The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-04-01
THE BATTLE OF
/ PORT ARTHUR
Eyew itness' Story of the Japa-
nese Bombardment.
A MAGNIFICENT MARINE DUEL.

q. r. Curtis, who Was In the Bat
tered Russian City When the Mi
kado's Fleet Arrived, Tells How
the Attack Turned the Russian
Revel Into q Panic-EHective Work
Of Japanese shells-F1ight Of the
Women.
The following graphic account of the
6rst days naval fight at Port Arthur
In the Russo-Japanese war was recent
" received at San Francisco from
George f. Curtis, an American lawyer
and former assistant librarian in the
United States congress. Part Of his
account ia that Of an eyewitness and
part Of 1t is gathered from Captain
Gray, Of the Fuping, which was in the
harbor of Port Arthur at the time of
the fight on Feb. 8, says the New York
American:
There was revelry in Port Arthur on
the night of Feb. 8. No one INDUCED
a thought Of danger. The cafes, the
theaters, the circus were open and
agleam. Many naval officers were
ashore. Many officers from the forts
mingled in the revel. Men Of the fleet
and of the Notifications were on leave.
There were feasting and dancing. The
wine popped, women dimpled, men
laughed and made love.
Then, as upon the rout on the night
before Waterloo, a heavy sound broke
In. There was a pause, and some
asked queer questions. Again and
again came the thunderous sound. All
knew it was the roaring of great guns,
but the revelry went on. Nobody
shifted a battle. The guns were the
guns Of the forts at the harbor mouth,
men said-there was some practicing.
Admiral Stark had been In attend
ance at a dinner. He had no word
that war had been declared. He linger-
ed yer the wine and beneath the
smiles Of the pretty women. But by
and by his quick ear detected another
note-the cry Of his own guns. Still
no thought of war seemed to feck his
4 merrymaking. But the first Of the
cool dawn, when the later jewellers
were seeking their homes, showed the
grim results Of the daring night attack
Of the Japanese.
That is how Japan caught Russia off
her guard and inflicted a crippling
blow. The sounds of the night and the
sight Of the morning were common to
all Of us, but now let me give to you
the story and experience Of Captain
Gray, of the Fuping, as he gave them
to me.
The Fuping is the property of the
Chinese Engineering and Mining COM
pany. Captain Gray saw at ono that
the harbor of Port Arthur was no
place for his peaceful craft. He saw,
too, that there was much question as
ito whether he could navigate her be-
tween the two stranded warships, the
Cesarevitch and the Retvizan. So Cap
tain Gray started out in a gig to as
certain the conditions at the harbor en-
trance. The gig passed out between
the battleships, where the harbor en-
trance is not more than 1900 feet in
width, and reconnoitered the beached
cruiser and transport. Suddenly a big
shell fell in the water, not nor than
half a dozen feet from the gig. Cap
tain Gray saw that the shell came
from the Japanese feet. Captain Gray
and his comrades were in the middle
of things and they Immediately beach,
ed the gig and sought shelter under a
ledge Of rocks.
The Japanese feet steamed up and
down about three miles off the harbor
mouth and the Russians sent out their
ships to give battle. Soon the shells
were flying fast. The forts gave tongue
and the firing Of the fleets was inces-
SAINT. But most of the captains atten-
ton was directed toward the sea,
where a splendid fight was in progress.
The captain says he estimated that
about fifteen warships, big and little,
were engaged on each side. There was
one fine duel. A Japanese battleship
engaged a Russian %battleship and the
two steamed up and down, delivering
constant broadsides.
Then there was a mighty tragedy.
One large Russian cruiser was seer to
stagger under an explosion, either Of
q torpedo or her own magazine, and
then, within three minutes go down,
stern first. She carried all her officers
and men with her.
Often the captain and his compan-
ions were forced to lie fat to escape
the shells. "But 1t was q magnificent
sight," said the captain to me, "a mag
nilcent sight, and a most exciting
time. I assure you. I hope never to
have another such experience. how
ever, as I expected that each moment
would mark my end. The Japanese
opened the fight at lilo a. m. The
last shot was fired at 1850, the battle
lasting just forty minutes; but it was
too hot to last much longer"
Then the Japanese feet withdrew,
and Captain Gray and his officers left
their shelter under the forts at the
west harbor mouth and rowed back to