The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-07
PORT ARTHUR
 IS ISOLATED Jap Troops Cut the Rail-
 road. NO RESISTANCE IS MADE 10000 Men Prepare to As sault the Stronghold. Garrison is Strong and Russia Pro- fesses to Believe that Attempt
 to Capture Town Will
 Not Succeed.

St. Petersburg, May IA dispatch re- | ceived last night says that Port Arthur 1 is cut off from all communication by land. the Japanese having disembarked in it's rear. occupied the railroad and cut the telegraph.
 Vice Admiral Skrydloff. who is en route to Port Arthur to take command of the 1 naval forces in the Far East, will be unable to reach his destination.
 Japanese troops swarming across the narrow neck of the Lao Tung peninsula, the railroad and telegraph communica- tions cut. and the Russian Gibraltar iso- lated and left to its own resources, all this the Russians seem to accept with great stoicism.
 Events Anticipated.
 These events have been anticipated since the outbreak of the war. and the authorities in sense appear to be re- lieved now that the blow has fallen. They assert that the fortress Is impreg- nable and amply provisioned to stand a siege for a year and that 1t can hold out until the time comes to relieve it.
 According to official information, the landing of troops from sixty transports began simultaneously at Pitsewo and Cape Terminal on the morning of May s. It Is also reported that troops are being landed in Kiln Chow, but this Is not credited. as the Russians are known to heve fortihcations there and it is not believed that the Japanese had the dar- ing to land immediately under an en- trenched position from which the Rus sians could infiict severe injury on them.
 Complete details of the landing are lacking owing to the Interruption of communication. No resistance was made, the few Cossacks who observed the fnove-. ment retiring when the warships sheiled the shore prepara tory to disembarkation.
 2O,0O0 Men Ashore.
 Ten thousand men were put ashore Thursday and the disembarkation was proceeding yesterday at the time that communication ceased. It is believed that there are over 10000 now on land pre- pairing for a forward movement.
 Two Japanese regiments were hurried westward yesterday morning to cut the railroad and telegraph communicating. One of these fired on a train conveying the wounded from Port Arthur
 While the landing was proceeding Thursday, the enemys ships. consisting of the battleships Mikasa, -Hatsuese. Shikishima. Yashima and Fuji. and the cruisers Iwate, Idzumo. Adsuma and Asama. made a demonstration off Port Arthur to prevent the possible egress of Russian torpedo boats A number of Japanase torpedo boats were also observ- ed off Miado island in Pigeon Bay.
 The Flight of Alexieff.
 It was because he was convinced that Port Arthur was about to be cut of that Viceroy Alexieff, accompanied by his stan and Grand Duke Boris. left hasu- ly. On Thursday several train loads of sick and wounded and other inef- fectives were despatched northward.
 It was reported that the ships bonn barded Port Arthur early on the morn ing of May 6 and succeeded in closing the entrance but no official confirmation of the latter's statement can be ob- tained.
 The strength of the garrison at Port Arthur is not revealed by the authori- ties who will only say that it is ade- quate for defensive purposes. It is not believed that the force there ex- ceeds 10000 soldiers.
 A large force Is not considered as necessary as was shown from the re- cent withdrawals of some of the troops who were simply a drain on the re- sources of the garrison.
 The fleet must now take a secondary position and the sailors will be used to man the shore guns If necessary.
 Admirals Cut Of.
 Vice Admiral Skyrdloff and Vice Ad- miral Bezobrazoff cannot now reach Port Arthur and will probably go to Vladivostok to join the cruiser squad ron there. Rear Admiral Wittsoeff, who was left in charge of the fleet by Vice. roy Alexieff, win direct operations at Port Arthur.
 Despite the greater number of Jap anese. the general staff believes that their formidable Notifications still give the defensive superiority with the Rus slams. whose staying qualities, 1t is confident, will insure their holding out as long as necessary
 Lieutenant General Stoessel will have supreme command at Port Arthur. He Is described as a high class com mander. His recent proclamations show that he Is imbued with a determi- nation to hold Port Arthur until the last man Is killed.
 Offcers of the general stan say that the landing of the Japanese army on the peninsula and the investment of Port Arthur clarify the military situa-