Life at Port Arthur.

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 18, 13 December 1904, Page 2

Life at Port Arthur.

Russian Lieutenant’s Letter,

The Russian journals publish the following letter, dated Port Arthur, September 20th. It is addressed to M. Ivanoff, of Kronstadt, by his son, Eugen Ivanoff, a lieutenant, at present at Port Arthur. Lieut. Ivanoff writes:—

“I am glad to have the occasion of sending you a letter. I have taken part in two fierce battles, and am safe and sound. I have already received the cross of Knight of the Order of St. Ann, and have been recommended for the Order of St. Stanisloff. I am in good health, although almost shoeless. The food is not too had. I have not taken off my clothes for a month. We have eight men killed and twelve wounded in the artillery. The Japanese made an attack which’ lasted twelve days, but we treated them in such a fashion that they have not yet recovered. The assaults have not ceased from August 12th to August 24th. I am at present serving on High Hill. We have received orders to remain there at all costs. The Japanese are nearly 700 yards away from us, and if we give way to sleeping they at once begin to fire. We for our part do not allow them any leisure. I am writing to you in pencil, as our commander is at present writing with the only pen we have here. We are expecting Kuropatkin. All my comrades from Warsaw who came here at the same time as myself are alive. “We spend the nights and live generally in earthworks, where flies swarm during the day and mosquitoes and fleas during the night. We bear this quietly enough. There iB one misfortune, however, and that is that the Japanese at timeß bombard our hill the whole day, which prevents us from stirring. If we

moved they woulcL not miss us, the rascals. On the otherjihand we do not let them rest at night. We either make sorties or fire on thetn. The weather is splendid. In general we are all very well. We are well fed. Greetings to all and good-bye.” In the “Day by Day” column of “Novy Krai,” which is published at Port Arthur, is the following: “The places where the editorial and printing offices of our journal are situated were yesterday in the sphere of the enemy’s bombardment. About twelve shells burst in the vicinity of our printing office, and many fragments have lodged in the walls and broken the windows.” The abpve lines are printed on paper which was once white. Sometimes the journal is printed on white paper, but generally on red, green, orange, or blue. Such is the journal which is read by the troops on the ramparts, who eagerly scan its pages for news from far-away Russia. In another column is the following: “The strict siege to which our town is subjected has given rise to the desire to know what is going on beyond our zone of fortifications, where our scouts cannot penetrate, but where our forces, as well as those of the Japanese, are concentrated, and where the issue of the present struggle must be decided.”