The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1905-01-04
As Told By Inmate
Before Surrender
HIS WORDS PROVE TRUE
By the Fall Of the City
On New Years Day.

/ Toxic, Dec 30, evening The navy
department published tonight letter
written by man Of the battleship
| SevaStopol which had fallen into the
hands of the japanese. The writer
despairs of the relief of the fortress
| and tells of the destruction wought dy
! japanese shells. He says the Russians
are resigned to their fate but are de-
termined to fight to finish rather
than suffer the shame Of surrender,
owing to starvation. Following is the
/ text of the letter;
The fortress cannot resist after De-
ccmber. The progress Of the enemy
in reducing our principal line OF outer
/ defenses is not fully known, but it is
irresistible.
We are sadly diappointed over the
non-arrval of the Second Pacific squad
ron and are daily nearing our miserable
end.
="General Stoessels socalled impreg-
nable line of outer defcnses Is now a
myth With 2O3-Meter hill lost the
fall of Port Arthur cannot be avoided.
Its capture by the Japanese means the
fall of the town, however strong the
other defenses.
"Thc new town is at the mercy OF
the enemy's fire. The old town alone
is dcfenceleSs, and here alone my re-
sistance is prolonged.
"Two-thrds OF the defenders of 2O3-
Meter hill were lost.
The Sevastopol, which was exposed
to the enemy's fire IN the day time, on
the night of Dec. $. without being
towcd. 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 torpedoes and was bcached,
irreparably damaged. General Stoes
sci highly praised the officers and crew
of the ship.
Fuel is almost unobtainabe and it
is impossible to keep our bodies warm.
1--WE no longer have II 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. 1t is i'm
possible to smuggle ammunition,
The King Arthur brought only barley.
THE King Arthur British steamer
was captured Dec 10. while attempt
ing to leave Port Arthur by the Japan
csc guardship Asagari. She had on
; board Russian naval officers who were
attempting to join the Russian second
Pacific squadron. She is now at
. Sasebo, undergoing trial.
There is a 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
repalsing the cncmy'S attacks.
"The enemy's torpedo boats came
clase to the Scvastopol and attacked
her as If they were going through or.
binary mancuyerS.
Should the SevastCpol sink, we are
to land at place already decided upon.
All are, however, prepared to fight to
very last. On us of the SevaStOpOI
depends the duty Of retaining the
honor of the navy and avoiding the
shame and humiliation Of threatened
starvation, We would rather die than
be thus Shamcd.
From Dec. the cnemy's ten-incl
shell began to fall ON the deck of the
SevaStopol and some Of them pierced
through the decks TO the bottom Of
the ship
WHO is responsible for the fate we
face? 1t is he who did not give IN,
struction for the prevention of Jap,
ancse landing on the Lao Ting
peninsula.
Among our Officers there are very
few who dare to brave death, the ma,
iority having no other desire than to
save their own lives but we are deter.
mined to die lighting"