The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-08
|CASABLANCA OLJTDONE {
BY "A JOURNAL MAN
Thrilling Experience in the Vortex of Port
Arthur's Fall at the Fair-Cannon to
Right and Bombs to the Left of Him.
Behind the scenes at "The Fall Of

as nefVe-racklng an experience as was
ever. undergone by a Richard Harding
he had escaped unscathed he dreamed
all night Of crashing shot and bursting
shell, Of nitro G ycerine, lyddlte, shl,
nose powder, dynamite and sulphur and
potash, of sinking warships and whole
cities in flames. Today, a lead pencil
falling on the floor sends him into a
condition bordering on hysteria, and
the slamming of door gives him pal
pitat1on Of the heart.
packed into "a period of fifteen minutes
and you will still fall far short of a
realization Of "Port Arthur behind
the scenes. Actual warfare may be
worse than an intimate acquaintance
with Pain big spectacle at the state
fair, but it cannot be any noisier.
$50 you want to see the show from
behind the scenes,'' said Stage Direct
or Fred Murray after he had examined
We IL dress you up in a uniform and put
you on the firing line.'
Disguised in long army overcoat
and cap, the reporter, little dreaming Of
what was to come, found himself on the
stage, or with greater propriety, the
arena. Before him, long way off,
rose the huge grand stand, a great bank
OF countless faces, showing white under
the many arc lights. From it came
the in!describable murmur of thousands
OF voices In conversation. It sounded
like the gentle murmur Of a babbling
brook. From the top of the massive
structure the two great searchlights
kept their long, sharp shafts moving
nervously from point to point, focusing
their brilliancy now on one spot in the
broad expanse before them, now on an
other. The evening air was cool and
damp, and the grass carpet of the
was difficult to believe, that the peace
full scene would soon be transformed
into veritable hell of bloodshed and
carnage.
Turning his back upon the towering
mass of humanity, the reporter saw be-
fore him, at close range, the frowning
canvas battlements Of Port Arthur,
with their inaccessible fortresses and
sinuous roads. In the harbor two or
three. Russian .warships lay idly at their
mornings, waiting for some Of Mr..
their hawser chains, setting them in mo-
ton.
The scenery of this half theater, half.
circus, bristled with explosives. Be.
| hind every innocent-looking rock OF
wall was a wicked-looking collection OF
bombs, mines and magazines. Fast
ened to the scenery at all points were
| Roman candles, rockets and pots Of col
cred fire, and strung along. the wooden
framework were ropes of diabolical ma
terial, waiting but touch to burst
into fierce explosion.
Bugle Calls to Arms.
7 A bugle sounded the assembly cal
sharp and clear on the cool evening air
| Immediately the wide expanse behind
| the canvas battlements became a scene
of action. Companies Of Russian and
Japanese soldiers formed on every side
naval and military attaches hurried
from the dressing tent, adjusting theil
uniforms and buckling on their swords
and even a detachment of American
marines in their white duck uniform!
came from somewhere.
"When the firing begins you cal
stay right over there behind that rock, ,
said Stage Director Murray. "Yo,
can see the whole thing from there
The reporter ensconced himself behind
| the rock and watched the various
scenes which precede the actual storm
| ing of the fortress.
It was the Chinese spies that started
it all. Five or six of them, drawing {
suspicious-looking cart, appeared in thu
foreground, and suddenly from the car
there sprang two white-uniformed fig
ures. They were two Of Mr.. Pain
4 pyrotechnic experts. One of then
stealthily ran up to huge black ches
in the center of the stage, there wa
a momentary CLEAN of fame-and the1
the air was rent by terrific explosion
while fierce red flames rose high in tn
air. The magazine Of Port Arthus hat
been blown up!
From that moment until the actua
fall of the famous citadel the reporter
b1ain was in a whirl. The earth seeme'
to split open with the tremendous de
donations on every side. No sooner ha
his ears, eyes and nerves withstood tn
shock Of one awful explosion than an
other binding flash and another repor
made him reel. Huge feldpieces, roare
and Calling guns spit forth sheets Q
flame. On all sides, above and beneat
his feet the air was riven. The SIX.
was full of fire. The earth rocked.
And then suddenly the terrified re
porter found himself in perfect Shove
Of fire and suddenly awakened to tn
servation was directly in range Of
loAg row of massive roman candle
which were belching forth a stream o
, fire from the hidden forts OF the grea
hill. He looked frantically about hill
: for some place to run to, but there wa
none. On every side there was tire
sitting smoke. and binding explosions
He could hardly keep his eyes open.
| And then-oh, horrors!
Sat by Mine. .-..
Almost at his elbow, not SIX Zee
away, he suddenly saw one OF the mug
r niles of bombs that were all about tn
r place. It was a wicked-looklng pile 9
r boxes and white paper bulbs, and
Z contained enough explosives to do
r everything to atoms. III;
i For a moment the victim looked Wll(
w about him, trying in vain to collet
h;s thoughts. and then as in dreal
he saw one Of the white-coated FIR
works men appear and touch the Ion
r The terrific explosion which followe
Q fairly threw the shrinking newspapt
Ii man off his feet. The air seemed
:. slap him in the face and he gaspeo e
Il breath.
;, the Russian battlements, with 300. Mett
. Hill. folded over backward on its hinge
and red, wicked-looking flames al
reared above Port Arthur. 1t had falle
at lastl Well that there was no mol
resistance. If there had been, TINS a
count would never have been written.
Over 500 pounds Of the. heaviest e
plosives are used every night In II
Fall Of Port Arthur enough to bio
up half the city Of Minneapolis we
it placed effectively. Every night $o'
worth Of material goes up IN smoke !,
moment the magazine of Port Arth1
is touched off until the final set pie
blazes forth the words HGood Night,
a force Of thirty white-garbed pyrotec
MIC eSperts rush wildly about amid