= ac : the afternoon of Lose Two of Their Best Vessels and| ~ 600 Men Drown. Sonu CK A MINE. The Japa fleet has suffered a serious loss. says a Tokio despatch. While removing. mines and covering the landing troops near Dalny on Monday 'the battleship Hatsuse, the largest warship in the Japanese navy, and one of the most powerfyl in the world, struck a Russian mine and sank. -Of the 741 men on board, less than one-half were saved, the vesscl sinking-in two minutes. The same Gay the cruiser Yoshino was rammed by the. Kasuga, and also sank, only GO of the crew of 800 escaping. The loss in men was 681, as follows:-- Saved. Drowned. Yoshino (cruiser) .... 60 240 Hatsuse (battleship) 300 pias 360 681. Giving details of the disaster, Vice- Admiral Togo reports:-- '"'At fourteen minutes past one in, ay 15, in a dee fog off . Port Arthur, the Kasuga rammed the Yoshino, sinking the latter in a few minutes, Ninety of, her crew were saved. "The same morning the Hatsuse, while cruising off Port Arthur, cov- ering the landing of the soldiers, struck a mine ten knots south-cast of the harbor entrance. She signaled for help, and instantly struck anoth- er mine. She sank in"half an. hour. Three hundred of her crew Were say- ed by torpedo boats."' The Yoshino was a protected crui- ser of 4,180 tons, with 15,750 horse- power, 350 feet long. Her armament consisted of four G-inch guns, cight 4.7-inch guns, and twenty-three 6- pounders. Tier speed was 23 knots, and her crew numbcred 300 men. The Kasuga. with which it collided, was one of the two fast protected cruisers which Japan bought from Chili just before the war commenced, The Hatsuse was a battleship of 15,000 tons, and of the latest mod- el. She was only completed in Great Britain in 1900, was 400 feet long and was heavily armered. Her arma- ment consisted of four 12-inch guns, fourteen 6-inch guns, twenty 12- pounders, and eight 3-pounders, and four 2}-pounders. She had _ four torpedo tubes. estimated speed 19.11 knots, and her crew numbered 741 men. CRUISER ON ROCKS. The correspondent ~at St. Peters- burg of the Echo de Paris says:-- "The Russian cruiser Bogatyr grounded during a fog on the rocks near the entrance to Viadivostock. Her position is critical. Her crew Was saved.' o COREA IS TOTTERING. Corean independence is tottering, says a Seoul despatch. The court is shaky and reeks with intrigues that surpass even the worst periods of the last ten years. A weak Ein- peror is appointing, and removing a faction-torn Cabinet, and is concen- trating in himself whatever- semblance 'of government the country still pos- | sesses, Yet he is a complete prey to | the witches and fortune-tellers who are infesting the palace, and the vic- tim of two scheming women, who cn- joy Japanese support. LOSSES AT YALU FIGHT. Gen. Kuroki reports that the Ja- panese losses at the battle of Chiu- Tien-Cheng (May 1) were:-- _ Killed, five officers and 218 men. Wounded, 33 officers and 783 men. Thirteen hundred and sixty-three Russian dead were buried and 18 officers and 595 men were made prisoners. The Japanese captured 21 quick-firing | guns, 19 ammunition wagons, 1,417 shells, eight machine guns, and 37,- 300 rounds of ammunition for ¢hese guns; 1,031 rigs and 350 good rounds of ammunition; 63 horses, 10 wagons | and 1,244 coats and 541 tents. The Japanese captured 357 -- shells for mountain guns, 188,000 rounds of rife ammunition, 1,720 coats, 400,- 000 loaves of bread and other sup- plies, together with o quantity of | tools and telegraph storcs. KOUROPATKIN © WILL RETREAT. Confirming the intimaticns that it is General Kouropatkin's purpose to avoid a decisive combat with the Japanese at the present stage of the war, the statement was made by the Russian general stall on Wednes- day that the Commander-in-Chief is making preparations to fall back on Mukden, and then on Harbin While the superior numbers of the cnswy compel a retirement it does not follow that Gen. Kouropatkin will not strike a stinging blow should a ftrategical mistake be made which will enable him to throw a stronger arity upon one of the advancing col- umns of his antagonist. The most exposed position » of Gen. Kuroki's command is that which moyed direct- ly northward, evidently with the in- tenticn of gaining the road to Myk- * den, down which it will , ao soon as the other colvittis are within supporting distance. Unless 'caution, heretofore the conspicuous feature of the: Japancse campaign, is "observed, this 'column, it is believed -here, will fall the victim of its temerity, as Gen. Kuropatkin is known to. be holding it especially under close sur- veillance. . Kouropatkin's decision to withdraw from Liao-Yang gan only mean,. ac- cording to the will continue to be affairs of outposts unless another Gen. Sassulitch should develop. The controlling strategic point at Hai-Cheng will not be held as believed, Kouropatkin deciding it to be unwise to isolate more troops, who would, not being as well supplied as those at Port Arthur, find it dif- ficult to subsist until relief arrived' This is one of the reasons that dic- tated the withdrawal of the Russians from New-Chwarig. The experts say that the embarkation of Japanese at New-Chwang at this time would be P. nothing more of less than a strategi- cal blunder-advantageous to the Rus- sians, as they are still holding the railroad and could rush a force there, fall on the Japanese and-retire be- fore a column sent by Gen Kuroki could get 'between them and Liao- Yang. The opinion therefore pre; vails that the Japanese will not oc- cupy New-Chwang until Kuroki's 'columns arrive at Hai-Cheng or immediate vicinit, The Russian general staff confirms the announcements of the abando- ment of Kin-Chou by the Russians after the dismantling of the forts and the removal*of the guns to Port Ar- thur. 1 | BAS BEEN OUTGENERALED. | The Nichi Nichi, of Tokio, making a forecast of Gen. Kouropatkin's tac- tics, expresses doubt whether in view of the events of the past two weeks it will be possible for him to con- centrate his army 'at Liao-Yang, ow- ing to the fact that the country is stripped of supplies. Tis communi- cations have been cut south of Har- bin, and Port Arthur and Vladivo- stock are also isolated. The Nichi Nichi considers that he has been out- generaled. j WEARD EXPLOSIONS, A special from Chefoo says:-- "The Daily -. News' despatch boat Fawan, while passing Port Arthur about 10 a. m. on Wednesday, heard six heavy explosions. They appeared to pro- jceed from the ihner harbor, and sug- jgested the idea that the Russians | were blowing up their ships and | docks. --_ ERRORS BEYOND REPAIR. The Paris Figaro Czar has received from Gen. Kouro- patkin a despatch giving a gloomy forecast of what is likely to happen ,in the immediate future. Kouropat- ! jkin tells the Czar that it is . well nigh impossible to remedy the~ s8tra- ,tegic errors that have been commit- ted by a concentraticn of troops. 1 | PANIC AT VLADIVOSTOCK. i The 'Tokio correspondent of the jLondon Chronicle says that in re- | sponse to an order from the conunan- |der at Vladivostock, the residents are jretiring beyond the Amur River. A ;panic reigns in Viadivostock. is reported to be _ terror- fearing the approach of the 'rarrison stricken, Japanese. DESTRUCTION AT DALNY. A fleet of junks has arrived at Chefoo from Port Dalny. They bring reports that 200 Chinese and a num- ber of Russian refugees left here | Tuesday morning. The attempt to | blow up the docks and piers at Port Dalny was not successful, but the liron pier at Talienwan was destroyed. Heavy firing was heard north = of Port Dalny oh pinned | i j i THIRTY RUSSIANS KILLED. The Japanese Consul at Ping-Yanr |wires that over thirty Russian graves jhave becn found neur Anju. The re- | treating Cossacks carried fourteen | wounded with them. Four of these ldied at Kai-Cheng. 'They reached |Min-Yengy on Saturday last, forcing Corean coolies to' carry the wounded and grain sn which icles had seized. ACCIDENTS TO WORKMEN. Number During April Reached a Total of 197. An Ottawa despatch says :--The Departyaient of Labor has been noti- fied of 197 accidents to workmen during April in different parts of the Dominion, resulting in the loss of 59 lives, and in severe injuries to other' workmen to the' number of. 138.. Twenty-three "were killed in railway service and eleven in running machinery. Compared with _ the month of March a decrease of 77 is shown in the total number of acci- ts' to workmen, the number of deaths being the samo. experts, that there | No. says that the | The |; and Other Dairy at. Home and Abroad. to 95c on low freights. wheat is nominal at.90 to 91c east, toba wheat is unchanged; No. 1 Nor- ern, 92c,.Georgian Bay ports; No: 2 Northern, at 89c, and No. 1 Nor- tHern:is 87c. No. 1 hard is nomin- al at 98c. Grinding in transit pric- es are 6¢ above those quoted. Oats--No. 2 white quoted at 814 to 82c west, and at 32jc middle {freights. No. 1 white, viet to 34c east, and No. 2 at 33c east. Barley--No. 2 quoted at t 42¢ middle freights. No. 3 extra, 40 to 404c, 8 at 38 to 39c middle freights. Peas--No: 2 shipping peas quoted at 61 to 62c west or east _Corn--No. 2 American yellow quot- at 60c on track, Toronto; No. 38 mixed at 58 to 59c. Canadian corn is scarce, with sound marketable stuff quoted at 44 to 45c west. Rye--The market is quiet, with prices nominal at 57 to 58c outside. Buckwheat--The market continues quiet, with derhand limited. No. 2 quoted at 49 to 50c east. Flour--Ninety per cent. patents are unchanged at $3.65 in buyers' bags, for export, middle freights. Straight rollers of special brands for domestic trade quoted at-$4.25 to $4.40 in bbls. . Manitoba flours are steady, No. 1 patents, $4.80; No. 2 patents $4.50, and strong bakers', $4.40 on track, 'Toronto. Millfecd--Bran is steady at $17 to to $17.50 and shorts at $16 here. At outside points bran is puoted at $15.50 and shorts at $16.50. Man- itoba bran, in sacks, $17, and shorts at $19 here. COUNTRY PRODUCE. Dried apples--The demand is limited, prices are steady at 8 to 3c per Ib. Evaporated apples, 64c per lb. Beans--Prime, beans are quoted at $1.50 to $1.60, and hand-picked at $1.65 to $1.70. ops--The market is unchanged at 28 to 32c, according to quality. Honey--The market is quiet at 6 to 7c per lb. Comb quiet at $1.50 to $1.75. Hay--The market is quiet, with of- ferings moderate. Timothy quoted at $9.50 to $10.25 a ton, on track, Toronto. Straw--The market is quict, with prices unchanged at-$5.50 to $6 on track, Toronto. -~" Maple syrup--fhe market is quiet at $1 per Imperial gallon. Potatoes--Tho market is quict and steady. Choice cars are quoted at $1.05. to $1.10 per bag, on _ track 7 and jobbing lots at $¥.15 ~to oa. Donitep Chickens 12 to 1nd per Ib.; turkeys at 15 to 17c per Ib. for fresh killed. THE DAIRY MARKETS. Butter--The merket. is dull, with supplies of medium and inferior qual- ities Very large. 'sell. We quote :--Finest 1-Ib. 143 to 14c; ordinary large rolls, 11 | to 124c; medium and low grades, , LOc; creamery prints, 17 to 1&c; Prices" ot "Cattle, Grats, Cheese, Produce and goose at 81°to 82c east. Mani: |good gra grades; No. 2 yellow, ley. and rye--Nothing doing. Milwaukee, May 23.--Wheat.--No, 1 ease 983c: No. 2 do. 963 to Tc; a Rye--No. 2, 77-to 774c. No. 2, 68c; sample, 32 to 60c. Corn | No. 8, 50 'to 58c; July, 477] to 48c asked. Minneapolis, May 23.--Wheat--May, 94ic; July, 92] to 93c; September, 81 to Slic; on track, No. 1 hard, 974ic; No. 1 Northern, 96}c. Flour --First patents, $5 to $5.10; second do, $4.90 to $5; first clears, $3.50 to $8.60; second do, $2.50, In bulk, $16.50 to $17. LIVE STOCK MARKETS. Toronto, May 23.--The number of operators secking butchers' cattle was large, and trade in the best grades was brisk. Valucs were firmly main- tained, and some of the finest cattle sold at $4.75 for straight loads. Picked lots sold in excess of that fig- ure, Choice heifers, averaging about 1,0C0 Ibs., were scarce, and wanted. Short-keep feeders continued to be Wanted, but the offerings were small, and sevoral gentlemen who were pre- pared to buy went away without any cattle. The firm tone prevailing in the butchers' and exporters' lines had a tendency to stiffen values in these, and .in stockers and feeders, which were offered pretty freely, but not in jsufticient numbers to supply thé de mand. Stock calves of 400 ID. and cman were in Particular request, and hardly any were sold below $3.- 50 per cwt. Trade in sheep and lambs was good on account. of the limited offerings thereof, and prices were about steady at Tuesday's quotations. Calves were in fair demand, and prices' in the best kinds were pretty'steady. The most of these sold about $4.25 per cwt. The range in exporters' was $4.60 to $5.174 per cwt. The bulk of the cattle sold for less than $5 per cwt. Quotations for butchers' cattle fol- low:-- Choice butchers', $4.50 to $4.- 75; fair to good, $4.15 to $4.35; com- mon to fair cows, $3.50 to $4.10; rough cows, $3.25 per cwt. The prices of feeders and _ stockers were firm. We quote:-- Fecders, 1,- 000 to 1,300 Ib., at $4.40 to $4.- 90; feeders, 800 to 1,000 Ib', $4 to $4.35; stockers, €00 to 800 Ibs., $3 to $3.75; stock calves, 350 to 800 Ibs., §38.80 to $4.20; off-color and rough, same weight, $3.25 up. Sheep and lambs were unchanged. We quote:-- Heavy ewes, $4 to $4.40; light sheep, $4.25 to $4.50; bucks, $3 to $3.50; grain-fed lambs, $5.50 to $5.75; barnyard lambs, $3.50 to $4.50 per cwt.; Spring lambs, $2.50 to $5.50 each. Calves brought $2 to $10 each, and 3¥ to Sic per Ib, Milch, cows were steady at $30 to $60 cach. The bulk of these' sold below $40 cach. solids, 16 to 17c. Eggs--The market continues quiet ! and firm, with receipts light. Case' lots sell at 15c per dozen. j Cheese--The market is quiet, with: prices unchanged. Old quoted at 9 to Dic per ib., and new at 7ic. HOG PRODUCTS. Dressed hogs ure unchanged, with offerings smali. Cured meats are in good demand at unchanged prices. |We quote :--Bacon, long clear, 8 to Sic per Ib. in case lots. Mess pork $17;-do., short cut, $18.50. Smoked meats--Hams, light to medium, 124c; do., heavy, 11} to 12c; rolls, 9 to 94}c: shoulders, 10c; backs, 134 to 14c; breukfast bacon, 13ic Lard--The demand is fair, with prices unchanged. We = quate :-- Tierces, 73c; -- 8c; pails, 8c; compound, 74 to 8ic BUSINESS AT \T MONTREAL, Montreal Muy 23.--The market fer oats was steady to-day, and ° there Was apparently little doing for local consumption, though 'some sales were being made for outside -- points, through 'shipment. Prices for these were said to be rather more favor- able for sellers. Quotations are generally 374 to 3&c for No. 1 and 884 to 3%c for N londs of Peterboro' oats were at 3883c track to-day; peas were about steady at 71c afloat May; No. 2 barley, 70c; and No. 3 extra, 49c; No. 2 rye, 62c Flour--The market was steady; Manitoba patents, $4.90 to $4.95; strong bakers', $4.60 to $4.65; Winter wheat patents, $4.80 to $5.10; straight rollers, $4.65 to $4.85; straight rollers, in bags, $2.20 to $2.80. Feed--The market was quiet; Manitoba bran in bags, $19; shorts, $21 per ton; Ontario bran, in bulk, $18.50 to $19; shorts, $19.50 to $20; mouillie, $26 to $28 per ton. Roll s--The market is firm; dealers are asking $2.324 fer bags, and $4.90 in barrels on track. Provisions--Heavy Canadian short cut pork, $17.50 to $19; light short cut, $16 to $17.50; American fat backs, $17.50; Signe lard, -74 to 8c; Canadian lard, Tic: ket- tle rendered, 83 to oie fa 11 to 1c; bacon, 28 to 134c; fresh killed | Togs--Quotations follow:--. Selects, ,160 to 200 Ibs., of Prime guality, off cars Toronto, $4. 90; fats, $4.65; sows $3.50 to $3.75; stags, $2 to '$2. 50 per cwt. CROPS LOOK WELL Wheat in Farmers' Hands Has een Underestimated. A Montreal despatch says: G. C Wastings, the well known miller, of Winnipeg, who is in the city, says that the crops in the West are look- ing exceedingly well, though, of course, it is yet. too early to judge of how matters will turn out. As in the East, the season is about two weeks late, but in spite of this ev- erything is looking up, including the blades of wheat. In speaking of wheat available in the West, Mr. Hastings is of the opin- ion that the Montreal Board of Trade has been inclined to underestimate the amount. He states that there are still two million bushels in farmers' hands outside of elevators, and that the old wheat, which will be expart- ed during the set season, Will bea ood amount above the usual esti- mate, which was 2,500,000 bushe!s. The acreage increase over last year he estimates at about ten per cent., which would mean 400, 000 acres more Jand under cultivation than there was a year ago. ---- 4 -- : FIRST CIGAR KILLED HIM. Ten-Year-Old Boy's Life the Pen- alty of a Smoke. A Philadelphia despatch says: A Coroner's inquest was held on Tues- day to investigate the death of ten- year-old William Black, who on Sun- day smoked: (i first cigar. The lad's father, who lives at 107 South Bon- sall street, said that Willie came home late Sunday afternoon and com- plained of a severe pain in his stom- ach. 'Two plysicians from the Chil- dren's Hospital found' the. boy in con- vulsions. An emetic resulted in bringing up the stump of a cigar. The Bran-- | ) comme nities, ved b: e Stock Commi er, Ottawa, British Columbia cattle went into- winter 60c; No. : Tete: very fair.condition, feed in' the 2 corn, 563c,. Oats--Quiet; No. 24, ving been wing, white, 4%¢; No, 2.mixed, 424c. Bar-|ts the heavy Sains, pai: than has been known for years. Hey was comparatively short all through the range country; there was no old hay on hand and a good deal of the 1908 crop had been damaged with the heavy summer rains. Speaking erally, the cattle are in fair condition and few losses have sequence the calf crop will be below the average. e especi- ally on the Thompson, the cattle business is too much of a speculation to be healthy. If the past winter had been of a similar character to the previous one, a very large proportion of the stock of that section would have been 'wiped out. THE DAY IS PAST when if is safe to go into winter with 1-3 or 1-4 of a ton of hay per head, per year, the reason that, snow or no snow, by the time January comes there is practically no feed left on the lower ranges. "In this section a great area of the recently leased Jands will be fenced in during the next year or two and it will be possible to limit the stocking of these ranzes, but it will of course take some time for them to recover un- less the seasons are very favorable. Beef is still low in price and from heavier horses, viz., those weighing from 1150 up, are realizing good prices. Horses of this class go to the Coast and more of them are be- ing bred every year, mostly from Kamloops and the district south of there, and are worth at .the present time more money in LB. C. than they are in the North West. For this market the lighter horses and ponies have been shipped in increasing num- bers, The Canadian Pacific R. R. have given the following figures of ship- ments from points on the main line during the year -1903. To Coast points: Horses, 140; cattle, 9,484; hogs, 2.013; sheep, 400. To points east of Laggan: Horses, 1,722: cat- tle, 130. From these figures will be noticed the comparatively small trade in horses with the Coast. With 'the Northwest, including the miipments by the Crow Line and not given in the ahove bably 2,300 horses wer year. - THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION which was unanimously asked for by the recent live stock convention in Ottawa to assess all horses coming into Canada from other cauntries at na value df not less than $75 _ per head, will have, if enacted, a stimu- lating eect on our export trade to the Northwest, as their principal sup- ply of horses is from the United States. From official figures no less then 26,000 hcad were imported last year. In regard to cattle, in addition to the 9,484 head given as shipyed to the Coast markets, in order to rive at the consumption of beef at these points must be added the local supply and a total supply: for about 4. months from the Northwest, as the B. C. ranges hardly ship any beef from February to the Ist of June. The Kootenay trade is supplied mainly from the Northwest with the exception of the supply from the country south of Okanaran Lake and along the boundary. This will bring the exports from T3. C. ranges to oa figure probably between 10,000 and 11,000 head. At the Coast the dairying business has been very good, and the price of butter high; during Janvary, and February sone of the creamerics wére paying the patrons 82 cents per Ib. of butter fat. The improvement of the heads is very steady, and although no doubt a vast number of cows srould still be weeded out,-the average is a good deal better than a few years ago. sienna, CZAR REVIEWS TROOPS. Receives an Enthusiastic Welcome at Kharkof A Kharkoff despatch says: Emperor Nicholas was enthusiastically received on his arrival here on Wednesday by a large crowd of people. His Ma- jesty reviewed the troops under or- ders to go to'the front. During his stay here the Emperor received depu- tations from thes eJewish and. other o presented loyal addressee, to which his Majesty made boy recovered -- consciousness shortly | before he died, and said that he had tried to oke his first Bord ; + gracious responses. The eo ilar leit here for Poltava,. Piney very the end of March the ranges were cov=_ ered with very deep snow, in most. |sections a much heavier snow ial There is no doubt that in certain © {sections of the country, more ~