The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-23
On the ,Beleaguered Garrison OF
Port Arthur.
OCCUPY TAIPANGTZE.
Penetrate Along Railroad to
Gen. Stoessel's Residence.
Russians COncede That Ultimate
Capture Is Inevitable.

ed a dispatch from Chefoo under to-
days date announcing that the japanese
captured Chain fort of the Port Ar
thur defenses yesterday, after tre-
mendous attack.
"Chain fort" according to the avail
able maps of Port Arthur, is almost
in the center of the chain of forts. of
which it forms one, defending Port
Arthur. from which it is only about
a mile and a half distant. 1t occupies
commanding position and possibly
is only second in Importance to the
Golden hill forts.
1t was announced from Chefoo
Monday that the japanese had swept
the Russians from Pigeon bay and
had captured the northernmost fort
of the western line of inner defenses,
though Antzshan fort, about a mile
northeast of Etsehan fort, might also
be classed as the northernmost fort
of the western line of inner defenses
at Port Arthur.
Chefoo, Aug. 23.-Noon.-According to
advices brought here from Port Arthur
by junk. the Japanese were hotly
pressing the Russian center along the
railway and the Russian right i'm the
vicinity of Golden Hill. These advices
departed from Taipangtze. which
is one mile from the city
near Golden hill, between the city and
the forts of the Russian right wing
The Chinese declare that the Japanese
occupied Taipangtze and penetrated
along the railway to General StoesseIs S
residence on August 81 As this report
would indicate that Port Arthur had all
but fallen. the japanese expert attach
ed to the local consulate received the
information with great reserve. The |
information is accepted however, as a
confirmation of previous reports that
the Russians have been driven from |
1tZshan and that the japanese are very
close to the southern forts and the east |
ern defenses.
The local Japanese, under the leader |
ship of their CONSUL are subscribing /
money and preparing to celebrate the |
expected fall of the. fortress.
The Chinese who arrived today fur /
ther report that "A Russian warship was /
hit by u shell recently and sunk in the
harbor.
A report was cabIed several days ago
that the gunboat of the Olvojani type |
had been sunk. This is probably the /
vessel referred to.
Russians Abandon Hope.
St. Petersburg, Aug. 23.-12:35 p. |
m--Despite the popular feeling that l
Port Arthur is doomed, the success /
with which Lieutenant General Stoes- |
sci has been beating off the Japanese |
assaults and the heavy losses suffered 4
by the besiegerS offer considerable |
encouragement to the war office.
There is a limit beyond which
troops can not go. no matter how gal ]
liant said an officer of the general !
staff this morning. "A fifth of the army /
before Port Arthur is a small esti- |
mate of the enemy's losses UP to date. |
If the storming operation, which, we |
understand is now progressing, fails /
to give tn EN- a foothold in the ring of /
inner defenses, the Japanese will be !
compelled by sheer exhaustion to stop |
and recuperate. while awaiting addi-
tiOnal reinfOrcements, and person
ally. together with some of my col
leagues, believe they will abandon the /
idea of a general assault and settle |
down to regular siege operations.
Starving out the garrison is less bril-
liant but it is quite as effective a way
of reducing fortress. The Japanese
purpose in rushing matters has doubt
less been to release a section of the
southern army and enable it to CO.
operate with the armies in Man
churia-'
The naval critic of the Viedomosti
boldly expresses the opinion that the
Port Arthur squadron would commit
an act of folly if it went out now.
He adds:
Although a portion of Admiral Ouk-
tomsky's SHIPS are in fighting trim. in
Guiding at least the Perseviet, PoltaVa,
Sebastopol and Pallada. it would be
futile to attempt to break through Ad-
miral TOgOs strong lines. The squad
ION would be lost without profit to
Port Arthur. Ouktomsky would do
better to dismantle mis- guns and send
lHG men dSnOEt 1HlS WOULD TeiilIOINC
General StoesseI to the extent of near
ly seven heavy and four hundred light
guns and 5000 men. Then. if the worst
comes. the ships could be sunk"
A semi-official journal. while paying
a tribute to the heroic defenders of
Port Arthur. does not withhold praise
for the extraordinary valor of the Jap
snese besiegers- 1t says:
Neither a rain of cannon shots, walls
of bayonets nor earth strewn with
corpses can arrest their
stubborn assaults.
There are a number of veiled intima
tons in both the newspaper dispatches
from Lao Yang and at headquarters
here that General Kuropatkin is pre-
pairing a diversion against General
Kuroki. to prevent the dispatch of re-
to aid the attackers of s
Port Arthur.
The Novoe Nremya considers that the !
question of China's attitude is very I
serious and contends that the Chinese
Are quite incapable of preserving neu- /
rality. adding: How otherwise could :
Japanese warships enter Chinese ports I
At will2 The idea that the United {
States is going to preserve the neutral S
ty of China is an illusion The Ameri- I
an Torpedo boat destroyer Chauncey's
pursuit of the Japanese torpedo boat
turns out to have been a mere coinci-
lent >
StoesseI Sends Farewell.
London. Aug. 23.-According to the 4
Moscow correspondent of the Morning /
Post. Lieutenant General Stoessel con- Q
GUIDED a telegram to an intimate
friend there with the words: Fare
we'll forever Port Arthur will be my
tomb"