13th February.
By way of contrast to the almost hourly thrills of the last three days, there "was distinct lull yesterday. Great and important events were perhaps happening, but Shanghai knew nothing of them. With the telegraphic cables choked and no vessels arriving from the north the dearth of news was easily understood more easily than the stolidity with which the absence of knowledge was actually borne. People were even heard to mention the China Association's plebiscite on the Fiscal question.
One certain thing to happen was the circulation of statements to minimise the earlier news of Japanese successes at Port Arthur and elsewhere. An express sued by the "Echo de Chine" in the morning had this object and made the most of the losses sustained by the Japanese and already mentioned by us. It was also intimated that the Russian squadron at Vindivostock had left the northern har-hour and intended to bombard a Japanese port. Local gossip fixed on Hakodate the naval base at the south of Hokkaido and on the Tsugura Strait as the likely objective.
Nothing more was heard of this projected movement till towards evening a private telegram from Tokio announced With some confidence that three more Russian cruisers had been destroyed by torpedo boats off Aomori. This port is the northernmost city of the main island of Nippon and the railway head. Tt is on the south side of the Tsugaru Strait and it may be that an attempt was actually to be made on Hakodate, and that the sinking of the three cruisers was an incident on the way.
Some doubt is, however, thrown on the statement that these or any other vessels have left Viadivostock as that part is to be ice-bound and likely 80 to be for another three weeks.
During the moming the official text of the declaration of war was received by the Japanese Consul-Genaral (M. Odagiri) and a translation will be found in another column, A later official telegram announced that the survivors of the crews of the Varyag and Coreetz destroyed outside Chemulpo, and also of the C.E. R. S. Soongari were taken on board by the British, French and Italian men-of-war in the vicinity. The French charge d'affaires at Chemulpo approached Mr. Hayashi (Japanese minister to Corea) with the object of having the crews sent to Chefoo by the French cruiser Pascal, on giving an undertaking not to participate further in the fighting. The Russian Minister, moreover, applied to the U. S. representative, to have the men taken to Shanghai as non-combatants by two American transports now in Chemulpo. Mr. Hayashi wired to Tokio for instructions and ultimately permitted the sending of the crews to Shanghai on the giving of an undertaking that they would hot go further north: than-this port till the close of the war. We have been formed that s telegram has been received stating that no lives were lost when the Soongari was scuttled.
H.B.Ms Consul-General (Sir Pelham Warren) notified us yesterday that His Majesty signed the proclamation of neutrality in the war between Russia and Japan on 1th February. The issue of this proclamation will be made as soon as possible."
The following further notification was issued by the Russian Consul-General (Mr. F. Kleimenow) yesterday:—" It is officially declared by command of the Viceroy of Kwantung (Liaotung), His Excellency E. A. Alexeieff that approach or entry of mercantile vessels into the harbours of Port Arthur or Dalny is prohibited on account of danger from floating mines, ete., consequently there will be no pilotage of craft." Thus the permission to enter at certain hours and under official sanction has been withdrawn. Statements have, however, been made by those who know the port, that no mines have been laid at Dalny.
The Great Northern Telegraph Ca., La. issued the following statement in regard to the congestion of cable traffic: "The delay on private telegrams to and from Hongkong and beyond is at present about twenty-four hours and is gradually increasing owing to the accumulation of the tragic, The Viadivostock route to Europe is still interrupted. Telegrams for all stations in Siberia and Russia are forwarded vid Peking-Irkutsk. Private telegrams for Newchwang and other places in Manchuria may be forwarded vid Tientsin, but entirely at sender's risk. Telegrams to Formosa are forwarded vii Nagasaki at sender's risk."
'A passenger from Japan on the N.-D.L.S. Gora, who has been to the springs, says that last week all round Unzen troops were leaving for the front. The village of Obama alone sent 80 men, while the troops from the Unzen district numbered 2,000. At the Cliff House Hotel, Mogi, aman was staying who gave himself out to be a newspaper correspondent. During the latter part of the week it was noticed Taking advantage of this, the Japanese torpedo boats entered and succeeded in torpedoing three Russian men-of-war, as already reported. The report circulated at Dalny was to the effect that the Japanese afterwards bombarded the forts, which -replied and drove the Japanese back, and that the Russian fleet then put' tp sea and gave chase.
Already, we are beginning to see the sad side of war. We recorded yesterday the arrival by the British steamer Teucer of a large party of refugees, wives and children, for the most part of Russian naval men. They had to leave Port Arthur at half an hour's notice and consequently most of them Lave arrived in a condition almost destitute. Their helplessness is increased by their general lack of knowledge of the language of Shanghai. Wo learn that Mr. R. M. Noblston, of the Vacuum Oil Company, is putting up as many of these unfortunates as he oan, until arrangements to help them in thei distress can be made by the Russian community here.
Up to last evening no news had been received as to the whereabout of the East Asiatic Company's steamer Manchuria, due at Dalny.
The Japanese steamers Sumiyoshi Maru and Kayo Maru left for Kobe yesterday with general cargo. The latter vessel had remained here two days after hor sailing date, before risking the voyage.
Tue Chinese Eastern Railway Company has received telegraphic information that its steamer Mongolia has, as we announced was intended, been transferred to the service of the Red Cross.
We are informed that an_ official who in attendance on certain of the Russian ladies who arrived in Shanghai from Port Arthur by the Komor on Thursday, yesterday received a reassuring service telegram from Port Arthur to the effect that on the withdrawal of the Japanese fleet, everything was now tranquil there. 15th February.
Locally the event of the week-end has been the arrival in port of the ©. E. and that he was becoming very uneasy and his movements were watched. On Sati 11M. 8. Fuping. Not only doos this steamer day he went on board one of the Russian Volunteer steamers, but the steamer was seized and he was put ashore. The following day he attempted to leave by other steamer, but was arrested by the assistant chief of police. His luggage was searched and it was found that he was in communication with the Russian government. When the Gora left. Nagasaki he was still in the hands of the police.
At 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday, as the Gora was leaving Nagasaki harbour, three shots were fired by one of the Japanese guns. This was understood by those on board to indicate that war had been declared.
The detachment of Sherwood Foresters, whose departure from Hongkong for Chinwangtéo has been already recorded in our columns, arrived at Shanghai yesterday by the P. & 0.8. Borneo. They were at once transferred in lighters to the O. E. M.S. Kwangping, in which they have proceeded to Chim Officers and men together, the detachment numbers seventy three.
passenger who arrived here by the Teucer on Thursday night reports that up till 2 p.m. on Tuesday trains were being dispatched in the ordinary course from Dalny and telegraphic communication with Moscow was not interrupted. On Monday night the officers of the Russian fleet at Port Arthur were ashore, not at a circus, but at a bell given in honour of the birthday of the Admirel's wife. bring the first authentic news by eyewitnesses of the torpedo attack on the Russian fleet and the subsequent bombardment of Port Arthur, but she herself had the extraordinary experience of being fired upon without previous warning and while flying the red ensign. Captain Gray, who saw all the fighting that was to be seen and made a number of interesting notes has given us the benefit of his jottings and we are also indebted to him for the rough plan, obviously not drawn to scale, but which shows plainly the position of the 3 and wrecks at Gifferont stages of the fighting. Captain Gray's narrative disposes entirely of the statement that the damage done was slight and that the injured vessels will be afloat Tagain in @ short time. Further corroboration comes from Admiral Alexeiff himself, who now admits that the battleships are damaged much that it is impossible to when they can be ready for sea, while "the others"—whatever they may be—will be repaired in from three days to a fortnight. It will be seen that Captain Gray gives good season for believing that the Russians have lost completely the uso of eight men-of-war as the result of the Port Arthur fighting; in fact the Japanese Admiral seems hardly to have been sware how much damage he did during the engagements.
Phe Japanese Consul-General has kindly sent, us the following: _{t contains rather more detail than the report sent
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.