Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1904-03-24

Meets was incessanb'
There was one fine duel. A Japa-
nese battieship engaged q Russian
battleship, and the two steamed up
and down delivering constant broad
sides.
Then there was a mighty tragedy
One large Russian cruiser was seen to
stagger under an explosion either of a
torpedo or her own magazine, and
then, within three minutes, go down
stern first. She carried all her ON
GERS and men with her.
Not the slightest effort was made
by the other ships Of the Russian fleet
to save any of their comrades. They
were too busily engaged to heed the
distress of their fellows; and up to
the time the Flu Ping sailed there was
no news that any Of the unfortunates
had been picked up.
The Japanese opened the fight at
11:1O a. m. The last shot was fired at
1850, the battle lasting just forty
minutes; but it was too hot to last
longer.
Then the Japanese fleet withdrew
and Capt. Gray and his officers left
their shelter under the forts at the
west harbor mouth and rowed back
to the Flu Ping. From the steamers
bridge the captain watched the re-
turn of the battered Russian sea fight
ers.
Admiral Stark's flagship, the Petro
pavlovsk, came limping in with shot
through her bow and other disabili-
ties. Seven cruisers and torpedo boats
also came in for repairs. The other
Russian ships crept closer under the
shelter of the forts. Tugs went to
work on the shattered and stranded
Cesarevitch and she was towed to the
center of the harbor. But her stern
settled slowly to the bottom, throwing
her bow out of water. Evidently she
was hard hit.
The Russians brought in reports Of
the capture of a Japanese cruiser and
torpedo boat, but they showed no
prizes. They also spread stories of
the great damage they had inflicted
on the enemy.
But these stories could not quell
the panic prevailing in Port. Arthur.
When the morning showed the dam
age to the feet inflicted by the Japa-
nese in their night attack the houses
of the merchants opened for business.
The people said that whatever dam
age had been done the ships the town
was safe and impregnable. But the
battle of the day had changed all this
feeling of confidence into one Of dis
may.
Shells had fallen thickly in town
and harbor From much of the fire
it seemed that the Japanese were try.
ing to destroy or disable the great
dry dock on which the Russians de-
pend for the repairing of their injured
ships. This dock is in the east basin
and one shell actually fell In It, but
did not explode.
This rain of shells destroyed the
last vestige of the peoples confidence
in the impregnability of their town,
and when Admiral Stark's flagship
came staggering home from the fight
the panic became pitiful. The Chi
nese had already scuttled for the hills
and one Japanese shell fell near a
flock of them, covering them with de-
bris and accelerating their flight.
But the panic soon passed beyond
the coolies and took hold of both the
devotees of business and the votaries
of pleasure. 1t must be remembered
that the Russian is a pleasure-loving
animal and there has been at Port
| Arthur a reckless pleasure seeking
| which out-P arisians the gay people Of
the French capital.
Ever since the Russian occupation
and fertilization of the place Russian,
French, Austrian, American and Japa-
nese women have focked in, and
everything at night has been given
over to pleasuring.
The Hotel De France, the Palermo,
| the Sarato, the theater and Baronf-
sky's circus are too well known to Wis
itors to Port Arthur to require de-
scription, and no visitors are likely
to forget the abandon Of the votaries
! of these places. They were to Port
! Arthur what the Moulin Rouge the
Nouvean Cirque, the Follies Bergeres
and the Gruber are to Paris. Dinner
parties, theater parties and masked
balls after kept the meTriment going
until o'clock In the morning, and
such was the case on the morning OF
Japans first heroic attack.
But with the opening Of the bonn.
bardment on the 9th ali thought Of
pleasure and all idea Of business van
ished. The houses Of the merchants
closed with bang. Many employees
fed to the hills or took the first train
toward Mukden and Hardin The
Chinese sEarmed away like the ira.
ditional rats leaving the laundering
ship. The freight trains. as well as
the passenger coaches, we're crowded
With refugees, All sorts Of convey