The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 25, 1904, Page 1

THE WEATHER. Forecast made at San FPran- cisco for thirty hours ending midnight, Pebruary 25: San Prancisco and vicinity— { Cloudy, masettled ‘weather Thursday; probably light show- ers; fresh southerly winds. A. G. McADIE, District Porecaster. LUME SAN FRANCISCO, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1904. » PRICE FIVE CENTS. ATTEMPT BY JAPANESE TO ENTRAP RUSSIAN FLEET ENDS IN DISASTER ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 25 (2:40 a. m.)---A telegram from Viceroy Alexieff to the Czar says: “At a quartér before 3 on the morning of February 24 numerous Japanese torpedo boats attempted to attack the battleship Retvizan and sink large steamers loaded with inflammables. The Retvizan was the first to observe the torpedo boats and opened a strong fire on them. She was supported by .the land batteries. She de- stroyed two steamers near the entrance of the harbor; they were coming directly toward her. One of them went on the rocks near the lighthouse on Tiger peninsula; the other sank under Golden Hill. The Retvizan observed four steamers, in a sinking condition, and eight torpedo boats departing slowly to rejoin the waiting Japanese warships. A portion of the crews of the Japanese vessels were drowned. The grounded steamer is still burning. The enemy is observed in the offing of Port Arthur in two lines.” i d 5 oo £ ) N N\ NS - Japanese Fleet Retires From Port Arthur After the Engagement. ¥ £ Conflicting Stories Tell of Sinking of Japanese Warships. Special Cablegram to The Call and New York Herald. Copyright, 1904, by the New York Herald Publishing Company. e current late yesterday aft- and about midnight they tely ofirmed; but in the absence of the stories of the dimensions of this and confusing in character. rt was that the Japanese had 's fleet in Port Arthur by > mines at the entrance of s of Hobson 4t Santiago during an official announcer victory were most o« employing t American war. 1g to this account, two Japanese ships appeared off or with a Japanese fleet behind them and ostensibly in i Russians, however, suspected a ruse, and their ships , sank the stone-laden vessels, engaged and defeated WEIHAIWEI, Feb. 24—Four Japanese battleships and nine cruisers of the fleet that has been hovering off Port Arthur passed this port to-day, bound eastward. The fleet originally contained 'sixteen vessels. ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 25.—In a cablegram to the Cazar, received early this morning, Viceroy Alexieff gives the following additional details 6f the Japanese reverse at Port Arthur: “The Japanese crews saved themselves in boats, and it is possible that some -of them were picked up by the enemy’s tor- pedo-boats. I am proceeding to examine the coasts. The en- trance of the harbor is open. I attribute the complete derange- ment of the enemy’s plans to the brilliant action and destructive fire of the Retvizan (an American - built ship). Floating the enemy and drove them off. The reports of the loss inflict- ILLUSTRATION SHOWING THE POSITION OF THE RUSSIAN WARSHIPS AND LAND BATTERIES AT PORT o Bowever ‘are coullirs ARTHUR, THE STRANDED RETVIZAN COMMANDING THE HARBOR ENTRANCE, WHICH THE mines are still visible in the roadstead. I have recalled the three i O kD ¢ o JAPANESE ATTEMPTED TO BLOCKADE BY SINKING VESSELS IN THE CHANNEL. cruisers sent in pursuit of the enemyin order, in the first place, \I of the stories included the features of the vessels loaded A g to clear the roadstead of floating mines. We had no losses.” with stones, | . according to some versions, the Japanese fieet . : . z 3 U i : & ? £ 4 ; CHEFU, Feb. 24.—The Japanese again attacked Port Ar- nsports with the purpose of effecting a landing RUSSIan CFUIserS Engage dapanese Fleet Ofi thurlast night. Heavy firing was heard at this distance. Dur~ v, and after the failure of this preliminary maneu- ing the engagement the Japanese attempted to land at Society at Pigeon ver :'};.,» ]‘\'n ians n]:xyci: ha\;’nc with Il)nthf the Japanese warships the Hal’bOI’ Entr.a.nce. 1 Bay, but were repulsed. A Chinese steamship—the first mer- { .v,(‘(‘):].m\ -vn\!\n} mg:] nu; of nlf)efl :me; ;:nd h\‘n_of the - i i . chantman that has cleared from here for Da]ny. was forced to re= CAOCOUNE PIs s T e battleship Retzivan as ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 25.—The Port Arthur correspondent of the Novosti telegraphs . turnl vesterday, being unable to obtain permission to enter the the vessel which particularly distinguished herself during the action by ramming and sinking one of the Japanese battleéhips. Rumprs of this victory were spread far and wide over the city during the early part of the evening, and the crowds which that at Port Arthur the Japanese lost steamers (number not stated) and one torpedo-boat. port at Dalny. The steamiship signaled for five hours, and final- “At the moment of writing,” the correspondent continues, “twenty-three Japanesé vessels ly received a reply ordering her to depart immediately. Her are visible on the horizon and cross-firing has begun, in which the Russian cruisers Bayan, Novik and captain reports that he sighted part of the Japanese fleet-twenty- Askold are participating.” = oy g eight miles off Dalny. 4 Continued on Page 4, Columns 2 and 3. % MMH'-M!.WT!‘NIL : i Continued on Page 4, Columns 5 and 6. ’