The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-12
Quadrangle in Which Sea
Fighting Will Occur.
GEOGRAPHY OF THE EAST
VladiVStock Transformed from
Village to Stronghold

date. and west to the beginning point
These limits include the principal sea
fighting and land engagements, declare:
the New York Evening Post
Hakodate is the northerly seaport OF
Japan threatened by the enemys flee
from Vladivostok, and Chenulpo is or
the western coast of the Korean peninsu-
Ia not far from Seoul, the capital.
Formerly the terminus of the TRANSIT
berian railway, before the seizure of Port
Arthur by the repacious Slav, Vladivostok
was founded thirty-five years ago. Whit
in the last decade vast sums were spent
to transform the simple fishing village
into the fortified Command of the East. -
Many forts were built. and in 1s99-l9O0 il
contained a garrison of 2s.000 In process
Of construction or completed are three
docks, AZ a total cost of about $1,000, Oy1
rubies; wharf two and a half miles
long, and extensive barracks. If the Japs
held il. il would be considered an i'm
pregnable position. Until recently, there
was a difficulty in the harbor being ice
bound from December ill April But now
icebreaking machines are used TO keep
the port clear Ice, in fact, seems to
b play part In the strategy of defense
and offense. II is possible for the Rus
sian feet TO make a sortie on the enemy's
country, return TO Vladivostok. and let
the ice freeze round them fast so that
the little brown men cannot get at them.
This is no comic opera situation.
magnificent sight greets the approach
ing traveller to Vladivostok. Around the
Shining blue roadstead, large enough to
contai ma dozen navies. rise the green
hills TO a height of 500 feet; along the
crests appear the white parapets of forts.
and below struggles the red-roofed town
for nearly five miles. All this lies on the
south side Of a peninsula called Mara
vieI-Anursky, a score of miles in length.
Twa narrow passages divided by Dundas
Island, half a mile north, and then turns
to the east about one mile. The hills,
sloping sharply to the waters edge, have
been stripped of trees. They were form
erly thought to contain gold. whence the
name Golden Horn. Another name Of old
charts is Port May.
The steep streets Of the town. dusty in
dry weather are lined with plank side
walks and have a considerable traffic Of
slow-noving droskies. The fair-haired
Hnd fiat-nosed Russian drivers wear beav-
ar hats with rolling brims. Jackets with
Scarlet sleeves. plated black skirts. and
top boots. The fare is eighty kopeks for
thirty minutes-unless there are over
charges One sees also the picturesque
sroika with its middle horse trotting I'M
Ger an arch of wood. All these blonde
giants. of drivers commune. with their
eteeds in confidential sing-song which
may include criticisms of the fare" in
aide
What have We got now. little broth
or" says the driver to his horse in ST.
herian dialect. What have we got now?
Is he an American or is he a Crutch?
CAIeaning Korean..) 1 don't care for his
looks. do you? That's right. give him /
n good jolting! This place is getting to be |
the gutter for the whole world
There comes by a water hogshead on 1
wheels, drawn by black bull and driv-
en- by soldiers. This is the water supply /
Tor the forts. Then appears a horse We
hicle. called slangily the 'staside.'-a 1
cushioned beam on which several officers /
straddle with dangling legs. one behind |
the other. The alien population of Chin
csc. Koreans, and Japanese find work as /
coolies boatmen, and shopkeepers. The /
Chinese, as elsewhere is an excellent
merchant and the Japanese. in addition
10 other things. is a good chef The Rus
slams at Vladivostok may have learned to
their sorrow by this writing how much
their welfare depended upon japanese
cookery The eating houses or cafes have
cosmopolitan bills of fare with standard
supplies Of caviar. kimchi picked fish.
chop suey. and vodka
There is a great variety of dwellings
ranging from the mujiks log hut to the
coolies home Of mud and the palatiaI
German residence with electric lights :
The orthodox Greek church at the waters
edge is of a wierd type. mingling Of
Greek lines and dubious Oriental effects
there being two large towers and two
smaller ones. At the time this visit was
made. the officiating priest had blonde
hair and magnificent robes Of golden
cloth The worshippers were very de-
vout doffing their hats outside the church
and kneeling through the entire service.
On coming cut of the church they kissed
one another.
OF public buildings there are two hos
pitfalls. military and naval clubs. a boys
seminary, where science is unknown. an |
nstitutute for girls, and museum The :
governors residence is surrounded by a /
public garden where the band plays ma
lCnal music in summer. At that season (
7ooling drinks are needed as well as mu- ,
sic. for the thermometer reaches 100 de- :
,rees Fahrenheit. There are several no
els. Of which the best have billiard
-ooms- The Lutheran church and other {
denominations are represented. There is {
| brewery. a photograph studio. green
houses. brick kilns banks enough. and s
'ampan ferries in the harbor at ten ko- I
,cks fare. :
The main impression one gets is that s
he streets swarm with big. raw boned /
oldiers in dark trousers and great fur I
APPS. swords hung in straps from their \
light shoulders --. :
Nladivostok has n triple government 4
ach more or less independent The naval a
tation is under an admiral. and the mill c
ary under a governor. while the civil c
is represented by mayor and I
own council. y
Port Arthur. at the tip Of the Manchu-
ian peninsula, between the Bay of Korea /:
nd the Gulf Of Pechili, is Ike a claw Of s
he Great eBar threatening the heart Of p
he Chinese empire. II is within easy f
triking distance OF Pekin. and equally is
svorable for attack on the Korean carl o
II. While other nations have established o
themselves here and there along the Fl
oasts. Russia has lunged the body Of its ri
mpire into three territories. O.
Here hostilities began with the brilliant II
,rpedo coup of the Japs destroying the &
over Of the Cars fleet. "
Before it was taken by the pesce-l loving is