The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-10-14

JAPANESE
General Stoessel on the
Late Port Arthur
Assault.

| ST. PETERSBURG, OCT. ., b.Z0 Z. M.
i-Emperor Nicholas has at last receiv-
ed General Stoessel's official report of
| the desperate four days assault of the
| besiegers upon Port Arthur from Sep
| TENDER 18th to September 23d, from
| which it appears that the unofficial re-
port from Chefoo was by no means ex-
aggerated. The Japanese displayed
| frenziei bravery, but they lost 10000
men, and their only success was the
capture of two redoubts guarding the
water works.
They prepared for the assault by a
general bombardment, and then launch
ed their attacks simultaneously from
the north and west. Night and day
they fought under cover of continual
bombardment from their siege guns,
and finally reached the redoubts on the
| north side, but only after the defenses
there were completely demolished by
shell fire from the west.
The japanese efforts were directed
chiefly against the commanding posi-
ton on High mountain, which faces
Pigeon bay, slightly south of Fort Else.
| The mountain is 500 feet high, and if it
had fallen it's position would have Civ
en- tremendous lever against the chain
| of inner defenses. The carnage there
| was terrible and eliminated September
I'D, when the Japanese succeeded in
reaching and occupying the Russian
arInored shelter trenches, whence they
expected undoubtedly to storm the
summit. During the night lieutenant
Poggorsky of the navy, at the head of
a detachment of volunteers, descended
upon the trenches and blew them up
with pyroxylin bombs, producing a
panic among the besiegers, who fed,
leaving the mountain side strewn with
dead.
The japanese then abandoned further
attempts, but after a day or two to
recuperate, according to General Stoes-
sells second dispatch, dated September
30th, they resumed the boInbardnent
of the city and outer works and began
to construct zigzag approaches, to get
a nearer point, from which to launch
their next assault.
The loss of the water works is not
considered vital, as there is a fresh
water lake and numerous wells, as
well as condensing apparatus within
the defenses.
General Stoessel recommends Cen
eraI Kondratenko, Lieutenant Poggor-
sky, Colonel Irman of the artillery and
Captain Sychaff of the Fifth Siberian
Regiment for the st. George Cross.
The complete repulse of the Japanese
has evidently greatly inspired the gar
rison of Port Arthur. General Stoesse1
says the gallantry of the Russian troops
was beyond praise, and adds that the
garrison will hold out to the last drop
of blood. General Stoessel adds that
practically nothing remained of the wa
ter works redoubts when the surviving
Russian evacuated them.
General Stoessel's dispatch, which
was dated September 30th, says: aft
er bloody assaults from the 18th to the
2Sd of September there has been COM
parative tranquility around the fort
ress. On the night of September 23d the
japanese, after being repulsed by Lieu
tenant Poggorsl<y, fled in panic. They
are now working very actively and are
approaching by a tunnel and intrench-
ments. The bombardment was main
tanned both upon the forts and the
buildings within the fortress.
We make sorties frequently, driving
back the enemy. The repulse of the
last attack was especially due to Lieu
tenant Poggorsky, General Kondraten-
ko, Colonel Irman and Captain Sychaff.
The spirit of the troops is heroic.
Wounded men are every day returnirg
from the hospitals to the ranks. We
pray God for victory and for the health
of your majesty
General StoesseTs report created great
rejoicing and revived hope in his abil-
ity to defend the fortress. After the |
failure of the storming operations the |
War Office here would not be surprised
if the japanese changed their plan to a |
regular engineering sieoa