Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-11-04
THE RUSSO JAPANESE WAR.
Port Arthur Nearing Its End Greatest of All The
Battles Hourly Expected in The North
ENHANCEMENT WITH ENGLAND ECIpsNG ALL OTHER INTEREST

;CLlPSING ALL OTHER INTEREST.
or forfeit our honor. But to be EN-.
broiled In such contest would be
fatal to France"
One of the officers of Admiral
Rolestvensky's fleet states that pre-
vlous to the news of the settlement
of the dispute the vessels of the Bal
tic heet had made every preparation
to engage the British fleets IN battle
lie said: "The news of the settle
ment reached us at 3 O'Clock yester-
day afternoon, when we dismissed
our pilots and banked our fres.
Previous to this we had prepared
ourselves to issue forth to a glorious
death. Every preparation was made
to give battle to the English fleet,
despite the Odds"
PORT ARTHUR DOOMED:
After one of the most heroic
denfenses in history the end of Cen
eral Stoessel and his brave men
seems near. Stoessel has wired the
Russian Emperor and Court: 81
now bid you all goodbye forever.
Port Arthur is my grave" Stoessel
has instiiled the garrison of the
beleaguered fortress with the spirit
that to court glorious death is
preferable to capitulation.
The japanese shells are inhicting
great damage TO the Russian fleet in
the harbor and to the Notifications.
The arsenal, with its contents of
ammunition and small arms, has
been destroyed and preparations are
being made for the last deadly strug-
gle at close quarters. The water
supply having been cut of, wells are
being sunk. Provisions are scarce.
Only timed meats being left, the
soldiers hold gala feasts on horses
killed by the shells. General ST.
mouoff, it is said, would surrender,
but is oyerruled by General Stoessel.
The third general assault by the
Japsnese began Sunday, and was the
fiercest Of all. All of the minor
forts have been captured, and only
the citadel remains. A shell ex-
ploded the magazine in this. Two
steamers in the hartor were sunk.
Part of the city is on fire. The Jap
anese can now easily enter the CITY,
but their position would be perilous
until the citadel is subdued, owing
to easy access from its guns. The
Japanese are sacrificing about five
men to the Russians one.
BIGGEST OF BATTLES IMMINENT.
Kuropatkin is In expectancy of a
great thanking movement on the part
of the willy and aggressive Kuroki.
The situation is one great ten
sion for the troops on both sides.
General Kuropatkin and Field
Marshal Oyama seem to be watching
each other like hawks. 1t is impos-
sible to tell which will make the
first move. Each is sparring for an
opening, aud slight skirmishes hourly
occur all along the 40-mile front. A
big battle is expected this week,
which, unless successful upon the
part of the Russians, will probably
be the last under the recent arrange
ment. Both forces are working
hard at the construction of strong
Entertainments. Both sides realize
that they are on the eve of the
greatest battle yet fought. Both
armies have been heavily reinforced
since the battle of Shakhe river.
There are now over 100000 men in
the combined armies.
Sunday night the Japanese made
another attempt upon Lone Tree
Hill, but the attack was not pressed.
The tree which gave its name to
Lone Tree Hill has disappeared. 1t
was cut nown Monday night for
firewood. Japanese prisoners say
the cold weather is causing an in
crease of illness among their troops.
The Russian Staff officially states
that the losses of General Kuropat-
kin's army during the battle of the
Shakhe river, October 9-1S, were
500 officers and $4,000 men. Mar
shall Oyama, in an official report,
stated the total japanese losses in
the battle as 1879 officers and men.
The Russian Staff says that GEN
eral Kuropatkin is preparing to
retire from the Shakhe river as soon
as the Japanese advance develops.
They have no hope that the Russians
will be able to hold Mukden, but a
determined stand is expected at
Telling, to the north of the Holy
City.
SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES.
Kuropatkin is now commander-in-
chief of Russias army and navy.
Russia promises half million men
to overrun Manchuria in the spring.
German papers allude to the
childish timidity of the Baltic fleets
officers. They say that when the
heet was going out of the Baltic it
steamed in a single line, headed by a
gigantic net supported on a steel
hawser between the ice breaker
Yormak and the tug Russ, the idea
being to sweep the sea for possible
mines. The pilots pointed out that
it was almost impossible to mine an
ocean highway, but the officers
replied that money would do any
thing. The hawser broke in the
Cattegat, whereupon the nervousness
of the officers redoubled. They
began firing at any vessels coming
close to the warships.
If japanese admiral had COM
mitted such bluuder as that North
Sea bombardment, he would have
committed hara-kiri without waiting
for his government to suggest it. =
''The wicked flee when no man
pursueth, but the righteous are bold
rs lion." Admiral Rojestyepskv