Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-02-11
sToEssELs EXPLANATION.

rived at Alden, Arabia, at 8 o'clock yes
terday evening, carrying among her
other passengers General Stoessel, former
commander of the Russian forces at
Port Arthur; generals, 2 admirals, 1876
other officers and l49 artillery soldiers,
formerly of the Port Arthur garrison.
Nine. Stoessel brings with her six Or
pbans, whom she has adopted, sons OF
officers who fell at Port Arthur. Com.
munication between the Australien and
the shore is not allowed on account OF
recrudescence of the plague there, where
there are 80 deaths day.
A correspondent sends the following:
"We we're able to embark, thanks to
the isolation of rock in front Of Alden,
on which is plague hospital. We were
graciously received by General Stoessel
and General Reiss, his chief OF staff,
who acted as interpreter. They said i
was sad thing to return yanqulshed,
but they we're conscious OF having done
their duty in holding the fortress as long
as they did.
'They could not have held Port
Arthur at the most for four days longer,
said General Stoessel. The munitions
and food supplies had been almost
completely exhausted. There remained
only G, 900 loaded shells snd 1000, 600
cartridges, which were powerlcss against
the ll-inch guns which rained their
fire upon the Russian front, 20 kilo'
meters long in the garrison.
There we're 10000 men, of whom
IS. 900 were in hospital and 1000 were
noncombatants. OF the remaining 5000
nearly 5000 were afflicted with scurTy,
and were obliged to fight seated or lying
down in the trenches.
"For several months, continued Cen
eral Stoessel the soldiers received 200
grams of horse meat apiece each week.
gSIl the food was prepared with machine
oil.
After September the only ships which
succeeded in running the blockade we're
the steamer King Arthur, commanded by
French captain, and three junks. All
brought -four.
1.-The last news we received from the
outside world was on September ~,
when telegram from General kuropat-
kin said he would come to relieve US IN
three months. We received no news OF
the feet under Vice Admiral RoJest-
venski.
"The desperate state of the garrison
and the physical and technical exhaustion
of the fleet were followed by the capture
of a high mountain, 203 Meter Hill,
which resulted in the enemy taking
away our principle means of resistance"
General Stoessel added that he thought
the prolougation of the struggle would
have caused pitiable carnage, and he de-
cided on the capitulation on his own aa-
thority and without consulting anyone.
He concluded by saying
"rhe Car and my people will Judge
if | should have prolonged the siege oI
made a heroic but criminal sortie, ol
whether | was right to prefer less
great name in military annals TO having
| 80. 600 lives on my conscience"
A number of the other officers whom
7 interviewed did not share this mora
satisfaction of General Stoessel. They
expressed violent resentment toward Ad
miral Prince Oulitowsky for his disas
trous handling of the feet against seyera
incapable generals, and, above all, agains
ex.Viceroy Alexieff. The last named
they declared, had foreseen nothing ant
prepared nothing. Is was necessary U
reconstruct the greater part OF the fortlh
cations under deplorable conditions su'
under fire OF the enemy,
The officers declared that Genera
Stoessel was a brave man, but not
genius. General Kondratenko, the
said, was the real soul of the defense an
was adored by his men. When he die
Port Arthur died with him.
Smyrnoff and several other generals
in spite of the Cars permission, pre-
| ferred captivity to a shameful return. L
spite of the sympathy of the passenger
and the warm ovations they received q
Saigon, the Russian officers on the Aus
traiien are all melancholy. When the
| we're asked if they were glad to return
| their iatherland, they replied, NO." an
added, sadly, thatifGeneral KondratenE
| had been in command at Port Arthl
they would not have been a prisoner.
| The Russians will leave the Australia
at Port Said. One officer, who isill, di