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Show m NAVAL BATHE IS 3I?2CI3: AT ' ANY MOMENT; JAPANESE APIS 3UC3IAN FLEETS ARE ONLY FIFTY MILES APART Rojestvensky's Squadron Is Sighted at Singapore; Togo's To-go's Scout Ships Slightly in Advancejrf the Enemy. BULLETIN". PENANG, West Coast of Malay Peninsula, April 8. Two steamers which have arrived at Penan g, report the sighting of a large Russian fleet in the Straits of Malacca. It included twenty-five transports and was . Steering toward Singapore. " j . The steamer Kumsang reports ha ving sighted twelve cruisers, presum-. presum-. ably Japanese, steaming some distance ahead evidently a Japanese squad -; 'iron.. ' Vijbr There is much excitement here and in Singapore over the anticipation of an engagement in Malayan waters. ' BULLETIN SINGAPOBE. Straits Settlement, April 8, 3:10 p. m. The Busslan fleet, is passing, steering northeastward. . BULLETIN. . . ( HONGKONG, April 8. In consequence of the appearance of a fleet in the Straits of Malacca, the Chinese squadron is preparing to put to sea. The armored cruiser SutleJ leaves today for-Singapore, and the . first-class battleship Ocean and a cruiser will f o llow. ( . j V BULLETIN.., ST. PETEBSBUBG, April 8, 6:35 p. m. The Admiralty lias Just received re-ceived official advices from Singapore . confirming . the. arrival , of .-BojesU--enskv's squadron off that port. been able to cover the intervening 3600 miles In eighteen days at an average speed of eight knots, not counting the necessary stops to coal the smaller ships, and the squadron has now arrived ar-rived at the entrance of the China sea without encountering obstacles in the shape of Japanese torpedo boats, there Is all the more reason for congratulation. congratula-tion. ' Rojestvensky's reports from Madagascar Mada-gascar as to the efficiency of the ships' personnel and gunnery have been satisfactory sat-isfactory and they have greatly encouraged en-couraged the admiralty. LONDON, April 8. The sudden shift-' shift-' ing . of interests In the war from the land to the sea and the apparently im- mlnent prospects of a fateful battle between be-tween the Russian and Japanese squadrons in the China sea have revived re-vived all the Interests, shown here in the earlier developments of the struggle strug-gle in the Far East. Togo'a Scouting Ships. It Is taken for granted that Admiral Tfo's ships, reported to be In the . neighborhood of Singapore in the middle mid-dle of March, are still In that vicinity, '; and the report from Penang, on the . west coast of the Malay peninsula, that twelve Japanese ships were seen steam- Ing ahead of the Russian warships, is interpreted to mean that the former are scouts sent out by Togo to get In touch with the Russians and. when their object Is accomplished, to retire on the main body of the Japanese ' squadron. Size of Busslan Fleet. The reports about the number of the Russian ships vary, but, at any rate, over thirty-five battleships, cruisers, colliers and torpedo boats have passed the port of Singapore. 'The underwriters here presume, from the northeasterly course they were steering, that after passing Singapore. - the Russians were attempting to reach the French port- of Saigon, Cochin Chtwi. OnT Xlttj Miles Apart. - However, it Is pointed out that a Japanese squadron of twenty-two ships Is still off Hoersburg light, where It - was reported March 14. The two naval forces were this afternoon af-ternoon only about fifty miles apart - f may be In touch at any moment. |
