Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-09-30
PORT ARTHUR EEfUGEE
Russian Officers English Wife
Describes Scenes In Fortress.
WOVEN SHARED IN THE DEFENSE
Have Been at work Aiding In Hospi-
tails and Making Clothes For Troops.
Band Played Daily to Cheer wound
ed-Russian Garrison, Cheerful, Re
turned From Trenches singing.

Mrs. Anna Kravtchenko, the English
wife of a Russian army officer, who ar
rived at Chefu few nights ago with
Lieutenant Prince Radziwill from Port
Arthur. is the first woman TO run the
blockade from the Russian stronghold
since the Japanese increased their vigi-
lance to prevent egress from the port
SAYS a Chefu dispatch. Her trip was
rendered extremely perilous because
she came out with the prince and his
companion. Lieutenant Christoforo1,
who carried messages from Lieutenant
General Stoessel. the commander at
Port Arthur to General kuropatkin.
Mrs. Kravtchenko in an interview
said:
we left Port Arthur at s o'clock on
the night of Sept. 10. 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.
Searchlights were flashing on all sides,
/ but our junk was not discovered We
suddenly discovered ourselves close 10
another Junk with Japanese crew on
board. They presumably We're pirates
but we outSuiled them and drew away
! AT & O'Clock the next morning we
saw steamship coming in our direc'
ton She had the appearance of q
J cruiser. and | was terribly frightened
. Wien we saw the cruiser Prince Rad
twill and Lieutenant Christoforofl
went below. stretched myself out
on deck and covered myself with dirty
blankets Chinese We're lying at my
feet and at my sides, and for nearly an
hour although nearly smothered,
kept my position. | never uttered d
more thankful prayer than when | was
4 informed that the ship we had seeI
+ was Red Cross vessel and that hel
/ captain had no intention of overhaul
! ing us.
Wonderful things are being done by
the STATS of the different hospitals at
7 Port Arthur, who are assisted by la
dies. There are thirty nurses for eacl
thousand patients. The ladies devote
; most of their time TO the making OF
clothes for the soldiers The laundry
work is done by the poor women anC
the wives of the enlisted men. The il
and wounded are thus kept supplied
with clean clothing. The laundry worl
has to be done in dreadful heat.
There are no contagious diseases a
/ Fort Arthur, but many deaths are re
sulting from the bite of large rec
headed fly which feeds on the decom
posing cOrpSes scattered over the bat
tietelds. a doctor who was bitten OF
the thumb by one of these flies instant
! ly severed that member. He then haC
his arm amputated, but not before tn,
| poison had reached his heart The re
suit of the bite was fatal.
Every day in the week the bant
plays at one of the hospitals. Tn,
wounded men recover quickly from
the wounds inflicted by Maxim proiee
tiles and by the bullet of the Osaka
rifle, but the wounds resulting from
explosive bullets are awful, and re
covery is impossible.
THE old town of Port Arthur is al
most entirely wrecked The street.
are filled with holes made by explod
ing shells. The loss of life in Port Ar
thur from the bombardment has beer
remarkably small. Once counted
tifty-seven japanese shells fired at {
Russian battery, not one of whicl
reached its mark.
THE Russian garrison is cheerful
1t would be impossible to imagine /
Drawer or finer set of men They re
turn from their days duty in tn,
trenches with songs on their lips. Al
though many places in the ranks ar,
vacant, all the men have unlimited
confidence in their power to hold til,
fortress against the. enemy"