The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-31
PORT ARfHUR'S PLIGHT;
 AN INTERCEPTED LETTER
LIGHT ON THE SITUATION IN
 THE FORTRESS.

Man on BattIeship sevastopoI Declares
 City Cannot Resist After December
 Terrible Execution of Japanese Shells
 --Two-thirds of Defenders of 2Os-
 Metre Hill Iost-Garrison Resigned
 to Fate and VIII Tight to End.
 ToIEio, Dec. sO.-( Evening" .-The navy department published tonight a letter written by a man on the battleship se- vastopol, which had fallen into the hands of the Japanese. The writer de spairs of relief of the fortress and tells of the destruction wrougth by Japan. ese shells. He says, the Russians ara resigned to their fate and are deterrnin ed to fight to a finish rather than suffer the shame of surrendering owing to starvation. Following is the text of the letter:
 The fortress cannot resist after De eenber. The progress of the enemy in reducing our principal line of outer de fences is not fully known. but 1t is ir- irresistible.
 We are sadly disappointed over the Coon-arrival Of the second Pacific squad ron and are daily nearing our misera- bE SlltB
 General Stoessel's so-called impreg- nable line of outer defences is now a myth, With 20S-1 Meter hill lost the fan aof Port Arthur cannot be avoided. It's capture by the Japanese means the fall Eof the town, however strong the other defences.
 The new town is at the mercy of the enemy's fire. The old town alone is desenrlable and here alone may resist. anco be prolonged.
 Two thirds of the defenders of 203- Metre hill were lost.
 The Sevastopol which was exposed to the enenly's fire in the day time, left the harbor on the night of December 8, without being lowed. She carried only Ill instead of her complement of 66O souls,
 When she went out she had her nets down but was struck twice by the enc Enly's torpedoes and was beached fire. parably damaged General stoessel highly praised the officers and crew of tho ship.
 Fuel is almost unobtainable and il 1 is impossible to Keep our bodies warm,
 i've no longer have a wireless tele' graph system and have mo means of communicating with the outside world Our isolation is complete. There is ne news and we have had no information ] for 2 long time.
 Tt IS impossible to slnuggle annmuui tion. The captain of the King Arthur brought only barley. (The King Arthur a British steamer was captured December 19, while at l tempting to leave Port Arthur by ths ! Japanese guardship Asagari. She had l on board Russian naval officers who were attempting to john the Russian 1 Pacific squadron. She is now at Sassbt undergoing trial1
 There is a large hole in the hull ot the Sevastopol, and she is completely disabled. All that remains for those or board her is to do their utmost In re, pulsing the enerny's attacks
 The ene1np's torpedo boats came Eclose to the sevastopol and attacked Eher as if they were going through or l dirary rnanoeuvres.
 '.shoulG the Sevastopol sink we .art Ito land at q place already decided upon EAH are. however prepared to fight t the very last. On us of the sevastopo ldepends the duty of retaining the hon, or of the navy and avoid the shame and humiliation Of threatened starva. ttfon. We would rather die than De thu' shaned.
 From December 1 the ererny's ten ] inch shells began to fall on the decl 3of the Sevastopol and some of then 3pierced through hthe decks to the bottom Eof the sllip.
 .sWlho is responsible for the fate w l face? It is he who did not give instruc ltions for the prevention of the JapaTes' 1lading eaa the Liaotung peninsula.
 Among our officers there are yer, flew who dare to brave death, the ma { jority having no other desire than t Isave their own lives, but we are deter mined to die fighting.
 Z, ny