Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-01-06
PORT ARTHUR
IN BAD SHAPE
THE FORTRESS AND TOWN DE-
scRlBED AS A COMPLETE
WRECK.
HARBoR BLocKADED
BY SUNKEN SHIPS
The Russian Officers viii be Allowed
to Return to Their Homes on Pa
roIe-The Rank and File Will
Go to Japan as Prisoners.

The people of st. Petersburg have
received with composure the news of
the fate of Port Arthur The event
had been anticipated and the minds of
the populace were prepared to receive
with resignation the announcement of
the fact by the publication of dis
patches forwarded last week by Gen.
Stoessel describing the straits to
which the garrison had been reduced.
The expectation in some quarters that
the surrender of the fortress would be
followed at the capital by anti-war
demonstrations has not been realized.
So far as there has been any express
sion of feeling it has been for carrying
on the war with all the vigor possible.
The text of the articles of capitula-
ton of the Port Arthur garrison sign
ed by the commissioners representing
Gen. Stoessel and Gen. Nogi has been
made public. All Russian soldiers,
marines and civil officials of the gar
rison and harbor are made prisoners;
all forts, batteries, vessels, munitions,
ETC., are transferred to the Japanese in
the condition in which they existed at
uOOi VI NlOlelllOh VI llAlo
clause to operate as an annulment of
the negotiations, giving the Japanese
army warrant to take free action; the
Russian military and naval authorities
are to furnish to the Japanese army
an exhibit of all fortifications, under
ground and submarine mines, a list of
military officers, of ships and the num-
bers of their crews, and of civilians of
both sexes, with their race and occu-
pations and all public property, as
buildings, munitions of war, ETC., to be
left in the present position pending ar
rangement for their transferrence.
Officers of the army and navy are per-
mitted to retain their swords and such
of their personal property as is direct
ly necessary for the maintenance of
life, and with one servant each may,
upon signing their parole not to take
arms during the continuance of the
war, return to Russia. Non-commis-
stoned officers and privates will be
held as prisoners.
Further details of the negotiations
and of conditions at Port Arthur have
been brought to Che Foo. The fortress
and town are described as a complete
wreck, and the harbor entrance has
been blocked by the sunken ships. 1t
was mere handful of men who sur
rendered and the Japanese have won
a desert strewn with debris.
Gen. Stoessel's dispatches to the
Russian general staff tell of the raw
ages of scurvy among the garrison,
which increased enormously the list of
the disabled; of the increasing cas-
ualty lists, and finally of the eXhau3-
ton of the ammunition supply.
Che Foo, Jan. 4.-Some interesting
statistics concerning the defense of
Port Arthur were brought here by the
f1otilla of Russian torpedo boat de-
stroyers, which carried numerous
chests containing records of Gen.
Stoessels army.
Originally the army numbered S5,-
900. Eleven thousand have been
killed, 10000 are wounded or sick and
5000 remained in the forts, of whom,
however, 1000 were unable to fight.
When Gen. Stoessel wrote to Gen.
Nogi regarding the surrender of the
fortress he said
81 have 5000 men in the forts and
5000 of these are able to fight. If you
40 nOI accept my prOpOSdl lncSe men
will die fighting, but it will cost you
three times their number to kill
them"
During the siege 265 per cent of the
garrison were put out of action. This
remarkable fact was due to wounded
men returning to the front Cases
have been recorded where men have
gone to hospitals four times, return
ing convalescent to the forts.
The number of officers killed was
proportionately greater than in any
battle known in history.
Capt. Kartzow, commanding the
Russian torpedo boat destroyer flo
tilla which escaped from Port Arthur
and entered the harbor of Che Foo
Monday, tells curious story of bluff
lag" by the Russians at the beginning
of the war, when, although there was
plenty of ammunition at Port Arthur,
there was none on the ships under
Golden Hill save blank cartridges
used for Salutes.
On three occasions when the Jap
anese warships approached at long
range the Russians opened noisy fire
with blank ammunition, the Japanese
in each instance retiring.
A Big Coinage of Gold.
Philadelphia, Jan. 4.-The largest