Evening journal., 1905-03-29

gone soon realized that we wcrp
safe for the time being, but found
later that our steering ger hnd been
badly crippled and that 1he officers
/ quarters had been wrecked. The Jan
nese, seeing that our ship was cripple
left us alone after this. did the be-
| could 10 patch things up. learnt
however, that I could not restore
steering gear 80 as 10 give me a cham
to escape to the open sea II had 80 d,
sired
In the meantime General Stoessel
had sent word to me that he desired
me to take command OF the batteries
on Lao Tlshan bill. with orders to BON
bard the Japanese position day and
night I ran a wire out from my vessel.
connecting it with a telephone. Thus
from my quarters on board not only
commanded the sevastopol, but direct
ed the men ashore. This went on for
more than week. when on Jan. / Gen
eral Stoessel teiephoned me that II was
all over.
He told me that Il was useless 70 at
tempt to hold out longer and that he
had sent word to the japanese com
mander, making an offer OF surrender.
When heard this I made up my mind
at once that my ship should not fall
into the hands Of the enemy. ! called
my officers together, gave them their
Instructions and took my place on the
bridge. Steering slowly with our en-
gines. we headed toward the open sea
until we were about n mile offshore,
when gave the order 70 slow down.
Then I gave the order to open the sea
valves. and gradually the water began
to pour In. AS stood on the bridge
saw the huge hull slowly settle IN the
water. As she sank gradually the Off
GERS and crew left her IN our boats, but
remained on deck until felt her list
starboard
gave her one last. long look and, 60
Ing over the side, got into my launch.
We Steamed away probably 200 yards.
When | looked back ! saw her lift sud
denly In the air, turn bottom up and go
down In thirty fathoms. The Japanese
VIII never get her. She will rest on the
bottom OF the China sea for all time to
come.
After the sinking OF the ship we
steamed into Port Arthur, where I i'm.
mediately had an interview with Gen.
eral stoessel. He told me that he had
already arranged the terms or surren
der and that the city in few days
: was 70 pass into the hands OF the Japa
nese. He was greatly affected. but de
} clured that there was nothing else lef
for him to do. When he pointed ou
the conditions I realized that he wn.
right The story that he surrendered
IN spite OF his officers is not true. Gen
} eral Stoessel is one OF the bravest mel
In the Russian army. and II there had
been any possible chance to hold oul
longer he would have been the last
man TO give UP.
You cannot imagine the terrible con.
dition OF the city The streets were
literally plowed up from the rain Of
great shells from the japanese guns,
more than half the houses were demol.
ished. the hospitals were packed with
sick and wounded. many of the Off
GERS and men had not slept more than
four hours \ day for weeks, and what
little provisions were left were OF in
ferior quality and rapidly disappear.
ing. General stoessel explained that
he considered that II would be simply
butchery to bold out longer. l agreed
with him, and today cannot but In
dorse what he did.
After the surrender and before the
japanese took possession OF the city
made round OF the new town, the
docks and some OF the fortihcatons
In the forts l found that the guns had
been overturned. the carriages smash
ed and the hillsides torn up as II by al
earthquake. Nobody will ever know
how many thousands and thousands oi
shells-hundreds OF thousands, | should
say-had been poured in upon our sol
diers during all those long weeks, unit
Il was almost beyond human endur
ance TO hold the positions. The medica
supplies had almost disappeared, 1900
men had been killed or wounded ant
thousands more were sick
Nor must l forget the women. Lee
by General Stoessers wife. they hat
worked as faithfully as the men
Among them were many widows who's
husbands had been killed in action o.
had died OF sickness, but they toileC
day after day. acting as nurses nnC
tending to the wants OK those who wer'
unable to take care Of themselves.
General Stoessers wife brought ava,
with her from Port Arthur more thai
, twenty orphan children OF her hus
. bands officers, and l understand tina
she is taking them all back to Russii
with her.
This war has taught us grea
. many new lessons. Europe had n
] idea OF the strength OF the japanese
, they are magnificent fighters brave
, determined and efficient in all that Il
best IN military science. Their sailor
I [ do not believe have any superiors fl
he world.