OCR Text |
Show REPORTS OF SINKING OF SHIPS ARE CONFIRMED Passengers Arriving at Cbcfoo Assert Japs nave Lost Hope of Capturing Port Arthui. I CHEFOO, Dec. 18. Passengers who arrived here today from the Kwang-tung Kwang-tung peninsula confirm the truthfulness truthful-ness of the official Japanese reports of the sinking of various Russian ships recently re-cently at Port Arthur.. They ay the Japanese would have been able to accomplish ac-complish this In the past two months but apparently preferred to use their guns against the Russian military force. It is believed the destruction of the Russian ships Indicates that the Japanese Japa-nese have abandoned the hope of capturing cap-turing the fortress. The Japanese lost three torpedo boats within the past month by mines, the last one sinking during the night attack at-tack of December 14th on the Russian battleship Sevastopol. The fighting during which 203-Meter bill was captured- was terrific, that achievement alone costing the Japanese Japa-nese 12,000 casualties. The Japanese have been unable to occupy the hill except for observation. They have taken none of the remaining forts. Three steamers laden with ammunition am-munition nd provisions ranJihe blockade block-ade of Port Arthur In the ast fortnight fort-night and there are high hopes that the fortress will hold out for many months. The Japanese are alleged to be depressed de-pressed at their unsuccessful sacrifice of lives. |