Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1904-01-04
PORT ARTHUR HAS FALLEN
Russian Stronghold Succumbs At Last To The
Assaults Of The Japanese

day they reached the limit of human
endurance.
"In the casemate of the forts one
saw everywhere faces black with star
walton, exhaustion and nerve strain,
You spoke to them, but they did not
give answer, only staring dumbly.
1.-The lack of ammunition alone
would have suggested the seeking
of terms. Scant ammunition had long
been common in the fortress, and dur
ing the past month many of the forts
had nothing with which to return the
fire OF the enemy.
"The Russians sat in the classmates,
firing not more than once to the two
hundred shots sent by the Japanese.
When the assault came they repulsed
the enemy with bayonets. But the
men themselves, having existed for
three months on reduced rations, were
SO worn that it is marvellous they
stood the final strain so long.
yesterday General Stoessel would
still fight. His wound, which was re-
ceived early in the siege, had been
bothering him, but his determination
to fight while one man stood had not
been diminished.
"'But we cannot fight said his gen.
erals. Our men cannot move. They
sleep standing. They cannot see the
bayonets at their breasts. We can
order, but they cannot obey
Then you generals fight said
Stoessel, clinched his fists.
HE seemed fanatical on the sub,
ject, but finally he was brought to see
reason by the insistence of his subor-
dinates. Admirals Lochinsky and
Wren, Generals Smirnoff and Flock,
and many others, sometimes with
broken voices, urged the step which
all dreaded SO long.
The greatest loss suffered by Port
Arthur occurred a fortnight ago, when
Major General Krondratenko was
kllied. Officers and men alike re-
garded him as the brightest star in
Port Arthur's armament. When his
death became known, the fall in the
spirits OF the soldiers was plainly Wis
IDLE. General k~ondratenko was seated
in the casemate of a certain fort dis
cusing with other officers the
best way of countermining against
the Japanese, when an eleyen-inch
shell burst, killing everybody in the
casemate.
General Nogi has taken Port Arthur
with his artillery and his tunnels. His
rifle bullets were seldom found to be
Of any USE
I'VE who came here Monday do not
know the terms Of surrender suggest
ed by General Stoessel to General Nogi
nor the ana"er, having left Port Ar
thur even before the messenger had
been dispatched. The general impress
sion, however, is that Stoessel has
proposed that the army shall go free
n that he alone be made a prisoner.
1T is a simple story. Had the I'M
munition held out the fortress would
have acid out indefinitely. For months
we held Port Arthur by bayonets
alone, until flesh and blood could do
no more. When a man fell there was
none other to replace him. Thus the
garrison was gradually worn down,
Two hundred and Three-Meter Hill
alone cost us five thousand men. The
capture of that hill was the beginning
of the end
Toxic Wildly Joyous.
Toxic, By Cable.-Tokio is wildly
joyous over Gen. Nogi's telegram an
%nouncing that Gen. Stoessel had sent
a letter relating to the surrender OF
Port Arthur. News boys crying ex-
tras were the center of large crowds.
The people grabbed the papers and re-
peated the cries. Thus was the news
carried throughout the city, and with
IN a few minutes the firing of aerial
and daylight rockets began in various
parts OF the city. Bands appeared and
a score Of small professions formed
and surged through the principal
streets. Japan has paid a heavy price
for the Russian fortress. The pros
pect of its early possession oheered the
people as no other event of the wal
has done. The Emperor's New Years
reception and auence to the army and
navy and officers and civil officials con-
tlnued this morning. The news from
Port Arthur gave additional cheer to
the general exchange of co~ngratula-
tons.