New-York tribune., 1905-01-03

was the garTfson's first vital wound Then
came the capture OF RIh-Lung. sung-shu and
Psn-Lung mountains. General stoessel had an
nounced that he would fight tin the last.
His plight last night" said Captain Kartsow.
commander Of the torpedo boat destroyer vfast-
ni. cooked like the last
There was no stopping the Japanese. who
attacked in. droves and fought with the last In
stinctive twitch OF the nerves, with eyes nxed
On Lao-TeaI-shan. stoessel had killed jap
anese army and exhausted his ammunition but
sddec Captain Ksrzow. they became more fu-
rious ferocdous and fsteful than ever
so the white flag went up"
II Is reported here that there are 1900 sick
and wounded in Port Arthur and that 5000
sble bodied conTaiescents man the forts. Theirs
.s q report here too. that the Russian battle
ships R~tvizan and Poltaxa and the protected
cruiser PaIlada caught fire on Monday morning
and are still burning. and that In the afternoon
the Russians blew UP the SevastopoL
Tn. Russians yesterday blew up two OF their
avn forts near the railway and completed the
destruction OF tie cruiser Bayan Port Arthur
IA described as q living hell The hospitals are
said to be nearly ell destroyed
cantstu Kertzow. commanding the vlastni.
. which put into this hsrbor from Port Arthur.
said the japanese expected TO enter Port Ar
s.bur on Tuesday, but declared at first that
General stoessel WHO was sick. would resist
with the remnant OF the garrison on Lao-Teai-
Shan
Commander Rartzow. in an,interview tonight.
said:
Port Arthur falls OF exhsustion-exhausuon'
not only of ammunition, but Of men. The rem
nant Of the garrison left had been doing the
work Of heroes for Ave days and Ave nights. but
,,astsrdsy they reached the limit OF human en-
ouranoe. In the cssemates OF the forts one saw
everywhere faces black with starvation. ex-
haustion and nerve strain. You spoke to them
but they did Tot give answer. only staring
dumbly.
The Jack OF a1nnr1unitions alone would not have
suggested the seeking OF terms. scant arnmuni-
tJon had long been common in the fortress and
IN the last month many Of the forts had nothing
with which TO return the FIRE OF the enemy.
The Russians sat in the classmates firing not
more than one 10 two hundred shots by the
Japanese. When an assault came they repulsed
the enemy with bayonets. But the men them
selves. having existed for three months on re-
suoed rations. were SO worn that Il Is marvel
lous they stood the final strain so long,
yesterday General stcessei would stili fight.
His wound. which was received early in the
Siege. had been bothering him, but his deter
rninatson 10 fight while man stood had not
been diminished.
But we cannot nght.' said his generals Our
men cannot move. They sleep standing They
cannot see the bayonets at their breasts. We
can order, but they cannot obey
.srneu YOU generals night said stoessei.
ciinching his fists.
HE seemed fanatical on the subject. but
finally lie was brought 10 see reason by the in
sistence OF his subordinstes. Admirals Lochin-
sky and Wren. General smyrnon and many
others, sometimes with broken voices, urged the
step which ali dreaded so long.
p. II am sure Port Arthur would have sought
terms month ago had it not been for General
stoessei. who. with bulldog tenacity. steadily
refused 10 permit such action. He had told his
Emperor that he would never surrender. and he
meant TO keep his word
The greatest loss suffered by Port Arthur
occurred fortnight ago. when Major General
Rondratchenko was killed. oficers and men
alike regarded him as the brightest star in Port
Arthur's armament. When his death became
known the fall In the spirits OF the soldiers
plainly visible. General Rondratchenko was
seated In the casemats Of a certain fort. dis
cussing with seven other officers the best way
oS counternining against the japanese. when
an l1-inch shell burst killing everybody in the
cssernate
General Nogi has taken Port Arthur with his
artillery and his tunnels. His rife bullets were
seldom found 10 be OF any
I'VE constantly endured a bombardment
nercer than any IN history. The Japanese peri
sdicslly assaulted. and then. If repulsed. they
calmly resumed their bombardments
terms Of surrender suggested by General stoes-
Sci 20 General Nogf nor the answer to them.
having left Port Arthur even before the nss-
senger had been dispatched The general i'm
preston, however. ie that stoessel has proposed
that the army shall go free and that he alons
be made g prisoner.
Even that concession seemed TO wrench out
the sturdy old mans heart.
Whether or not the negotiations terminate
In an agreement terms OF surrender. IL is
certain that Port Arthur is doomed. We still
have some ammunition and some guns LAO