The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-06
MADE A BRAVE DEFENCE

Port Arthur Garrison Reached the
Limit of Human Endurance-Stoes-
sci Would Fight Till Every Man
Was Killed.
Che Foo, January 2.-CMidnight)
Kartzow of the Russian
boat destroyer Vlastni. which
here today, in an inter-
with the Associated Press cores
lpondent tonight, said:
Port Arthur falls of exhaustion, ex-
Ihaustion not only of ammunition, but
of men.
The remnan Of the garrison left
had been doing the work of heroes for
five days and five nights, but yesterday
they reached the limit of human endur-
I'm the classmates of the forts one
saw everywhere faces black with star
exhaustion and nerve-straln.
You spoke to them. but they did not
give answer, only staring dumbly.
THE lack of ammunition alone would
mot nave suggested the seeking OF
Scant ammunition had long
been comon in the fortress and during
the past month many Of the forts
had nothing with which to return the
fire Of the enemy.
''Tle Russians sat in the classmates,
firing not more than once to the TWO
hundred shots sent by the Japanese.
When the assault came they repIlsed
the enemy with Eayonets. But the
linen themselves, having existed TOR
three months o necuderd etaoin shrdlu
three months on reduced rations were
so worn that it is marvellous they stood
the final strain SO long.
yesterday General StOesse1 would
still fight. His wound which was re-
ceived early in the seige, had been both
lering him but his determination to
fight while one man stood had not been
diminished.
But we canno fight said his gen.
Ierals. Our men cannot move. They
sleep standing. They cannot see their
bayonets at their rests. We can order,
,but they cannOt obey
Then you generals fight said Sto-
iessel. clenching his fists
He seemed fanatical ON the subject,
but finally he was brought to see his
reason by the insistence of his subor-
ldinates. Admirals LocEinsky and W.
ren. General Smirnoff and Flock ara
many others. sometimes with broken
voices urged the step which all dread
led 50 .on g.
i 81. sure Port Arthur would have
i uGiit te1ms a month asr rad 1t 10.
|baen for Gene"a. .Stoessei. who with
lnul. dog tenacity steadilv refused &c
permit uch action to be taken. He had
toll his emperor that Ia would neve
surranCer and meant to keep his woci.
The greatest loss suffered by Port
ARTHUR occurred a fortnight ago when
Major General Krondatenko was killed.
IOfficers and men alike regarded him as
the brightest star in Port Arthur's fir
TXY1~o~ hSc 1aoI ho00 n
known the fall in the spirits of the SOL
,,diers was plainly visible.
General KOndratenko was seated in
the casemate Of a certain fort discuss
ing with seven other officers the best
way of counter mining against the
Japanese when an eleven inch shell
burst, killing everybody in the case
ment.
General Nogi has taken Port Arthur
with his artillery and his tunnels. His
rifle bullets were seldom ound to be
of any use.
I'VE constantly endured a lombard
ment fercer than any in history. The
Japanese periodically assaulted and
then. if repulsed, they calmly resumed
their bombardments.
W who came here today do not
know the terms of surrender suggested
by General Stoessel to General Nogi,
NOR h answer to them, having left
Port Arthur even before the messen-
ger had been despatched. The general
impression, however, is that Stoessel has
proposed that the army shall go free
and that he alone be made a prisoner.
Even that concession seemed 10
wrench out the sturdy old mans
heart.
I'VE still have some ammunition and
some guns on Liaoti mountain but that
mount Ain is not adapted for the best
defense from the land side ~ the Jqp-
lapese would find it's capture easier than
THE other tasks they have attempted.
Tigers Tail peninsula has to be similer-
Ily viewed and Golden Hill has been
without ammunition for three months
TT is a simple story Had the amnu-
milton held out the fortress would have
held out indefinitely. For months @e
held Port Arthur by bayonets alone
until flesh and blood could do no more
When = man fell there was none other
Ito replace him. Thus the garrison wac
gradually worn down. Two hundred
land three metre hill alone cost US $500
linen. the capture OF that hin was the
Ibeginn ng Of the end"
RUSSIAN SECOND PACIFIC SQUAD
RON.
Tamatiye, Madagascar, January H.
Vice Admiral RojestveDsky's division
Iof the Russian second Pacific squad
IRON consisting OF five battleships, three
CRUISERS, the transports Kamschatka
land the hospital ship Orel anchored IN
1.-THE roadstead OF Saint Marie today.
THE dispatch boat Libau afterwards
visited Tamatave to file dispatches She
Twill rejoin the division this evening
The Libau reports that the Russian
I~warships are in excellent condition de-