The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-12-13
Russian Officers English Wife
Describes Scenes.
SHARED IN THE DEFENSE
Women at Work Aiding the Hospitals
and.Making Clothes for the Troops
Band Played Daily to Cheer
Wounded Soldiers.

Mrs. Anna kravtchenko. the English
wife OF Russian army officer, who ar
rived at Chefu few nights ago with
Lieutenant Prince Radziwill from Port
Arthur. is tie first woman to run the
blockade from the Russian stronghold
since the japanese Increased their vigl-
lance to prevent egress from the port,
says Chefu dispatch Her trip was
rendered extremely perilous because
she came out with the prince and his
companion. Lieutenant Christoforoff
who carried messages from Lieutenant
General Stoessel. the commander at
Port Arthur to General Kuropatkin.
Mrs. Kravtchenko in an interview
said.
1--WE left Port Arthur at O'Clock on
the night Of sept - There was a
good wind and the moon was bright
We were successful in avoiding the
danger OF the first japanese blockading
line. we came up to the second line
when the moon was under cloud
searehlights were flashing on all sides.
but cur junk was not discovered We
suddenly discovered ourselves close tp
another junk with a Japanese crew on
board. They presumably we're pirates
but we outsailed them and drew away
AT o'clock the next morning we
saw steamship coming IN our direc-
ton. she had the appearance Of a
cruiser, and ] was terribly frightened
/ When we saw the cruiser Prince Rad
ziwill and Lieutenant ChristoforoH
went below stretched myself out
on deck and covered myself with dirty
blankets. Chinese were lying nj my
feet and at my sides and for nearly an
hour, although nearly smothered. I
kept my position never uttered ]
more thankful prayer than when ! WAS
informed that the ship We had seen
was Red Cross vessel and that her
captain had no intention Of overhaul
ing us,
Wonderful things are being done by
the stats OF the different hospitals AZ
Port Arthur. who are assisted BY Ia.
dies. There are thirty nurses for each
thousand patients The ladies' devote
most Of their time 10 the making Of
clothes for the soldiers Tile laundry
work Is done BIZ the poor women and
the wives OF the enlisted men. The III
and wounded are thus kept supplied
with clean clothing The laundry work
/ has to be done III dreadful heat
fThcre are no contagious diseases a.
Port Arthur, hut many deaths are re-
sultIng from tie bite OF large rcd
headed fly which feeds on the decon
1 posing corpses scattered over the bat
tleaelds. "A doctor who was bitten or
the thumb by one 81 these flies instant
/ i severed that member He then Lac
his arm amputated, bur not before ths
poison had reached bis heart The re
suit of the bite was fatal
Every day in the week the band
plays at one Of the hospitals The
wounded men recover quickly from
the wounds inflicted by Maxim projec
tiles and BY the bullet Of the Osaka
rifle. but tie wounds resulting from
explosive bullets are awful. and re
covery is Impossible
iThe old town OF Port Arthur is III
most entirely wrecked The streets
are filed with holes made BY expIod
ing shells The loss Of life In Port Ar
thur from the bombardment has beer
| remarkably small Once counte,
fifty seven japanese shells fired at |
Russian battery not one Of which
reached It's mark
1.-THE Russian garrison Is cheerful
II would be- impossible to imagine /
Drawer Or finer set Of men They re
turn from their days duty il tn
trenches with songs on their lips All
though many places In the ranks ar
vacant all the men have unlimited
confidence 10 their power TO hold TIL
fortress against the enemy