Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-14
THE ADVANCE GUARD
Continued from page ~


the japanese had fired on the last out.
going train carrying the Russian sick
and wounded. and had succeeded ir
woundinS two Of the passengers
| Rumors We're also afloat that the rail.
road had been destroyed and some OF
the bridges blown up. but our spirits
remained singularly undepressed.
| The military, officers and men, talk
| ed of nothing except a second siege OF
! SebastOpol although as a matter OF
| fact, Sebastopol had never been Gu,
| off from it's communications on the
land side. We can die like our fore
| fathers, was the universal sentiment
expressed The Chinese continued
working as usual for the most part
very few Of them attempting to es-
cape.
| 1T seems as though the sole defence
of the Russian stronghold is Gen
! KondratenkO. He knows no rest. is
] ceaseless in his activity. The utmost
| vigilance prevails throughout the forti-
| fications and the energy of every one
from highest to lowest is marvellous Ne
one is now admitted to Port Arthur. The
women from Dalny, which was DOOM
ed to destruction, sought shelter
here, but were not allowed to remain
any later than Friday of last week
The number Of Chinese seeking work
on the fertilization and as servants are
more numerous than ever.
| "As long as there is rice there will
be Cinnamon. The attitude of the
Chinese authorities is changing and
becoming threatening. The natives are
l
are clearly antagonistic.
| For instance, the governor of the
province of Fuchow, northwest of us
on the Lao Tung peninsula, has an
nounccd that he will behead all tn.
natives in our service very soon, and
that he will burn Wafandian, one of
the neiGhboring towns, which has
shown itself friendly to the Russians
After the skirmish at Wafandan
between the japanese advance and the
Russian guard, the governor executed
the interpreter and the servant OF
Lieut.. Hellemer the Russian military
chief in charge of that section of the
railroad.
Beyond Cape Terminal. the Japa-
nese are landing immense stores of rice
and siege guns.
THE surrounding heights are occu-
| pied by their scouts. The japanese
struck the railroad first between San
shilipou and POlandien about so miles
! from here, and blew up Il section of
| the bridge with melinite They fire on
our sentries and later finding one of
| them killed, the Japanese took off his
| turffes rolled it up and placed it under
| hiS hpad nd
| entity crossed the dead mans arms
over his breast.
Zen Saturday, I decided by hook or
by crook to join the Manchurian army
| atLiao Yang, it being plainly impo,-
sible to write or telegraph from Port
Arthur. l paid Il farewell visit to the
batteries and inspected their positions
4 81 decided to steal through during
the night, across the stretch of rail-
| road. Communication was interrupted
| and Gen. Stoessel proposed that l
! should accompany Captain Odintzoff,
who had been empowered to enter into
| communication with the enemy. We
| left Port Arthur at 6 o'clock in the
morning and two hours later reached
| the positions commanded by the ener-
| gctic and tircless Cen Fock who de-
| tends the whole northern section of
| Lao Ting.
| we went to Kinchou, distinguish
able in the distance by the threaten
| ing profile of its defeEces. We decided,
| after passing Kinchou. to stick to- the
railroad. boarding an open freight car.
| which the engine pulled along the de
| serted line to SanshilipOu. There was
not "A single employe there, but tho
| station was crowded with Cinnamon
AS soon as we nearcd the station
three horsemer dashed off toward the
hills to the east. The station building
| was intact but the natives reported the
| railway buildings at the stations be-
yond afire.
Captain OdintZoff mounted the en-
CINE and ordered the engineer to sc
ahead, leaving me behind in command
of the freight car and second engine
with soldiers on board. Captain Didn't
zoff ordered me If the Japanese appear
ed to ut once to return to Kinchou
without awaiting him. adding that il
he did not return by : o'clock that
evening to turn back anyhow.
1.-Two hours later Captain OdntZof.
met small detachment Of our cavalry
g miles ahead, and sent back to me a
jnotcbook, requesting me in case he
failed to turn to proceed to Port Ar
thur and hand the book to Gen. Stoes-
sci. We waited another hour. saw
smoke in the distance and concluded
that IL came from the deserted bar.
racks. Then followed an anxious time
We thought that poor Odintzoff would
never return.
"At last we saw the smoke of al
approaching train. AS the japanese
were said to have landed an engineer
battalion with rails, engines and cars
we were uncertain who was on board
but we decided to go and meet the
train A turn brought us iii sight of {
long bridge The train had halted be
yond. We noticed that those who We're
on board the train were inspecting th'
bridge and concluded they must b.
. Japanese. Consequently we began t.
/ retreat, making preparations for al
emergency.
Finally as the train started agaii
our field glasses revealed Russian uni
forms 1t proved to be a party HEADED
n L -