The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-12
FALL OF PORT ARTHUR.
JAPANESE CAPTURE THE
CHINESE STRONGHOLD.

a Strong Defence Made-Severs and
Incessant Fighting for Thirty-s1
Hours-Losses on Both sides
Heavy-The Road to Pekir
Opened for the ConQuerors.
Port Arthur has fallenl
The backbone of Chinese resistance has
given way, and the mountain passes that.
lie between the great naval station and Pehn
now shelter the scattered remnants OF ths
Emperor's forces. ~
Word has Just been received that Port Ar;
thur fell after battle that lasted eighteen
hours. The reports OF the fighting are very
meagre, but It Is believed that both sides
suffered heavily.
China's loss, It IS said, exceeds that Of
Japan, for, undisciplined as the Emperor's
soldiers were, they fought with the despera-
ton OF tigers. as'
The attack on Port Arthur by Japan's sec-
ond Army under General Oyama was 60
carefully planned that when fire was opened
the Japanese troops assailed the city at every
point.
The fighting was terrible, and was only
ended when the Chinese, unable to struggle
any longer, withdrew In retreat to the mount
ain passes near hy, leaving the city at the
mercy Of their foes. & @
The fall Of Port Arthur clears the way to !
Pekin for Japan. Whether or not that city
will suffer like fate musr depend upon what
action China will take within very few
days. .B.
Already China has asked for peace on the
terms Of paying $50, 600, 600 taels, or SI75,-
600, 900 for It. With Pekin in peril no one
can estimate what figure Japan will place
upon peace. rs
The plans Of the Japs for an advance upon
Pekin have succeeded completely. At
Moukden advance through the interior was
50 hazardous as to be almost impossible. The
Second Army was sent to silence Port
Arthur, and It has done so. g.
With the great naval station In Japan's
hands, and with Japan's victorious deet
guarding that place on the water side,
China's feet Is powerless. s{f
Japan on the other hand has clear road
by land around the Leaoton Gulf, thence
along the westerly shores Of the Pe-Chi-Lf
Gulf TO Tien-Tsin. ,ti. 5ss 5s 4
With the Japanese army IN pursuit, the
Chinese must make their last stand In the
mountains that are in the path to Tien-Tsin.
These passes may be held for q long time Il
the Chinese army can be rallied sufficiently
to make a stand.
tits not believed that China win continue
the war any longer. Port Arthur Is re-
| garded by all European military and naval I
| critics as the keystone of China's defense,
and without which she will be at Jspan's
| mercy. =; q I y
'The capture of Port Arthur means the
end OF the war;" said Admiral Fremantle, |,
Great Britain's representative at the seat Of
war, several days ago. q Z X;
Port Arthur has fallen, and Il may mean
that all Is already over for China.
Port Arthur Is the strongest and most fun-
portant naval arsenal In North China. II lies
at the extremity OF the peninsula between
the Gulf of Korea and the Gulf OF Liau
Tong and Is almost due north OF Che
Foo. As naval base It possesses remark-
able natural advantages. The town ITSELF
:s rather small, having population Of hardly
more than 1000 persons, most OF whom
moved away some weeks ago.. The gar
rison, when on peace footing, consisted Of
about 1000 men, said to be well drilled and
equipped. but when the war broke out the
garrison was greatly increased fromthepick
OF the Chinese army. On the sea front Port
Arthur was guarded by q number Of power.
full forts and batteries along three and O. halt
miles OF the coast. Twelve Of the coast bat
teries were mounted with about forty
Krupp rifles, ranging In calibre from
six to nine and q half inches. Be
sides these there was q formidable array
OF riled mortars and rapid-fre guns.
The last trustworthy reports as to the
strength Of the garrison place IT at D,0oo
Chinese troops we'll armed and provlsioned.
Port Arthur Is the key to the gates Of Pekin,
and in gaining It the Japanese have placed
firm foot on Chinese soil and made the
fact of hold in Chinese waters even greater.
as the dock yard facilities will enable the
Japanese to reflt their damaged cruisers
without recourse to long journey to their
own docks. q 5,z