The Globe-republican., 1904-09-29
WOMAN RAN BLOCKADE
Russian Officers Wife Meets With
Thrilling Experience.
ESCAPED WITH TWO OFFICERS.
The Old Town Of Port Arthur Is Near.
ly Wrecked, the Streets Having
Been Filled With Holes Made by
The Many Exploding Shells.
ESCAPED WITH TWO OFFICERS,

Chefoo, Sept. 23.-Mrs. Ann Krav
tohenko, the English wife Of a Rus
sian army officer who arrived here the
might Of September II, with Lieuten
ant Prince Radzvil, from Port Arthur
Is the first woman to run the block
ade from the Russian stronghold since
the Japanese increased their vigilance
to prevent egress from the port. Her
trip was rendered exceedingly perllous
because she came out with the prince
and bis companion, Lieutenant
'Chrlstoforoff, who carried messages
from Lieutenant General Stoessel, the
commander at Port Arthur, to Gen
'eral Kuropatkin. Both these officers
were disguised, and had they been
captured by the Japanese, they Ger
tainly would have been executed.
Mrs. Kravtchenko was so worn out
and exhausted by her adventures that
she was unable to see the correspond
ent of the Associated Press until to-
day. In an interview, she spoke to
him as follows:
Eve left Port Arthur at 5 o'clock
the night of September Is. There was
a good wind and the moon was bright,
We were successful in avoiding the
danger Of the blockading line. We
came up to the second line when the
moon was under a cloud. Search
lights were flashed on all sides, but
our junk was not discovered.
1--WE suddenly discovered ourselves
close to another junk with a Japan
ese crew on board. They presumably
were pirates, but we outsailed them
and drew away.
AT 6 o'clock the next morning we
saw steamer coming in our dlrec-
ton. She had the appearance Of a
cruiser and l was terribly frightened.
When we saw the cruiser, Prince Rad.
zivil and Lieutenant Christoroff went
below. stretched myself out on deck
and covered myself with dirty blan-
kets. Chinese were lying at my feet
and at my side, and for nearly an
hour, although kept my position, |
never uttered a more thankful prayer
than when | was informed that the
steamer we had seen was Red Cross
vessel, and that her captain had no
Intention Of overhauling us.
Wonderful things are being done
by the stats of the different hospitals
at Port Arthur who are assisted by
ladies'. There are thirty nurses for
each 1000 patients. The ladies de-
vote most of their time to the making
of clothes for the soldiers. The laun.
dry work is done by the poor women
and the wives Of enlisted men. The
sick and wounded are thus kept sup
piled with clean clothing. The laun.
dry work has to be done in dreadful
heat.
"There are no contagious diseases
at Port Arthur, but many deaths are
resulting from the bite of q large red,
headed fly, which feeds on the de.
composing corpses scattered over the
battlefelds. A doctor who was bitten
on the thumb by one of these flies
instantly severed that member. He
then had his arm amputated, but not
before the poison had reached his
heart. The result of the bite was ia.
tai.
Every day in the week the band
plays at one Of the hospitals.
1.-THE wounded men recover quickly
from the wounds inflicted by the Max.
i'm projectiles and by the bullets Of
the Osaka rifle but the wounds result.
ing from explosive bullets are awful
and recovery is impossible.
"The old town Of Port Arthur Is
almost entirely wrecked. The streets
are filled with holes made by explod.
ing shells. The loss of life in Port Ar.
thur from the bombardments has been
remarkably small. Once | counted ff.
ty-seven Japanese shells fired at a Rus
sian battery, not one Of them reached
its mark.
1.-THE Russian government Is cheer
full. 1t would DO impossible to imag-
inc a drawer or finer set Of men. They
return from three days duty in the
trenches with songs on their lips.
Although many places In the ranks
are vacant, all the men have unlimlt
ed confidence in their power to hold
the fortress against the enemy.
II assure you," Mrs. Kravtchenko
said in conclusion, to the correspond.
ent, that | believe Port Arthur will
stand against the Japanese; | don't
think the stronghold will fall"
Invited to Dine.