The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-24


succeeded in BLOCKING the entrance it
would have taken at least sixty days TO
remove the obstacles, and that with the
II IS difficult tor Russian officer 10
talk about the end. II was worse than d
mistake-it was disgrace The fortress
could easily have held out for another
month, as il had food and ammunition
sufficient for that period. and if Kondra-
tenko had remained alive II would have
held out for months longer.
Kondratenko the Real Leader.
In Kondratenko the garrison not only
lost leader. but the one man -,ho had
the ability and the power. through his
tremendous earnestness, to control Stoes-
For nearlr two weeks it was known
among the officers that Stoessel and his
chief of staff Reiss. who was neon
petent. were preparing to surrender
Through S.oessel's servants the soldiers
oecame aware OF what was coming. ara.
brave as they were, the knowledge de-
stroyed their enthusiasm.
AT a council of war held three days
before caDitulation, at which twenty-five
or the higher officers Of the army and
navy were present. General Stoessel rep
resented that if Port Arthur should &c
taken by assault there would be fighting
IN the streets and possibly a massacre.
He mentioned the women and children of
the garrison and said he thought it was
the duty Of the council to avoid such
possibility.
Only Three Willing.
Notwithstanding these representations.
and two others-favored capitulation.
Stoessel's note 10 General NoEi came
without warning, and the word surprise
inadequately expresses our condition after
the sentiment of the majority of the
council had been expressed.
What the officers said and felt and
how the men thought and behaved all
Will be known later hut 1 say now, and
believe that the majority of the officers
of the garrison viii support me, that the
eapitulation Of the fortress was u dis
grace to Russia
Fate of Fleet Sealed.
The capture of 2o3- Metre nill sealed
had previously been able, by constantly
shifting the anchorages, to protect the
shins.
THE fight for the possession of that
hin was the most desperate of the siege
For ten days and nights the japanese
assaulted continuously and bOmbarded
The entire crest of the hill was torn
away. while our defenses were literally
blown away Hand to hand the garr1-
son fought for days and nights IN UNI
protected trenches, which were half filled
with the dead. under a shell fire. The
time came when the realized that the
sending of achievements simply con
signed brave men needlessly ana hopeless
" To death. Then only did the jap
anese take the position.
Effective Pluneing Fire.
From 2os-Metre hill the JaDsrese OBJ
served every movement of the Russian
squadron. They were able to place their
e si1 ,, any part %i me nanDoF Fy ana
the japanese I-inch howitzers was dis
astrously effective. In several instances
these Drojectiles landed on the decks OF
the battlcshiDs and went down clear
through their bottoms.
When the news that General Stoessel
had sent letter to General NoGi OF
ferine TO surrender reached the navy
realized the necessity of destroying
use by the japanese Accordingly on
the night of Jan. l every vessel in the
harbor was ordered to be torpedOed sew
eral times. in the engines. boilers. sha1ts
and tunnels 1t was a hard nights work.
but the Japanese -iH never "a able to
utilize a single ship of our navy at
Port Arthur.
Used Jap Shells
shells from the 11-inch hOwitzers
failed to explode when they struck soft
earth or landed in the water. There
are thousands OF them at the bottom or
the harbor. When we recovered one
that had not been exploded we imrnedi
ately sent il back 10 the japanese. ms
waG possible. because the rifiing OF the
Japanese guns runs from lett TO right.
which the rifling an ours runs from right
To left, and both howitzers are the same
I'VE greatly admire the japanese. The
infantry are wonderful soldiers and then
patience is amazing The manner Ill, IN
opposition compelled admiration
Enemy Was Ingenious.
Our men are plSBer ana SliOiiStI- Out
the japanese are Quicker on their feet
They are very ingenious. Some of their
ingenuity was perhaps unfair. bat they
generally paid the price, although II
took our soldiers long time to realize
the subtiety of their methods
I'VE never feared = Ja2anesc attempt
to take the forts by assault. The Rus
sian soldiers werc always anxious to
meet the Japanese at close quarters and
even ct the last our men were conf
dent of their superiority with the bayo-
net
The japanese behaved eXccllently when
they entered Port Arthur. and there WAS
no SlIgges ton of disorder or lawlCsSneSS.
u came as a prisoner to JaDan be-
cause 1 felt il to be my duty to snare
the destinies of our men.
I do not criticise those who gave their
parole. but | believe that ! would be
dishonOred If l returned 10 Russia after
doing So.
4 GUARANTEED CURE FOR PILES