lieut..
Pell and 20 men were killed through a
mine exploding p~rematurely under thu
stern OF one of the launches"
Gloom in st Petersburg.
Viceroy Alexieff's announcement of
the destruction of a launch and the loss
OF Il men by the explosion of q Rus
sian torpedo at Port Arthur has added
to the gloom which has prevailed since
the disaster to the Petropavlosk.
I'VE are paying the price Of careless
ness said a member of the admiralty,
land previous disasters seem to teach
nothing"
The wal commission suppressed part
of the viceroy's dispatch, which showed
where the mines were being laid. 1t
is believed that as launches were en-
ployed they were mining the entrance
to the harbor in order to prevent the
Japanese from forcing an entrance and
attempting to destroy the remaining
ships. 1t is evident from the closing
of the entrance, hat Viceroy Alexieff
has no intention of letting his ships go
to sea again, even against an inferior
force, though this may not be the policy
of Vice Admiral Skrydloff, who will de-
termine on a plan of operation when
he assumes command.
japanese Forces Concentrating.
st. Petersburg, April 23.-The follow
ing telegram from Viceroy Alexieff has
been received by the emperor:
quite a series of reconnaissance
carried out on the Yalu have shown
that the Japanese are concentrating in
considerable force. 1t is believed that
they have about one division to the
north of Win. They are also begin
ming to concentrate troops in. VIII,
from which place they have moved the
Korean population. Information has
reached me that quantities of material,
apparently parts of pontoon bridges,
are being collected opposite the island
of Mablkhe. Our scouts have killed
two Japanese scouts, one of whom ap-
peared to be an officer"
Russians Suffer Loss.
"On our right flank our scouts exc
cuted daring "Reminiscences, extend
ing over several days, on the left bank
of the Yalu, as the result of which it
has been ascertained that there are on
ly a few troops south Of the river Po-
makua, but that the Japanese there are
occupied in preparing boats. A Rus
sian detachment Of two officers and 81
men proceeded thither in three boats.
The detachment, however, was discov-
cred by the enemy and shots were X
changed, three of our rlfemen being
killed. Staff Capt Smeizin and II rifle
men were severely and Lieut.. Pushkin
and four men slightly wounded. The
detachment returned to our bank of the
river under the cover of two of our
guns"
Expects Attempt to Cross Yalu.
Liaoyong, April 23.-Gen. Kuropatkin
Is expecting that the Japanese will soon
attempt to cross the Yalu. The con-
centration of the, enemy's forces at
Wiju has progressed steadily. Infor-
nation brought by scouts and others
shows that there is more than n d.
vision there and that pontoons are be-
ing brought up. There was a skirmish
on an island opposite Wiju
which the Japanese occupied in order
to pave the way for the laying of pom
toons. Russian troops in boats were
attacked and driven back, Capt, Snei-
Yin, who was in command, being badly
wounded.
Russians Win a Victory. ,
London, April ga dispatch to the
Central News from Port Arthur says
news has been received there of the com-
plete destruction of a Japanese column
on the Yalu river. No details, 1t is add
ed, were obtainable.
Seven Thousand Killed.
Paris, April pa dispatch from
st. Petersburg this afternoon states
the Japanese losses in the reported
engagement on the Yalu river num-
bered seven thousand. The informa-
ton is contained in private dispatches
from Port Arthur which are said to
confirm the rumors of a battle in that
region.