The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-31
RUSSIAN SAILOR
WRITES LETTER
MisSive Falls INTO the Hands
of the Japanese.
DARK DAYS AT PORT ARTHUR
CAPTURE OF THE PLACE SAID
TO BE CERTAIN.

r OKIO. Dec. so G,vening).-The navy
department. published tonight let
ter written by a man Of she bat
tleship Sevastopol which had fallen in
10 the hands Of the Japanese. Inc
writer despairs Of the re',ei or
the fortress ana tells OF the
destruction wrought by japanese sheus
He says the Russians are resigned 10
their fate but are determined to ngnt 10
a finish rather than suffer the shame OF
surrender, owing 10 starvation. toilo"-
ing is the text Of the letter:
'"The fortress cannot resist after De-
cember. The progress OF the enemy IN
reducing our principal line of outer De
lenses is not fully known. but 1t is ir-
we are sadly disappointed over the
non-arrval Of the Second Pacific squad
ron and are daily nearing our miserable
end.
Line Not Impregnable.
General StocsserS SOcalled impregna-
bic line Of outer defenses is now a myth
With zJ3-Meter hill lost the fan OF Port
Arthur cannot he avoided It's capture
! by the Japanese means the fail of the
town, however strong the other defenses.
The new town Is AT the mercy of the
eRemy's fire. The Old town atone is de-
| fendable and here alone may resistance
/ be prolonged.
'"Two-tbirds Of the defenders of 20s-
Meter hin were lost.
The SeVastOpOl which was exposed to
| the enemy's fire in the day time. or the
/ night Of Dec \. without being towed. left
/ the harbOr with only Ill Instead Of her
| complement Of $50 souls. When she went
4 out she had her nets down, but was
/ struck twice by the enenys torpedoes
| and was beached, irreparably damaged.
/ General StOessel highly praised the OfIi-
/ GERS and crew Of the ship
/ Fuel Is almost understandable and il is
| impossible TO keep our bodies warm
! Isolation Complete.
We no longer have wireless tele-
/ graph system and have no means Of COM
| municating with the outside world. Our
! isolation is complete. There is no news
/ and we have had no information for a
! long time. 1t is impossible 10 smuggle
| ammunition The King Arthur brought
! only barley.
CThc King Arthur. q British steamer.
to leave Port Arthur. by the Japanese
guardship AsagsTi. She had on board
/ Russian naval officers Who We're at
| tempting tc join the Russian second Pa
cifc squadron. She is now at sasebo,
/ undergoing trial.
Hole in Her Hull.
There is a large hole in the hull Of
the SevastOpOl and she is completely dis
abled. All that remains for those on
board her is 20 do their utmost in re-
pUlsing the enemys attacks.
The enemy's torpedo boats came cIase
they were going through ordinary maueu-
| Vers-
I Should the Sevastopol sink we are 70
land at a place already decided uDOn
All are, however, prepared TO fight "a
the very last. on us Of the SpvaEtopoI
depends the duty Of retaining the honor
or the navy and avoiding the shame and
humiliation OF Threatened starvation. We
/ would rather die than be thus shamed.
Pierced the Decks.
From Dec. J the enemy'5 ten-inch
shells began 10 fail on the deck OF the
SevastopoI and some Of them pierced
through the decks 10 the bottom of The
ship.
Who is responsible for the fate We
face: IL is he who did not give instruc-
lions for the prevention Of "a japanese
landing Oh the Lao Tung peninsula.
Among our officers there are very
few who dare 10 brave death the ma
Jority having no other desire than II
save their owIH lives. but we are deter
mined TO die fighting"