Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-09
LIFE IN PORT ART HUR
Experience Of Lieutenant Nc
Gully Of the Navy.
A STORY OF INTEREST
REASONABLY COMFORTABLE AND
HAD NO CAUSE TO COMPLAIN.
Attacks of the Japanese on Land and
Sea-Departure for Vladivostok-
In Mukden During Battle.
A STORY OF INTEREST

lures in Port Arthur, tells his story in a
very modest but interesting way.
II was sent over in February, 1904. he
says, Ito go with the Russians as an OBJ
server for the Navy Department. 1 went
via st. Petersburg and the Great Siberian
railroad to Lac yang, and reported at the
headquarters of Gen. EUROPA tkin. was
delayed there for two weeks, trying to get
a permit to go to Port Arthur, and finally
obtained it just as the japanese We're
landing to begin the siege. On the 4th or
18th of May l started for Port Arthur with
q scouting party of Primorski dragons
from Russian province of that name,
which means by the sea- They were I'M
der command of Capt. Boutakofr, a cousin
of the present naval attache of the Rus
sian embassy here. The railway had been
torn up in places The japanese had blown
up q bridge TO prevent the Russians from
using it, while the Russians had torn up
a lot OF track to prevent the Japanese from
using it. So We had to go on horseback
until reached the lower end OF the ilne,
which was still in working order. we
We're three days on the march. All hao
was the clothes l wore, a camera and a
canteen, but l got part of my baggage
few days later. The dragons drove the
japanese off as to let an ammunition
train through, and my friends at Lao
yang had put some of my baggage on one
of the wagons. l got the rest of 1t SIX
months later. They sent 1t back to head
quarters and kept X carefully for me until
my return.
Life In Port Arthur.
Upon arriving at Port Arthur, L was
assigned quarters in a Chinese house near
the navy yard, with two Germans-Capt.
Hopman and Lieut.. Won Gilgenheim-and
the French observer, Viscount Cuverville
1 had good room, and We took meals
at the naval club. There We're no Ameri-
cans or English In Port Arthur at the
time. Hector Fuller, newspaper CORE
spondent, came in while | was there. but
l did not see him or know anything about
him until after he had been sent away
l remained In Port Arthur from May
to August IA.
I'VE We're reasonably comfortable and
had nothing to complain Of Everybody
was very polite to US and there was plenty
of timed goods TO eat and plenty of tea
to drink, but very little fresh meat or Vege-
tables. We were allowed to go around the
hills and up and down the beach, and could
see d good deal. l visited all the ships In
the harbor, but they would not let me go
out with them when they went to meet
the Japanese fleet. l did not expect they
would, because it Is not customary to per-
nit foreigners to accompany ships of war
into action.
The blockade was not very strict before
the 9th of July. / saw the feet go out
on June Z1 ana august III 1OT tHOSS t"O
fights, as a fleet; and single ships or squad
rons of battleships and cruisers frequent
ly went out to engage the enemy. They
would exchange shots and then return to
the harbor. The Russian officers were
friendly and talked freely but would not
give US any official data. They gave US
every opportunity, however, to see their
methods of laying mines and taking them
up, and the effect OF the mines upon the
enemy. l did not see the japanese cruiser
Hatsuse blow up, but got to the top OF Gold
Hill a few moments afterward, while the
Japanese were still picking their men out
OF the water. l could see the Yashima
limping out to sea very painfully after she
struck q mine. She sank the same night.
remained on Cold Hill most of that night,
and saw the searchlights of the Japanese
fleet playing around the Yashima. They
were trying to save her, and after she
sank they were picking up the crew.
saw the torpedo attack OF the Japanese upon
the Russian feet on the night of June 23.
It continued all night long. and we picked
up torpedoes all over the beach the next day.
but they had not touched a Russian ship.
After the Battle Of August 10.
II could not see the naval battle OF Au-
gust TO-" cotinued Lieut. McCuny, be
cause It took place a hundred miles away;
but I saw the fleet come back the next
day One Of the battleships was very bad
ly battered, but the rest did not seem to
nights were the most interesting. They oc-
Cured nearly every night. The Japanese
torpedo fotillas would come in for an at
tack, the land batteries would open up on
them and the Russian guard boats would
engage them and chase them away. 1t
was like theatrical performance. Gold
Hill was a platform from which we could
see 1t all. The Russian feet was in the
foreground; the japanese fleet on the hori.
zon, and its ships would come up four at a
time and discharge their batteries and re-
tire; then another four would come UP,
sometimes nearer than the others fire and
retire. The Russians constantly responded
poth from the ships and land fortifications,
Keeping up continuous cannonade. The
torpedo boats and destroyers would be
playing around, trying to get in their
work. l saw half dozen of these duels.
but comparatively little damage was done
by either side. More was done by the mines
than by the artillery. In one of the battles
the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda struck a mine
and was towed off badly injured
In the meantime, the Japanese army
was surrounding the city, and the bonn
pa began in earnest on August Z.
The first shot struck only few feet from
the Office of the Russian commander-in-
chief. The shells struck all parts of the
town; The gunners were evidently aiming
over the hills that lay between and could
not see where their shots fell There were
a great many killed and a good deal of de-
struction; but 1t was mostly outside of the
town, among the outer lines of defense.
Only about twenty people were killed in
the city while l was there The firing be-
came monotonous after while, and. as the
japanese closed in around the town we
were forbidden to go anywhere or see any,
thing and our usefulness was practically
ended We knew that the Russian fleet
was going to Vladivostok at the first op-
portunity. 1t went out twice with that in
tention. The first time 1t was driven back;
the second time 1t was badly broken up
and scattered. This left US nothing further
to observe, and, as we anticipated that the
naval operations would be transferred to
Vladivostok we asked permission to go
there,
Departures From Port Arthur.
General Smirnofr gave me a pass and
with two ladies took Chinese coasting
junk across the gulf to Shan-hai-
kwan. One OF the ladies was the
wife of a Russian officer, and the other
the wife OF a Frenchman living in Port
Arthur, travelling with her child. Captain
Hopman had been recalled by the German
emperor. and went out through the Jap
anese lines on a safe conduct Lieutenant
Won Gflgenheim and Viscount Cuyervilie
were intending to go with me, but were not
ready, and the junk sailed without them.
They started the next day, but did not