The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-01-06
THE FALL OF PORT
ARTHUR NEAR.
Gallant Defenders Are Resign.
ed To Their Fate.
LETTER OF RUSSIAN SAILOR.

Toxic, Dec. 80. The Navy depart
ment published tonight a letter writ
ten nv a man on the battleshlp Sevas-
topol. which had fallen into the hands
of the Japanese. The writer despails
of relief of the fortress and tells OF the
destruction wrought by Japanese shells.
| He saws the Russians are resigned IL
their fate and are determined to hight
to finish. rather than suffer the shame
of surrender, owing to starvation.
Following is the text of the letter:
1.-THE fortress cannot resist after
December. The progress of the enemy
in reducing OUT principal line OF outer
defenses is not fully known, but it is
lrIes able.
I'VE are sadly disappointed over the
non arrival of the second Pacific squad
ron and are daily neaIing our miseI-
able end.
Gen Stoessel s go called impIegnable
line of outer defenses is now myth.
With 2O3 Metre Hill lost, the fall of
Port Arthur canont he avoided. Its
capture by the Japanese means the fall
of the town, however strong the other
defenses.
''The new town is at the mercy of
the enemy's fire.
The old town alone is detendable,
and here alone may resistance be pro-
longed.
DEFENDERS OF THE hill.
Two thirds of the defenders of 2O3
Metre Hill were lost
THE Sevastopol, which was exposed
to the enemy's fire in the day time, on
the night of Dec. 8, without being
towed left the harbor with only Ill
instead of her complement of $50 souls.
When she went out she had her net
d )wn, but was struck twice by the
enemy IS toIpdeoes and was beached,
iIIeparably damaged. Gen. Stoessel
highly praised the officers and crew OF
the ship.
Fuel IL almost unobtainable and 1t
Is impossible to keep our bodles warm.
1--WE no longer have q wireless tele-
graph system and have no means of
with the outside world.
Our isolation is complete There is no
news and we have had no infoI mation
for long time.
1T is impossible to smuggle ammu-
milton. The Captain of the King
Arthur brought only barely.
The King Arthur. British steam
er, was captured Dec. Id while at
to leave Port Arthur by the
japanese guardship AsagaIl. She had
on board Russian naval officers who
were attempting to join the Russian
Pacific squadron. She is now at Sasepo
trial.
There IS large hole in the hull OF
the Sevastopol and she is completely
disabled. All that remains for those
on board is to do their utmost in
the enemy's attacks.
THE enemy's torpedo boats came
close TO the Sevastopol and attacked
her as if they were going through oIdi-
nary maneuvers.
FIGHT TO THE LAST.
.'Should the Sevastopol sink we are
to land at place already decided upon.
All are prepared to figh to the last. On
us, of the Seastopol. depends the duty
of retaining the honor of the navy.
and avoiding the shame and humllia-
ton of threatened starvation. Wei
would rather die than be thus shamed.
''trom Dec. / the enemy's 1O-inch
shells began to tall on the deck OF the
and some of them pierced
the decks to the bottom of the ship.
"Who is responsible for the fate we
face? 1t IL he who did not give in
structions for the prevention of a
Japanese landing on the Lao Tung
"Among our officers there are very
few who dare to brave death, the
majority having no other desire than
to save their own lives, but we are de- |
termined to die lighting.