The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-08-30

Nothing in history compares with
the terrible siege of Port Arthur.
Practically since the night of Febru-
airy 8, when a flotilla of Japanese
torpedo boats crept into the harbor
and opened destructive fire upon the
Russian ships, whose officers were
banqueting in honor of Admiral
Stark's daughter. the Gibraltar of
the east has been under almost con-
tinuous fire, either, from land or sea.
The gateway to the war arena has
been a veritable stewpan, licked on
every side by scorching flame.
With an unsleeping eye to the i'm
portance of the capture of Port Ar
thur, the mikado's men have Kept
up their unceasing series of desper-
ate attacks.
Actually, very little is known OF
the conditions that have prevailed
in the besieged city for months. st
Petersburg accounts would lead tc
the impression that the inhabitants
have at no time been in great dis
tress, but st. Petersburg accounts
can not be given serious credenct
when the news might be adverse to
Russia. There have been storie:
from Russian sources that band con
certs were held in the city while thu
Japs outside were pouring in thei
| shot and shell. That, on the con
trary, the thousands in the garrison
have been in an indescribable pani
men the world over.
| According to information commu
nicated to the French war office, YER!
recently, the garrison of the por
at the time of the commencement o
the siege numbered 10000. The pres
ent number is placed at $4,000. givinl
a loss to the Russians to date o
| 1000 men.
1t was on May that Admiral Tog
reported that he had succeeded Il
blocking Port Arthur. after man
daring but vain attempts. 1t wa
the claim of the Japanese that the,
had sunk eight vessels at the moutl
of the harbor. The siege was thel
on for a certainty, though in all tn
weeks and months since the opening
of the war Port Arthur had been II
desperate straits and was practicall
| in a state of siege.
New railroad communication an
Geographic communication was Gu
off. The army and navy had LANDED
from transports along the rocky coas
of the Kwangtung peninsula. swarm
ing toward the city to pour in it
missiles of death from the land side
while the ships bombarded from TIL
sea.
No sooner had the Japs opene
the conflict by their initial attack OF
the fleet in the harbor than the exc
dus of non-combatants began from
Port Arthur For weeks and in fac
until the time when railroad com
munication was cut off frightene
residents of the city were fleein
to neutral points. Viceroy Alexiet
withdrew in the second week of tn
war toward Hardin.
GhaStly sights, IT not death or IN
jury, were in store for the 5000
who remained to protect the fortress
Already the port was filled wit
sunken ships. Nearly every nigh
the searchlights of Golden hill woul
reveal the enemy on guard in tn
ofting. For weeks engineers worke
raising and repairing the damage
ships, only to have them shattere
again when the next sortie was al
tempted.
During the tenth week Admire
Maflaroff's flagship. the battleshi
Petropavlovsk, was sunk in the hal
Dor and Makaroff and 700 of his me
were killed. The Grand Duke Cyr
had a narrow escape.
General Stoessel in command of tn
Port Arthur garrison issued a proc
lamation to the world that he woul
never surrender, but would fight t
the death.
With the army closing in from tn
rear and the fleet sweeping the haI
|