The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-09

full morning. Men in dark blue. Officers IN
dazzling white, they looked "a II they were
trying TO make a specially fine mark for the
rlhemen behind the brick wall a mile away.
Perhaps il was because we Wc-terners have
not been accrs toned 10 reckoning the japanese
among tho nrst-class fighting men ~ the world
that their appearance and bearing have been
such n neyer-endinR surprise Ia us here. Nog
ask the average Englishman or American who
are the hes TROOPS here and ten 10 one he will
come close M To YOU and whisper A. II he were
telling Won the greatest score, ever heard. ~
no REPLIES. The jana nese. We have seen them
do some work such a. We used TO read about IN
the boys story books Of war. They have shown
us some machine-made war work and II has been
haylcsS and beautiful. This morning they
capped IL all With their long line undnlaunR
TO the uneven ground, their yellow-irimmeu
white caps bobbinR above their DARK blue
coats. they strobe along through the tangled
grass. over the hummocks and holes, in and ont
Of the Swamps and mirc, not many inches 10
the man, but every fraction ot every men u
soldier. Shells might burst among them ana
bullets whistle by. their business was To go
ahead and not reply. ~ ahead they went ana
IL the order had been to sing they would have
sung, just as they would have stood still to be
shot down without a word If that had been the
command, WIN lne mll'tlN WV VI ~ WV
world watching them they went TO their work
serene, unmoved. self-confdent, the best mon
on the field.
IN the long. thin, waverine line We have seen
40 often in the Philippines the men ~ the Ninth
came Mp behind the japanese. Blue shirts
and Khaki trousers, old faded campaign hats
and heavy haversacks their outfit and on their
shoulders the murderous Krags here FOR the
first time going Ia meet an enemy proof against
the old-time veil and charge that had carried
the line 81 many times 10 victory over the Fill
pinos. They made n brave show. II was u
worthy line 10 rome last and stay longest under
the FIRE TO which they could not reply.
one mountain battery of tho japanese, which
had gone out in the first part Of their force and
had reached the arsenal. took refuge while
waiting to go into action behind the mud wah
and across he canal.A narrow, shRky. much
repaired and unstable bridge crossed the canal
Just behind the arsenal. To get into the cover
81 the wall all the troops now coming up had 10
cross this bridge. The ammunition horses Of
the Japanese battery were huddled together.
just rs the first line Of the approaching troops
got almost even with the battery a shell burst
fairly in the middle of the bunch Of horses. Two
or three went down and n man or two with
them. Before the other men could begin to
gel he nOTRtsN IlNFutu Vhi w 'hh' h''
away TO a safer place another shell struck. II
wa a marvel that none Of the ammunition was
exploded. The Japanese hustled their horses
back across the canal and under cover Of the
mud wall without further loss.
when tho men began to cross the canal they
had 10 form in column of fours TO get across
the bridge. They still made = great target.
but we're partly covered by the mud wall and
the big brick gate, where II crossed the road
10 the arsenal. The men got over all right,
and then there was a time getting over some
baggage and water animals. A little mite of
n donkey that had been hitched into a ricksha
by some men from the British ship Barneur was
hit in the port after knee. and there was a great
time among the men. They did not care how
much they exposed themselves. the main point
was TO get the donkey under cover end hs wound
dressed. Just after they got him behind the
wall and were banda9ing him up one Of them
was ordered by a sergeant to do something
and replied
Il cawnt meow. don't We see the bloomin'
moke's it,"
PICKING UP THE WOUNDED.
No sooner we're the men all well under cover
than the stretche-a began 10 go back into the
open field TO pick up those who had been hit.
There were fifteen Americans among them,
one OF whom was killed. For an hour these little
parties we're securing the field and all the time
the Chinese kept up the hottest kind Of n fire
on them.
As soon as all the men were under cover
the guns we're posted to shell the city wall
The japanese. American and French batteries
we're taken through the little clump OF huts
to the west OF the arsenal and posted along the
road that runs Just north Of the main build
MI. .os,aI hs lanapaCa in
fantry. The Americans took their three Colt
guns we'll forward also and posted them In an
advantageous position The different infantry
forces strung ont dong the wall and waited
for the artillery TO do its work. The Smelling
began about Q o'clock. the larger batteries on
the wall lower down having been at II steadily
from the start. For nearly an hour the allies
guns fired rapidly. but during 1t all the Chinese
replied with rifles and big guns, though not so
vigorously a. they had done at times before.
The battery Of old muzzle-loading 7-pounders
Of the Royal Asiatic Artillery was posted on
the mud wall to the west Of the bridge over
the road. and every time the cloud OF smoke
announced the discharge Of one OF Its guns
there was a rattle Of Chinese bullets in reply.
Two batterymen we're killed and three wounded
in a very few minutes, but the guns kept peg-
ginc away all the same. One Chinese shell
struck the wall just in front 81 where Fuku-
shima and Gen Dorward. the British COM
mander, we're standing. They were spattered
with the dirt it, threw NJ. A man sitting in
the open gateway through the wall was hit
by a bullet.
After an hour or so of this. with no peroepti-
bic let-up in the Chinese fire and no evidence
OF a breach In the city wall, II was decided 10
make the infantry attack. The American
marines and part Of the FusilieTs were TO take
the left, the japanese the centre and the British
the right. The Ninth was TO support the Japan
e-e left and the French the centre. The centre
was to advance along the main road from the
arsenal toward the city. a. in fact was all tie
attack except the left, TO "a point beyond some
bitches and a broad stretch Of water a little
more than half way TO the wall. and from there
the line was 10 be- extended TO cover the Japan
ese charge up the road 10 the gate, From
the arsenal a second road leads TO the north,
well to the east of the main road.
When the order CANT a regiment OF Japanese,
dressed all in white, with their little blue cloth
hayersacks rolled about their shoulders. formed
in column ~ tours behind the mud wall and
made ready 20 start. The way was cleared fol
them under the gate through the mud wall and
they came swinging quickly down TO II. A,
the head Of the column reached the gate the
ofloer in command drew his sword ana swing.