Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-01-05
DEsPAIRs OF RELIEF.
Russian War Office Absolutely Declare
Port Arthur Is Doomed.

| Toxic, Dec. 31.-The navy depart.
ment published last night letter writ.
ten by man on the battleship Sevas.
topol, which had fallen into the hands
of the Japanese. The writer despairs
| of the relief OF the fortress and
tells Of the destruction wrought by
! the Japanese shells. He says the Rus.
| slams are resigned to their fate and
are determined to fight to finish
rather than suffer the shame of sur
| render owing to starvation. Follow.
ing is the text of the letter:
1.-The fortress cannot resist after
December. The progress of the enc.
my in reducing the principal line Of
outer defenses Is not fully known, but
1t Is irresistible.
1--WE are sadly disappointed over the
| non-arrival of the second Pacific
squadron and are daily nearing our
| miserable end.
General Stoessel's so-called i'm
pregnable line of outer defense Is now
myth. With 203-Meter hill lost, the
fall of Port Arthur cannot be avoided.
Its capture by the Japanese means the
downfall of the town, however strong
the other defenses.
"The new town is at the mercy OF
the enemy's fire. The old town alone
may be prolonged.
"Two-thirds Of the defenders Of
203-Meter hill were lost.
"The Sevastopol, which was expos
ed to the enemy's fire in the daytime,
on the night of December s, without
being towed, left the harbor with only
Ill instead of her complement of $50
souls When she went out she had
her nets down, but was struck twice
by the enemy's shots and was beach.
ed, irreparably damaged. General
Stoessel highly praised the officers
and crew of tsa ship.
Fuel Is almost unobtainafle. and 1t
Is impossible to keep our bDuies warm.
I'VE no longer have a wireless tele.
graph system, and have no means OF
communicating with the outside
world. Our isolation is complete.
There is no news and we have had
no information for long time.
There is large hole in the hull Of
the Sevastopol and she Is completely
disabled. All that remains for those
on board her is to do their utmost in
repulsing the enemy's attacks.
"The enemy's torpedo boats come
close to the Sevastopol and attack
her as if they were going through or
| binary maneuvers. Should the Sc.
vastopol sink we are to land at a
place already decided upon. All are,
however, prepared to fight to the very
last.
"On us of the Sevastopol depends
the duty of retaining the honor of the
navy, and avoiding the shame and hui.
initiation of threatened starvation.
We would rather die than be thus
shamed.
From December 1 the enemy's ten
inch shells began to fall on the deck
of the Sevastopol, and some of them
pierced through the decks to the bot
tom of the ship.
who is responsible for the fate
We face? 1t is he who did not give in
structions for the prevention of JAP
anese landing on the Liaotung PENN
sula.
Among our officers there are very
few who dare to brave death, the ma
jority having no other desire than to
save their own lives, but we are de-
termined to die fighting"
| Toxic, Dec. 31--Admiral Togo and
Vice-Admiral Kamimura, with their
staffs, arrived at the Shimoassi sta
! ton at 800 o'clock yesterday. Their
tourney from Kure to Toxic was a
continuous ovation At an early hour
the streets were filed and the city
was gaily decorated with flags, Ian,
Germs and New Years decorations,
Representatives of the emperor and
empress, Prince Fushimi, Tr., elder
statesmen, ministers, prominent Jap.
anese and thousands of school chill.
iren greeted the arrival of the naval
heroes at the station. The presidents
If both houses of the diet presented
hem with the resolutions of com
mendation passed by their respective
branches of parliament.
The quiet, gray-bearded Togo, In a
blue service uniform, seemed embar
.assed at the noisy ovation. Rear Ad
niral Shimamura, chief Of the staff
aughingly elbowed forward Vice-Ad
niral Kamimura. The junior officer
:ried to clear the way, bat the GROVE
closed in on Admiral Togo and they
we're frequently forced to push the
crowd backward in an epdeavor tC
clear the. reaching hands.
Finally Admiral Togo and We Ad
niral Kamimura were freed from theil
enthusiastic admirers and surrounded
by officers they reached the carriage
sent by the emperor to the station tt
convey the distinguished party to the
palace.
AS Admiral Togo appeared, grea,
shout arose, hats were thrown in the
air. arms were raised and "banzai'
followed "banzal." ar
Preceded byy gendarmes, the part,
irove under triumphal arches, wavinl
Gags and discharging fireworks
through the cheering crowds to thu
aavy department, where brief stoT
was made, during which the congrat
ulations Of the ministers were re
ceived and future victories were toast
ed.
Admiral Togo and Bice-Admira
Kamimura then proceeded to the pal
ace to report to the emperor. The!
will probably remain in Toxic abon
one week for the purpose Of consult
ing with the general staff and perfect
A. a. "a.