Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-08-19

| with General hurOkl describes the
sufferings of the men from the heat.
lie says that one regiment, maddened
by thirst. rushed into a river under
the full Russian fire aud drank at
the peril of their lives.
Great Britain and America are
dissatisfied with the Russian defini-
tion of contraband, and will not let
the matter of the seizures rest with
out a controversy.
Russia's Baltic fleet left European
waters this week for the far East.
Japan must, to maintain control of
the seas, annihilate what ships Rus
STA has at Port Arthur and Vladi-
yostok before this western squadron
appears. This latter is probably
superior in fighting force to the jap
anese navy, but the prestige the little
brown men have gained will proba bl y
more than counterbalance numerical
superiority. Russia assures Great
Britain that no more neutral ships.
like the knight Commander, will be
sunk.
Father John, of Cronstadt, who has
prophesied that the war against ia
pan will continue for 20 years, is
really the Rev. John Sergieff, one of
the priests of st. Andrews Cathed-
raj in the famous fortress city. AT
ter the Gar, he is aud has been
for years the greatest man in Russia,
by virtue of his piety and reputed
power of healing. People of the
highest rank, as well as the poorest
peasant, go to him for help. He was
summoned to the deathbed of the
Emperor Alexander, and when the
present Gar was stricken with
typhoid in Livadia, public opinion
necessitated that the imperial doctors
should be reinforced by Father
Johns healing touch.
CARS SOLDIERS sUFFERINeS.
A letter from Abraham Strauss, a
Jewish soldier In the Russian Army
at Port Arthur, has been received by
b. Fine, a prominent merchant at Full
ton, Mo. Strauss and Fine were
born In the same Russian village.
The letter tells pitiful tale of the
hardships that are being undergone
by the Russian soldiers. A transla-
ton of part of the letter reads:
"Several months ago ! was taken
as a soldier by the Russian army,
was at once sent to the front, and am
now at Port Arthur, one of a COM
pary Of 500. As soon as they took
US from the recruiting Office they
sent us TO Yslesvatgot, and from
there dispatched US to Sevastopol,
where we stayed fifteen days, aud
we're all sent together to Port Arthur.
The trip took As days by rail, aud
at the end of the journey we were so
fatigued that our friends hardly
knew US when we arrived.
"Food we get once in "a hours,
and then very lIttle-too much to
starye on, but hardly enough to live
on. The few kopeoks that
had when ! left home are all gone,
and have not one kopeck left. You
know how it is to be Russian SOL
der without money, Jew especially.
1t is a hardship that | cannot de-
scribe.
ave got here on February 10, and
the same day they dressed us in SOL
dier's clothing, with guns on our
backs, and put us on guard, and
that way we stand for mon tbs at
time. We are not allowed to change
clothes nor sit down-while on duty,
and in the few hours that we are off
duty we must sleep with our clothes
on and guns strapped to us.
"We must be ready for death at all
times and pray that it will come to
me soon, for / would accept it with
Joy. But to my sorrow death has
not come, and God only knows how
long we will have to suffer.
PORT ARTHUR's FATE IN BALANCE.
A general land and naval attack
was made on Port Arthur Monday
morning. Heavy lighting has &C.
CURED during the past few days.
The Japanese captured three Russian
batteries and secured positions close
to the inner Notifications. Both
sides lost heavily. The Japanese
have commenced a bombardment
from Lang Mountain on the harbor
and inner defenses.
There is persistent rumor that
Port Arthur has fallen, but it can
not be confirmed.
There is general belief, which is
borne out by the latest dispatches,
that the situation at Port Arthur is
desperate one. Apparently the
Japanese are concentrating all their
energies toward the reduction of the
fortress In order to release heavy
reinforcements for the operations
against General Kuropatkin, and it
is thought that until this has been
accomplished the advance on Lao
Yang will be suspended.
The wife and children of Gen.
Stoessel, commanding at Port Arthur,
escaped to Chinese territory on a !
destroyer. The latter was dismantled
and disarmed, being in neutral
port, but a Japanese cruiser put into
the harbor and took the prize in tow.
This act may cause complications
and bring China into the war.
Before the storming of Port Arthur
began the belligerents declared an
armistice for short while, the Japa.
nese permitting the women and
children and other non combatan Is
to be removed. The big oil house at
Port Arthur is blazing furiously and |
the position of the besieged is such