The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-31

lJNDGN L
All the time we ran the shells were
whirring and whizzing over our heads
and dropping all around us, and unless
you experienced it you could never
realize how terrible it is. If one side
had been British we would not have
felt SO badly, but to be killed in bat
tie between two powers, neither of
which were anything to us, seemed too
awful. OF course the Russian shells
did not come in our direction, but the
laps poured them in upon u.s. They
were firing at the fort, but we were
Immediately under the fort, and got the
full benefit of the shells. Everyone
said the laps made splendid aim and
range. There is not one place of pro-
lection in the town, and it was terrible
to see the people flying in every direc-
ton, looking for protection and finding
none. No buildings were destroyed,
but all the window glass was broken.
A shell went through one Russian
transport ship lying opposite us, and
made a great hole in her side Another
struck the deck of a nan-of-war and
sent the wooden structure on the ship
in every direction. The firing lasted
perhaps an hour and half, we were
under shelter of high hill on V. ch
the fort was built, and
HUDDLED IN ONE MASS
were Russian officers and soldiers and
their wives, Cinnamon and the captains,
officers and men of the British steam
ers. After the firing ceased we still did
not know what to do and did not know
what minute it would commence again.
But at last some Russians came from
the fort and told us the Japs had gone
away, but everyone expected they would
return again in the night. Our ship had
her cargo all discharged and was quite
empty, so a shell would go through her
anywhere, and there was no safe place
in her to go; but the Toxton Hall had
half her cargo in her, and Capt. Kilvert
thought that down in the tunnel under the
cargo ofcoal, would be khe safest place he
knew of, for he thought shell could not
penetrate through all the coal. So he |
asked us over to his ship, if we liked to
come. Of course we went, for misery
likes company" 1t was a miserable day
and an equally miserable night. We lay |
down with our clothes on, but not to /
sleep, for we were listening every min
ute for the boom of the guns. But the |
Japs did not return, and this morning !
the two captains went to see the port
admiral to get his permission to leave; |
but he gave orders instead that no |
British or American ships were to leave
that day While the captains were on
shore the Russians were bringing in
DEAD AND WOUNDED.
CHASTITY, awful sights they were.
However, we have not given UP, and
this afternoon the two captains have
gone again. We must make an effort
to save our lives and those of the crew,
about one hundred British subjects in
all. The admiral said that the Japs
had violated the laws of war, and Civ
ing no notice, had fired on them while
ships of neutral powers were in port.
We think that is why he is holding US
here, for the Russians will make capital
OF this firing on British ships and
wounding a British subject, thinking
to divert the sympathy of the other
nations from Japan. In fact, we all
think it was very unwise move of ia