JAPS STORM CITY Armies of the Mikado Rain Fire on Port Arthur. BATTLE TO DEATH. Stoessel's Refusal to Surrender Fol lowed by Terrific Assault. Japanese Hurl Great Masses of 3 Upon the Stronghold and Lo&e Heavily in Attack Many Thout > undH Reported Slain JRussiaii Command" ant Scorns Mikado's Offer and De clares He Will Fi ht to the Last Noucombatants in Doomed Citadel. Russia's Port Arthur garrison hav ing rejected Japan's demand for sur render , itwas reponed that the Jap anese army at once began storming the fortress. When the last definite news from the besieged city was ob tained the Japanese had captured im portant positions , and at close range . were throwing shells into the fortress in great number and setting fires in the city. At the same time everything was in readiness for the final charge tip the heights when the demand for surrender was denied. The Japanese , having swept away all exterior defenses , pressed onward to the inner ramifications of the cita del to the final infantry assault. The shells from Japanese guns , exploding within the city's walls , set fire to her coal docks , and ihe conflagration spread unchecked. The oil warehouses , GENERAL STOESSEL. similarly ignited , burned with a fire that threatened wholesale devastation. Floods of blazing oil poured through Ihe streets into the harbor basin , where the fleet at anchor was menaced toy the flames. The citadel , under a of smoke and flame , faced the danger of being wiped out by the fires within the walls , nnd razed by the persistent and merciless rain of shells from the enemy's guns. SCENE IN PORT ARTHUR DURING BOMBARDMENT. By order of the Emperor of Japan an officer of the besieging army under .a flag of truce conveyed a formal de mand for the surrender of the garrison to the Russian lines. The word sur render seemed not in the vocabulary of Gen. Stoessel. His ultimatum to tne Mikado's demand for his surren der , received under a flag of truce iWithin Gen. Nogi's lines , conveyed the most chivalrous defiance. In the coolest. terms he expressed vthanks for the enemy's humanitarian Jp er to grant safe conduct outside the lines to non-combatants within the city , but refused to consider the possi bility of capitulation. It would be , he Intimated , a fight to the death. War News in Brief. A Russian force is reported to have been surprised by 3,000 Chinese bandits , losing many men. Japanese are advancing on Liaoyang end St Petersburg expects Kuropatkin to fight a decisive battle. Russian army at Anshanshan and Liaoyang waited for attack ; rain delay ed I < mg expected battle. The Japanese are said to be in control of the Shanhaikwan-Yinkow , railroad and are lauding troops. l Russian destroyer at Shanghai over- LOCATION OF HILLS FROM WHICH THE JAPANESE BOMBARDED PORT ARTHUR. r ° w fe ? I1' ' iUC'1 The location of the belt of roaring guns that the Japanese established about Port Arthur is indicated in the map. Commanding heights that the invaders occupied including , in the north and west , Sushiyen and Lang Mountain ; in the southwest the Liauti Hills and White Wolf Hill , and in the east Takushan also can be discerned. On Wolf Hill , a little to the northeast of the fortress , 100 cannon belched death and destruction into the city. In the triangle between Wolf Hill , the railway and Port Arthur the country is comparatively level , and from this direction the final assault was made. Never in the history of Russia has there been recorded a case of a Rus sian commandant surrendering a for tress to the enemy. Gen. Sto3-el s obstinate defiance was compatible w.th the tradition and wishes of his su periors of the Czar's staff. The remnants of the garrl'on took a final stand to repulse the Japanese. Although the \iiality of the'.r defense was ebbing with the passing hours , sufficient strength remained to them to deal a tremendous blow to the ad vancing army. A terriSc n'ght bombardment of the citadel was witnessed by pas engns on the steamer Dceima. anchood in Pigeon Bay. Among the spectators was Major Seaman , formerly a sur geon in the American army , who de scribes the chilling cf the brleacureil city as a brilli.int and awe-inyplrjig sight Progress of the War. Probably because the defenses of Port Arthur were becoming rather shaky the Russian fleet came out of that harbor Wednesday. They \vev" met at noon by Togo's squadron. Al though the fighting lasteJ for six or seven hours , no ship .on either side was actually sunk , although several were badly damaged. This showing is in marked contrast to the fights oil' Santiago and Manila bays. During the tight tiie Japanese F'vj was directed almost entirely at tin' six Russian battleships , live of whi"h are believed to have been ' severely crippled. The Czarevitch , which reached Kiauchau. was badiy mauled. The Russian admiral. Withoft. stand ing on its bridge was blown to pieces. The Pobieda , with two of its masts lost and one of its heavy guns knocked out of plumb ; the Retvizan , most seri ously damaged of all , and three oth ers , probably the Poltava , Peresviet , and Sevastopol , apparently crawled back to Port Arthur" . Togo says that because he concen trated his fire upon the enemy's battle ships , their cruisers escaped with slight relative damage. But the cruiser Askold , 5,903 tons , which reached Shanghai , was sadly battered. One of its five funnels was knocked off and the other four were riddled. It had several large shell holes near the water line. The Japanese damage is staid time limit , refused to disarm ; cruiser Askold badly battered and being repaired. Secretary Hay declares Russia's ac tion in ruling coal and other fuel las con traband is contrary to the lawful rights of a neutral commerce. * Ten thousand Chinese'i are reported with the Japanese force's advancing on Liaoyang. The Japs are concentrating their army in three groups. Russia demanded return of destroyer captured in Chefoo harboc ; Japan accus ed of violation of laws f war ; grave RAU.ROAD-J1 * * ROADS not known. Togo says the fighting ef ficiency of his fleet has not been low ered , and that his damages have been temporarily repaired. Monday and Tuesday immediately preceding the sortie of the fleet , tha .Japanese soldiers continued their violent lent and reckless assaults upon the de fenses of Port Arthur. On Monday night they took Takushan hill , 845 feet high. This is the strategic key of the eastern defenses of the fortress. These defenses , being situated sev eral hundred feet below Takushan , \voulu be subjected to a plunging fire directed dbwn upon them from the batteries on that hill. On Tuesday night the Russians , bjT a stealthily daring effort , retook Taku shan. The news was brought by the commander of the Ryeshitelni , who left the besieged place with the Rus sian fleet Little nqws has come of the Liao- yang situation. The Japs are using the Liao River and the Sinminting railway to get a force to the west ward of Liaoyang. This , if accom plished , would nearly complete the cir cle around it. But apparently the Jap anese have not advanced from the south or east since the 1st of Augus > . The Russians have had two weeks to retreat northward along the railroad to Mukden or Harbin. The railroad has not yet been interfered with. If the Russians have tried to get away , they must have succeeded. It is a mystery why the Japanese , having the trap for Kuropatkln all set , failed to spring it. On Aug. 1 , two days' more work would have encircled his army and forced its surrender. With the exception of the operations around Port Arthur , the campaign would be over for the year. It is im possible to say what caused the delay. The Japanese commanders who en tered the neutral Chinese port of Che fee and took by force and carried off the dismantled Russian torpedo boat destroyer Ryeshitelni. which had taken refuge there , doubtless thought they were aiding Japan. They were guilty of an infraction of the sovereignty of ' China which the Japanese government hardly can condone. Gen. Nodzu is believed to have cut ofl two Russian commands south of Hai- cheng. as Gen. Kuropatkin fails to men tion them in his report of a recent battle. crisis may drag China into conflict and involve die powers. Lieut. Gen. Linevitch is said to have left Vladivostok with a large army t < aid Kuropatkin by interfering with Ku roki's advance on Mookden. Admiral Withoft , in command of the Russian Port Arthur squadron , is report ed to have been killed in the naval bat tle off Round Island Wednesday. The seizure of the Russian torpedo- boat destroyer in Chefoo harbor is re garded as a serious breach of neutrality and may involve the powers in the war. CORN SUFFERS FROM DROUGHT. Lack of Moisture Hurts Cereals in the Central Valleys. The Washington weather bnreau is sued the weekly crop report , a tfollows : The Atlantic coast and eascilf dis tricts have suffered from excessive mois ture and lack of sunshine , a large part of the central valleys from drouth , the lake region from low temperature and the northern Rocky mountain and north Pacific coast districts from heat and drouth. The temperature was favorable over the eastern Rocky mountain slope and in the central valleys a l middle and south Atlantic States. Rnin would prove beneficial generally throughout the corn belt , over a large part of which , more particularly the southern and eastern portions/ corn is suffering more or less seriously from drouth. In the central Missouri valley , while needing rain , corn has made good growth and is in promising condition , but in the Ohio valley and Tennessee there has been a marked deterioration in the condition of the crop , some in Indiana having been injured beyond recovery. In Iowa corn has made satisfactory progress and a normal yield is promised. In the Southern States early corn is be ing gathered , cutting being in progress as far north as southern Kansas. An excellent crop is now practically assured in the north and middle Atlantic States. In the lake region and the Dakotas corn is backward and is growing slowly. The weather has been favorable for spring wheat harvest , which is far ad vanced in the southern portion of the spring wheat region , and the crop is rip ening rapidly in the extreme northern portion. Reports of damage from rust continue from the Dakotas and portions of Minnesota. Hot winds have proved injurious in Washington and yields below the average are reported from Oregon. Oat harvest is now finished except in the extreme northern districts , Avhere this work progressed under favorable con ditions. A good crop is generally indi cated. A more or less decided deterioration in cotton is indicated over much the greater part of the cotton belt. With the ex ception of Oklahoma complaints of shed ding are received from every State , and rotrin ? of the lower bolls reported from portions of the central and western dis tricts. Reports of too rank growth , how ever , are much loss numerous than in the preceding week , but continue from portions tions of the central and eastern districts. Boll weevils are causing much damage in the southwestern , central , eastern and coast districts of Texas and are proving destructive up to the northern tier of counties. In that State , however , the plant and fields are in good condition. In Oklahoma and Indian territories , Mis- houri and portions of Arkansas cotton is doing well. Picking is general only in southern Texas , but has begun in the southern portion of the eastern districts , whore , as a rule , very little is open. Tobacco has suffered much from drouth in the Ohio valley , but has made satisfactory progress in the middle At lantic States and Now England. Cutting is in progress in Ohio and Virginia. As a rule a light crop of apples is promised in the central valleys and southern - ern portion of the middle Atlantic States , but the outlook is generally promising in New England , New York , Michigan and portions of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Haying is finished except in the more northerly sections , where it has continued under favorable conditions. A large crop i | of hay of good quality has been secured in most sections. | Good progress with fall plowing has been made in the middle Atlantic States , but in the central valleys this work has been much hindered by the dry condition of the soil. GRADE CROSSING WRECK. Four Persons Killed and Twenty-five or More Injured in Chicago. Four persons dead , one fatally injured and twenty-live or more hurt is the toll of human life and suffering exacted by a Chicago grade crossing Wednesday. Three street cars , coupled into one train , earned their load of living freight on the tracks of the Chicago Great Western Railway and were crushed and crumbled before a fast-moving passenger train. The motorman , Michael Ryan , proved the hero of the catastrophe , for he stuck to his post , vainly trying to stem the coming disaster , and his life may be the forfeit. Following the collision the crew of the passenger train and the conduc tors on the street car were arrested. Three cars filled with people going to the Hawthorne races were running on the Consolidated Traction Company's Forty- eighth avenue line. Struck by the loco motive , the motor car was splijitered , and Motorman Ryan , still clinging to the brake lever , Avas hurled into the air and fell fifty feet from the scene of the im pact. His skull ( Was fractured and he was unconscious. The second car also was wrecked and the debris was scat tered over 100 feet , and men and women were thrown to the street or under the broken timbers and twisted iron. Three women and one man were killed and were found pinioned beneath the wreckage. This was the third railway disaster within a few weeks in or near Chicago which has claimed a large list of victims. The total fatalities in Cook cottnty for the last six months , due to steam or sur face railway accidents , are shown by the following table : Month. Killed. Month. Killed. February 41 June 34 March 38 July 4G April 41 May 27 Total 227 Odds and Ends. Thomas S. Lippy , millionaire , amateur athlete and philanthropist , is president of the Seattle Y. M. C. A. branch. F. F. Matthews , Democratic nominee for Congress in Oklahoma , says he will kiss every-baby in the territory to win the election. Deer Park , Md. , is becoming a popu lar resting point for St. Lpuis travel from New York , Philadelphia , Baltimore and Washington. In 1899 the railways of the United States performed services equal to car rying 14,591,327,613 passengers and 123- 007,257,153 tons of freight one mile. The Rev. Arthur P. Kelley , recently ordained deacon in the diocese of New Hampshire , has accepted a curacy at St. Mary's Church , Roland avenue , Balti more. The Rev. Nejill Joyner lias been quite successful in his efforts in raising the memorial professorship to Bishop Quin- tard for tha chair of theology at Sewa- nee , during his visit through west Ten nessee. OLD AND-WEW. From an old garden Lucia sends Some early roses to her friends , Their lovely petals fresh in hue , As though just washed in crystal dew. No name they bear , but rich their bloom As those that from Damascus come , Or those that in some Persian vale Their delicate perfume exhale , How vividly they bring to view The roses that my childhood knew ! . The Welding brought from distant wood , The Cinnamon that near it stood , The Prownce , deemed sp regal-fine , The pure White Rose and Eglantine. Nor let me Burgundy forget , Wee buds in tiny leaflet set. Just fit for fairy folk to wear , Titania and her maiden fair Nor dainty Blush , which few excel , So tinted like an ocean shell. I love them , one and all , and though Their many charms the new may show , La France , Colomb or Jacqueminot , To the old kinds my heart will cling , Such precious memories they bring Of home and friends in that dear time When life was in its joyous prime. Boston Budget. fter Word of Cfieer ARION SCHUELER bent slightly forward in her fath er's pew as the door from the pastor's study Into the auditorium of St Margaret's Church opened and closed. Then she leaned back with a little sigh. Tlus made the sixteenth candidate for the pulpit since the resignation of Rev. Emmanued Boyce. They had ranged all the way from the young collegian , with his sleek , dark head , clean-shaven jaws and palpably built out shoulders to this Her eyes went to the nervous hands arranging the papers on the reading desk hands which , in some unaccountable ' countable way , spoke of failure and disappointment to the well-brushed , threadbare coat , with its carefully darned triangular tear on the sleeve. She felt suddenly sorry for Rev. John Tlnsdale. Possibly she was the only one who even tritd to follow him as he plowed his near-sighted , nervous way through page after page of manuscript. And possibly , also , three months be fore she might not have done so , but the song of the springtime was singing itself in Marion Schueler's heart , and the abundance Qf her happiness over flowed In pity for those less blessed than herself. When the service was over John Tinsdale left the platform and stood with clasped hands in front of it. He S had no need to unclasp them. Not one person out of thnt vast congregation , came forward to speak to him. And I ' no one suspected that the young man was slowly but surely drinking the dregs of a very bitter cup. 7 For n year past the thought that his ministr3r was a failure had haunted him night and day. And he had made of this sen-ice a test He would preach in a strange church to a strange people ple , No one Avould be biased for or against him. If anyone , even a i de child , said afterward that he had help ed linn he would keep on. If not His eyes grew hard and bright with bitter certainty as the people moved slowly out. Then he became suddenly aware that someone stood beside him. It might have gone hard with John TlDsdale just then if 10 years of love and allegiance to another woman had not run like a bright thread through his life , for the girl who had come for- - \rard to speak to him was the very em bodiment of beauty and happiness. "Mr. Tinsdale , " shei said eagerly , "I want to thank you so much for what you said this morning. I really think you -were sent here to save me from becoming selfishly absorbed in my OTTO joy. " John Tinsdate took the hand she held out , though he hardly saw her face for the mist which had suddenly risen to his eyes. The quick revulsion of feeling left him dizzy for a mo ment He was to keep on ! When she ran down the rear stairs of the church to speak to the janitor upon the following Sunday , a figure stood at the foot which looked sadly out of place within the fashionable pre cincts of St Margaret's. "At another time Marion might have wondered why women with colorless hair and eyes always affected neutral tints in dress. But something beauti ful in the pate face , something which unwittingly told the story of years of cheerful self-sacrifice , held her mind from other thoughts , "Miss Schueler ? " The girl in drab advanced slightly , with her eyes fixed intently on Marion's face. The latter bowed , her dark eyebrows raising themselves slightly in vague surprise. "I came here from Carson Centre on purpose to see you. " "Indeed ? " Miss Schueler smiled , and the other girl winced at the new beauty it added to her face , "He he has never ceased talkin about you since last Sunday ! " she broke out , chokingly. "He ! Who ? " "John John Tinsdale. O , I don't wonder now that I've seen you ! " Marion opened the door of the ladies' parlor hastily and drew the other wo man aside. Gently she- forced her into a chair and , drawing another before it , took the cold , lifeless hands in her own , "Now , " she said , steadily , "tell me who you are. Not his wife ? " "No , but we have been engaged for eight years. " The tears rose quickly In Marlon. ) Schueler's eyes. "O , my dear ! That is a long time to wait for happiness , " she said breath lessly. Her own engagement might have been counted by as many weeks. Her hold upon the small , work-worn hands tightened. e "Indeed , Indeed , It Is not ns you think , " she said earnestly. * ' ! knew at the time that my speaking to Mr. Tinsdale as I did last Sunday meant more to him than I could understand. But it was what I said , not me , that counted. Why , he looked beyond , not at me. " The wet eyes of- the girl from Carson Centre were fixed hungrily on her face as she drank in every word. "Go home and ask him to tell you all about it" she said soothingly. "The- years which lie behind you demand that you shall not misunderstand each other now. " . "It isn't that I mind waiting , but but it hurts me to think another wo man had been to mm the inspiration I have failed to be , " she said wistfully. "He is pleaching on trial to-da y. If he succeeds it will be because ot having ! met you. " ; With sudden resolve Marion detain ed her. "After all. I see that I shajrhave to , tell what will hurt you for you do not ) yet believe me , " she said quietly. "And , anyway , nothing can hurt you more than what 3011 now think. Wben Mr.t Tinsdale preached here last Sunday not | one person not one came to speak to. him at the close of the service. , It ! seemed to me so cruel and what he ( said did help me that I tried as bestf I could to atone for the lack on the ! part of our people. Don't yon think ! Mr. Tinsdale would be likely to re member , and talk about , the one per son who had spoken kindly to'hJnrin aJ strange place ? " j A new light and hope had come into ' the pale eyes raised to Marion Schue- ler's. "I will try to believe you , " she said eagerly. "It would mean death to mete - to think otherwise. Goodby. " r "Goodby , dear , " she snid huskily , "and God bless you both. " Two people were waiting for Miss Schueler at the door of St. Margaret's on the following Sunday. * Rev. John Tinsdale she icnew at a' ' glance , but a second look was neces-j sary ere she recognized the little wom-j an at his side so pretty was tlx ) facet v in its soft , new happiness , so dainty the slight figure in its garb of dark blue. "Miss Schueler , " Tinsdale held oub his hand smiling radiantly , "my wife ; tells me that you and she are already ) ' acquainted. " "John has received a unanajoous callj to the church where he preached last Sunday , " the little bride began in an : eager undertone. "We were married1 yesterday and , 0 , my dear. It is all ] due to your word of good cheerF1 Bos ton Globe. HOTEL BILLS IN GERMANY. Conditions Under Which a Deed Man ? Must Pay Board. American travelers in Germany have- for some time hesitated about dying at any of the hotels because erf tl > e un settled condition of the German law governing the extent of their liability' in such an event , says the N-ew Or leans Times-Democrat. A recent re port from Consul General Gunther at- Frankfort gives an important decision , of the Supreme Court at Berlin , in which it is declared , presumably to' the great dissatisfaction of the German innkeepers , that a man's liability ceases at his death , and that damages , cannot be collected from his heirs for the time during which the room is be ing renovated and disinfected. The court held that the death of a guest , was a risk which the business of the hotel keeper required him to take , and- he was without recourse , even though his room should be untenanted- month. as a result. A distinction , however , was drawn between the case of an unexpected , death and one maliciously contrived by , the guest for the discomfiture of the landlord. In case the visitor should1 willfully commit suicide a liability for the rent of the room while it was be ing placed in order would siirTtve. It would be the same if he entered the hostelry and concealed froin his host the fact that he was in the 'grip of a ' deadly disease which was liable to' take him off at any moment Such de- celt , according to the court would be richly rewarded by rendering the man's estate responsible for damage ? . In the suit In question the bill pre sented by the landlord to tbe dead- man was for ten days' lodging , and as > the hotel was a first-class one , the amount was by no means small. The decision of the point by the Supreme Court of Berlin will relieve a great deal of anxiety in the tourist mind and he will die much more freeiy at Ger man hotels than before. The prospect of a hotel bill living and moving and1 having its being for weeks after one has'passed away is enough to make the stoutest heart quail and resolve to live. And this is especially true , in vl nv of the fact that a European hotel - t-eper is supposed to be the model of a lightning calculator when It comes to devising a bill for a stranger within his gates. Too Many to Rememtrer. CItlman You've been living In the suburbs so long I suppose you've had conslderaDle experience with servant girls , Subbubs Well , it's got so that when , my wife is interviewing an applicant now she always begins by asking : "Were you ever employed by me be fore ? If so , when and for how long 2' Philadelphia Pres *