Evening star., 1903-10-28
PORT ARTHUR's DEFENsEs.
Russia's Seemingly Impregnable Fort
ress in the Far East.


From the Pail Mall Gazette
We anchored at the harbor's mouth last
night. and were about to go In this morn
ing when Russian naval officer came on
board and directed US to walt until the
afternoon. The reason soon became appar-
ent, as, one after the other. warships be-
gan to come out through the narrow en-
trance. the last, a battle ship Of II 600 tons,
saluting the admiral. They anchored in q
line outside under the almost perpendicular
clins. which were crowned with forts or
rather. batteries of big guns for nature has
practically constructed the forts and has
only left the engineers some leveiing and
tunneling to do. They then commenced
some maneuvers.
There were two tagged buoys anchored
outside the line, and one after another the
vessels passed between them and went of
at full speed to different points of the hori-
zon, leaving lines OF heavy smoke fam
shaped from the harbors mouth that dwin-
died away and then disappeared altogether
Three hours afterward they began to appear
again. fret a blot Of smoke, increasing to
a dense streaming cloud, and the white
streak of water waving from their bows
ana sterns. 1t seemed to be a speed test
ana some OF them were going at a terrific
rate as they returned between the flags
When we were allowed to go inside in the
afternoon, on passing through the narrow
portals of the harbor one saw at once what
an impregnable retreat Russia has got in
the Pacific. On the right hand side eight de-
stroyers were lying beside the wharves and
in the docks. and torpedo boats seemed to
be everywhere in each crevice of the har-
Dor. There were ten, l counted as We en-
tered. but during the days following SEEM
ed always to be coming on others in unex-
pected places.
At the inner side of the fort, on the right
hand side Of the entrance. most elaborate
work was in progress, and the summit of
the Gibraltar-like rock was blue spotted
dredgers We're extending the anchorage and
the result of their labors was apparent al
ready over half the area of submerged mud
which, when they have done with it, Will
be able to accommodate more ships than
Russia will ever have in the Pacific There
was an astonishing amount of hustle and
activity when one landed on shore. 1t was
altogether different from any other place to
be found in the east An overma astering
energy seemed to be driving these streams
of coolies that jostled and shouted End pull
ed heavy loads through the crowded streets,
and even the coolie labor seemed insufficient
"a line of junks near the landing place With
cargoes of fodder was being discha rged by
Cossacks. Every other few yards one pass
ed Russian soldiers in uniform-officers in
their smart light gray overcoats or COM
panies tramping through the streets with
their simple war-soldier outfit and their
bayonetS always fixed.
Five thousand fresh troops had arrived
the day landed. l was told troops Cf.en
arrived-they never go away. friend of
mine there. whose chief pastime is l.orse
riding, told me 1t was simply extraordinary
the number of new barracks they are build
ing in various directions behind the twenty
eight forts that crown the environing hills.
The most drastic and startling of their vari-
Gus preparations is the order that the whole
of the old town is to be evacuated. All the
men who have offices. places of business or
residences occupy them under leases in
which is the clause that they must clear out
III six months notice. This notice they have
all received.
The old town is to be converted into a
huge barracks. new town IS being .. e.
pared for them, and the building IL is
now seen in progress of feverish activity
about mile from the Old one 1t is PLAN
ned on the broad and ample lines of Dalny.
AS yet not many houses are completed. but
the uprising walls mark the course of the
future street. A big restaurant and off,
cial buildings are completed and the after
moons l was there military band was play
ing in unverdant park TO an audience
of half a dozen nondescript listeners. 1t
would be laughable if one did not see the
deep earnestness of underlying seriousness
in al