New-York tribune., 1905-04-14
POET ARrHuR POSSIBILITIES.

The interesting and suggestive inquiry has
been raised whether it is not possible that the
strength of the japanese feet has recently been
augmented by the addition of some Of the Rus
sian ships from Port Arthur. Several fine bat
tleships and cruisers were left there lying in
shallow water where they might be raised and
repaired. The Japanese are experts in such
matters. and if it We're possible to do so would
be- of all in the world, the very men to under
take such job. More than three months have
now passed since the fall of Port Arthur. May
it not be that, working necessarily, night and
day they have put some of those ships into trim
sufficient for use in the crucial contest which is
now impending? 1t may be, but to this, as TO
many other questions concerning the japanese.
the only safe answer is that we do not know.
With their exceptional genius for keeping their
own counsel, the japanese have not permitted
the outside world to learn anything that is going
On at Port Arthur. We can only speculate,
therefore, upon the basis Of what was known
about the Russian ships three months ago.
Beginning with the battleships the Petropav-
lovsk was destroyed at sea and the Sebastopol,
after the Japanese had irretrieVably damaged
her with a torpedo, was run by her own crew
into deep water and scuttled. Those two are,
therefore, gone beyond recovery. The PObieda,
badly injured by japanese shot and shell, was
sunk in shallow water. Then the Russians COW
them with petroleum and set the mass aire, at
the same time blowing the turrets to atoms with
gun cotton. Thus the entire superstructure was
annihilated and the hull was left in a hopeless
condition 1t is highly improbable that any at
tempt has been made 20 repair her, and practi-
cally certain that she has not by this time been
put into condition for use. The mighty Retvizan,
American built, after receiving perhaps more:
damage than any other from the Japanese fire,
went down In water so deep that at low tide
only the Orlop is exposed. Several big holes
were made in her hull by the Japanese and the
Russians themselves blew up her turrets as she
was sinking. 1t was therefore regarded as quite
impracticable TO do anything with her. The
Poltava also suffered severely in battle, and was
blown up and set afre by her own crew. Above
the waterline she was made complete wreck,
but below she remained practically uninjured.
As she sank in shallow water. it was considered
quite practicable to raise her. The same may
be said of the Peresviet, which was sunk in the
shallowest water of all, with a practically unin-
jured hull, but with her upper works destroyed
While the raising and repairing of these two
were considered practicable. the lack Of a war
ship dock at Port Arthur made it necessary to
plan for floating them and towing them across
10 Sasebo or Kure for repairs. and it seems
scarcely possible that even the expeditions Jap
anese could by this time have got them into con-
ditiOn for service. OF cruisers, the only ones Of
which there seemed any possibility Of recovery
were the mighty Bayan and the Pallada. The
former was sunk at her quay, and WAS so little
damaged below that il seemed possible TO raise
and repair her The Pallada was tOrpedoed in
the first attack OF the japanese. on February 0,
1904. Only single hole was blown in her hull
and she sank in shallow water and was left
without further injury. but years submersion
in sea water has undoubtedly put her interior
IN bad condition. 1t is possible, however, that
she has by this time been repaired and put into
commission Certainly she was the likeliest OF
all thus to be dealt with in so short a time
Upon the whole however there seems little
ground for belief that the Japanese have in such
fashion been able to make any material addition
I 70 their lighting heet In time they may make