AFTER 262 DAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 260, 7 November 1904, Page 2

AFTER 262 DAYS.

TILE AWFUL STRUGGLE IN POUT ARTHUR. GARRISON'S LAS']' STAND, LONDON, Nov. 4. Mr Bennett Burleigh suites Unit Hie Russians, hold vue foils at Uuo- j i.snan, beyond Goiuen XL-ill, and Mint the Japanese are preparing ui noun Hie Hussion eutreu,ehui<.-nis wim »«'u waier. Mhey are undermining uie trenches, with a view to uymtmiiiii-g the more iinportainl positions. It is reported Dial all Uie Russian warships except the I'o'biodtt have been sunk. 'J he Sevastopol's and I'eresviets decks lire two feel under wuicr, while the Relvisan lias been burnt. BESIEGERS UNDAUNTED. MAIN POSITION ON NORTH-EAST CAPTURED. (.Received Nov. 6, SUI3 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 5. The Jaimnesc capturud the northern portion of the East. Iveikanshaii ion at Port Arthur, which wus held under a furious lire, 'ihe explosion of a magazine wesiroyed uhe lort and the inner Hint! of the defences.

It, is reporud that the besiegers have captured all the main ignitions on the north-east, after a dogged and desperate i-esUUince. WHOLE BATTALIONS WIPED OUT JAPANESE (JAIN THE KEY TO THE TIGER'S TAIL. (Received Nov. 7, 0.34 «.m.) LONDON, Nov. o. The Daily Chronicle's Jlalny correspondent states that whole battalions of Japanese were slaughtered' in the attack on Eteshan, but the supports occupied the trenches after the severest lighting that had occurred during too siege. Eteahan is tte key to a position commanding the Tiger's Tail and I the harbour. Assaults on ErlungIshan and Shansoshan failed.

PORT. ARTHUR'S FALL. ITS ACCOMPLISHMENT EXPECTED MOMENTARILY. (Received Nov. 7, 0.58 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 0. Viscount Hayashi, Japanese Minister in London, interviewed by the Standard yesterday, stated that .the fall of Port Arthur was now momentarily expected. (The first attack by the Japanese fleet was made on February 18th.) SOME HARROWING DETAILS, RESULT OF A WEEK'S 810 GUN PRACTICE. SYDNISY, Nov. 5. The Japanese Consul has received a report from the Foreign Oilice shaw.ng that Port Arthur lias 1 been under lire since the middle of October. On October 24th the town was on fire, on the 28th the naval guns sank a two funnelled stoamer, on the 2i)th they bombarded Shoojushan, to tho east of Keikan-sihan, and the northern forts, with, heavy guns. The naval guns made 250 hits, and it was ascertained that, as a result, the Niriu-slian forts had-been greatly damaged, while at thie Shoojushan forts one fifteen centimetre cannon dismantled another. The cannon suffered great damage at the northern forts, and east of Keifcan-shan one cannon was destroyed. On tho mine day part of the right column marched to the trenches on Shoojushan, and part of the central column charged against the trenches at Niriushan and the southern ]>art of Suchimakisihan. Both, attacks were successful, tho positions being captured with but slight loss to the Japanese, ' On the 28th 285 shells from the big guns hit their mark, and also shells from the navul guns proved very eltective. As a result, the ammunition warehouse north of the fort was exploded. There were great losses in the various forts. The fortresses in the old city of Port Arthur were set on fire.

The enemy made a counter-attack on the 2Uth on Niriushun, but were repulsed with heavy losses. At the same time another party of the enemy made a vigourous attack upon Shoojuslwin. The Japanese Guards compelled the Russians to give up part of the hill, but afterwards, with the assistance of artillery, they succeeded in capturing it. The effect of the bombardment of Che town has been most satisfactory, Three hundred and fifty shells from the big guns were fired with absolute accuracy. The naval guns oxploded the ammunition warehouse west of Taiiyoko and did great damage to three ships, two of which were sot on fire.

PEN PICTURES FROM PORT ARTHUR. TERRIBLE SCENES. CHE-FOO, Sept. 18. Prince Radziwill, a Russi B n lieutenant, accompanied by another Russian officer, two civilians, a nd a lady, the wife of a Russian staff officer, have arrived here from Port Arthur,

They left on the night of Sep*. 16 by junk, and landed here seclretly at night time.

Prince Radziwill entered Port Arthur a fortnight ago carrying aV spatches from (icneral Kuroputkin. He and his companion brought out quantities of despatches, reports, and mails, the packages weighing 801b, and successfully eluded the vigilance of the Japanese.

Prince Radwill now brings despatches from General Stoes»ol to Geriernl Kuropatkin. In an interview which I hod with him, Prince Radziwill stated that tile temper of the belligerents at Port Arthur hod now reached urn absolutely merciless pitch. He had followed the operations in the Boer war with the Brit sh, but until he had seen Port Arthur he 'hod no idea that war could bo so horrible.

Prince Radziwill declares that file combatants on both sides are absolutely venomous in the fury of their antagonism.

In a recent address to tile garrison. General Stoossel declared that tho present temper of the Japanese made resistance to the last drop of blood a. necessity, as if the fortress were entered the Japanese ofiicers would undoubtedly be unabto to restrain tlwir man fr 0 m massacre. HEROIC NURSES,

Prince Radziiwill says that 300 women, engaged in hospital work were advised to leave, but replied that they would face massacre rather than desert thcin posts. In consequence of the non-ohserv-anco of flags of true* the Japanese dead, which have Ibetsn lying on the slopes of the hills o utsiide the northeastern defences for weeks, are still unburicd. The stench when tho wind is blowing from that quarter is almost unendurable in the city.

The soldiers, who in some cases are posted only fifty paces from heaps of decaying bodies, constantly wear handkerchiefs soaked in camphor over their noses; otherwise they would be unable to remain at their posts. The following story was related to me by Prince Hadziwill as illustrating tho ferocity with which the confliut is being) waged :

During the assaults on tho last | four days of August two companies of Japanese, funding themselves ait tho mercy of the Russians, hoisted tho white flag. The Russians paild no attention to the signal, but fired voltey after volley, while the Japanese in the rear a seeing the whito flag, expressed their, disapproval by firing into their comrades. Caught between two fires, tho hapless two companies werej annihilated., 600 men being shot down where they stood. They foil among the docomposing bodies of the victims of previous assaults. For days after.ffftrdg wouiKtpd.in.ea were wen ui v .

ing their arms and fluttering handkerchiefs in impotent appenls for help. But'the Russians- were afraid to venture out. Within a week the last arm had signalled its unregarded prayer, and the shambles where the 000 had (alien was still but a place of horror. DEATH EMRRACE. The Prince hiw in the midst of the heaps of dead a and u Japanese lying locked in u death embrace, tlie Jupunese with his teeth gunk in the Hussion's throat, whit' two ol' the Kus-.-.-iun'n lingers were'buried in the eyo-suckets of his foe. I'rime Kad/iwill, who leaves Cheloo to-morrow 10 join tlenera-l Kuropatk'in, assured me that the foregoing was merely one incident'-among many evidencing the terrible nature of the struggle. Referring to thei stories which are in circulation regarding tile shortage of ammunition! and provisions at I'ort Arthur, he said that they were not true. There wus abundance, of ammunition lor both large und small arms and plenty of preserved food. The use of Chinese shell was merely a measure of economy. "I left General SlocSscl," he continued, "in the beslt of spirits. By his heroic example he encouraged the wounded- men, 5000 of whom, out of 8000, havo returned from hospital to the front."

There has been- no lighting since Sept. 1, except for artillery liring and outpost skirmishes. Japanese uhells, however, have done much damage to the hospital and other buildings, but the loss of life through the bombardment of the town is still very slight. Mme. StoessW takes the in the Ked Cross work, and is in almost Constant attendance at the hospital tenderly caring for the wounded. In the midst of this exhausting work [she finds time to aid orphans and widows and superintend the making lof bandages. The soldiers consider her their guardian angel.

Individual acts of heroism are numerous. The tragic death of Lieutenant Petrol is an absorbing topic. He was surrounded by Japanese, ami fought successfully until his sword was broken. He then used Ms fists, but Japanese bayonets quickly pub an end to his resistance. Hoforo his sword broke hj» put eight Japanese bors <ie combat, meanwhile receiving wounds all over his body. One company, which occupied a perilous outpost, finding Hie position untenable, sent word to General Stoessel, "We are umaible to hold the position." "But you can die," toe general replied.—And so they did.— Heuter's Special.

Lieutenant Prince Radziwill has for a young man had a moat romark'able career. The son of the Princess Catherine Radziwill, ho had conaideraible war experience in South Africa. His applications for a commission in the many irregular corps employed during the lioer war were refused, but through, the instrumentality of Mr H. A. Clwynne, of Renter's Agency, and Mr Edgar Wallucc, of the Daily Mail, he was introluced to the colonel of Kitchener's Fights ing Scouts, who enlisted him in that corps as a trooper.

By his personal courage and his dasih asi a troop leader he earned promotion to a commission? being mentioned in despatches for conspicuous gallantry. Ho was a great favourite with the troops, who christened him "Bill." On the death of a relative he succeeded to large estates, and returned at the end of the war to Russia.