The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 11, 1904, Page 1

THEE WEATHER. Foreoast made at San !’ryl- cisco for thirty hours ev (ing §77| midnight February 11, 1904: /7| ~San Prancisco and vicinity— Rain Thursday; brisk to high District Forecaster. - ¥ £ ) way.” W Sight of St. Paul’s.” - Chutes—Vaudeville. Columbia — “Alexander the Great.” Fischer's—“Roly-Poly.” Grand—Whoop-Dee-Doo.” Mat- inee To-day. Orpheum—Vaudeville. Matinee “When Johnny Comes . d XCV—NO. T73. - SAN FRANCISCO, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1904. PRICE FIVE CENTS. JIPANESE CAPTURE FIVE STEAMSHIPS, DAMAGE MANCHURIAN AAILAOAD IND SEIZE KOREAN PORT OF MASAMPHD FOR A BASE OF OPERATION: SHANGHAI, Feb. 10.—The Japanese have captured five Russian steamships, of which three were of the Volunteer fleet and had 2000 troops aboard. A bridge on the Manchurian Railroad has been blown up, thirty Russians being killed. Masam- pho, the important Korean port, has been seized by the Japanese, and a large Japanese army now occupies Seoul, the Korean capital. Tuesday's report of the destruction of two Russian warships off Chemulpo is confirmed. BATTLEHIP ASAHL BATTLESHIP MIKASA (FLAGSHIP). One Hundred Chinese ‘at Laioyang Are Mas- by Russians. sacred LLONDON, Feb. 11.—The|and appealing to Peking for hanghai correspondent of the | protection. Daily Mail says that an important | Other dispatches from Tientsin ridge the Manchurian Rail-|say that 400 French troops have has been blown up and thirty | been ordered from there to Seoul en have been killed. ! for the protection of the French Special dispatches from Tokio legation at the Korean capital, morning announce the ar-|the Emperor having taken refuge al of Japanese troops at Seoul. | there. These reports lack confir- Ie Tientsin correspondent of | mation. the Standard sends in a report| The correspondent of the Daily that the Russians have massacred | Mail at Tientsin says that Li, the 100 Chinese at Liaoyang, in con- | favorite court official of the Dow- sequence of which the officials at | ager Empress of China, has been Shanhaikwan are greatly afarmed | driven away and beheaded by or- I der of Yuan Shi Kai, commander |'in chief of the Chinese army and navyv. Li was pro-Russian in his {eelings. The Chefu correspondent of the Daily Express asserts that the Russian cruiser Diana was dam- aged by a shot from the Russian shore battery at Port Arthur and that the cruiser Novik and the battleship Poltava have been heached at Port Arthur. Special dispatches from Tokio report that fugitives from-Vladi- Continued on Page 4, Column 4, — Russia Is Massing BATTLESHIP SHIKISHIMA. ¥ IRST DIVISION OF VICTORIOUS JAPANESE FLEET OF WAR- SHIPS AND COMMANDER. 24l +* Troops Along the Yalu. Special Dispatch to The Call. TIENTSIN, Feb. 1o0.—Fifty thousand Russians are assembled to dispfite the Japanese advance into Manchuria. The troops are concentrating along the Yalu River. CHEFU, Wednesday, Feb. 10. Upon the withdrawal of the Jap- anese Minister from St. Peters- burg the Japanese fleet and trans- ports proceeded to Masampho, which wag occupied and the fleet then sailed for Port Arthur. The rest of the Japanese ships are guarding Northern Japan, fearing that Russia might land a force from Vladivostok, and for the further purpose of preventing four Russian cruisers joining. the Russian fleet at Port Arthar. Other Japanese war vessels are| " Continued on:Page 2, Column 1... |4 Review of Day’s Occurrences in the Far Eastern War Japan dealt another blow at Russia yesterday when, near Asan, in Korea, three of the Russian volunteer fleet of | steamships was captured, with 2000 troops. This action took place at the same point where, during the Chinese-Japanese war, the Japanese torpedoed and sank the Chinese transport Kowshing. - On the Manchurian Rallway a bridge was blown up by Jap- anese, thirty Russians being killed. The exact location of this bridge is not made known in the war dispatches, but it is deemed possible that Port Ar- thur itself may have been cut off by rail by the destruction of the bridge. A large Japanese force has been landed at Seoul. More details of the naval en- gagements at Port Arthur were made public, together with varying stories of the capture or sinking of the American-built warship Variag and the Korutz at Chemulpo. Some reports had the, Variag burned or sunk, while others said she had been captured and conveyed to Sasebo. Secretary Hay's note on the integrity of China and the neu- trality of the United States has caused widesoread comment. The tone in Berlin is very bittter against the stand taken by the United States. A special cable to The Call describes the visit of a Japanese naval commander to Port Ar- thur in the guise of a spy. He discovered the weak places in the Russian naval and military - forces and immediately the ‘night attack was made. BATTLESHIP HATSUSE. X3 | | ships are rich prizes. force thither. and military base there. demonstration of the war. excited crowds thronged the streets. The news was accepted in official circles and transmitted to the palace. This, combined with the bottling and destruction of two ships at Chemulpo on Tuesday, stirred the populace to the highest enthusidsm and gave additional confidence as to the outcome of the war. not received any report from Admiral Togo or other direct source and was inclined to accept unofficial statements, but was keenly anxious to learn the details of the result of the main en- gagement, although confident that Admiral Togo sweeping victory. If the Russian fleet is crippled or destroyed an order to ad- vance the army will be given promptly. The Mikado is personally superintending affairs and Cabinet holds daily sessions. five Russian commercial steamships, inclading the slav, Mukden, Russia, Argun g captured by the Japanese in Korean and ad ous times since Saturday, by small cruisers. Some of the steam- The small steamship Kotik is deta Yokohama, its status not being clear. The Ekateri longed to the volunteer fleet. A formal declaration of war is expected to-night. proclamation has been prepared and approved by the Cabinet Foreign Minister Komura has gone to the palace to obtain the Emperor’s approval. Japan seized Masampho on Sunday and dispatched a heavy Japan will fortify the port and establish a naval Masampho is an exceedingly import- ant point, as it controls the Korean channel and is an excellent base for future operations. Undaunted by the absence of official confirmation, Japan is rejoicing over the great naval victory at Port The newspapers here published extra editions con- taining news of the battle, which produced the first popul Flags were raised everywhe 1d the Alexander. Rich Prizes Taken b): Mikadc;’; Fleet Cruisers. TOKIO, Feb. 11.—Japan has formally declared war against Russia and has so notified her Ministers abroad. TOKIO, Feb. 10.—The Japanese have captured at least erino- y were cent waters at vari- The on ar nd Up to nightfall the Navy Department had a the The Government has issued or- ders for the protection of all Russian subjects residing in Japan. Baron Kanako and Baron Sukematsu have been sent to the United States and Great Britain to explain Japan's position and attitnde in the present conflict. LONDON, Feb. 11.—Dispatches to the Daily Mail from To- Continued on Page 2, Columns 5 and &