Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-26
fiqht at Port Arthur
Something Desperate.
Japs Pause at Nothing and the
Slaughter Was Fearful.
They Capture Several Important
Points, but Not the City.

uortaut positions, ana, tOidy, thc i.dH-
sian tenure Of the big forts guarding
the north. northeast ana h"Flfi"' 81
sides Of the town Is seriously tlfeat-
cncd.
Chinese information places the Jap
anes.. losses under 5000, for the ihl'1
DAYS fighting. ail this c"mNir'tlN'!F
small casualty list is due t" the eN-
c.ssivc car. usci by the JaI"tu"Se III
making their preparations Tor me "h-
vance Russian sources. however.
claim to rave Information tfat the
Japanese losses were unusually sewers
amounting to fully three times the
number mentioned above.
Possibly the most important caItur"
during the three days fighting was
that of Fort kurOpatkin, which is OF
minor value with regard {" preventing
the entrance into tn" town Of the Jap
anese, had ben constructed for the
purpose Of protecting the source Of
the garrisons water supply. The con
troll of this water supply is now in III"
hands of the JapInese.
AS was announced in these lis
patches of Sept ~, til" battle began
before dayhreak. Sept. ~. At this hour
IItt' fltIL''ItS anu lli' So '''1'''. = -
Arthur. after the enjoyment of weeks
of comparative security. aWnke 10 the
construction of forts all along the linz
extending from tie west of ltZ mpIn-
tains to Rhluug ard kikwan noun
atins. This was but = preface 10 tn"
assault which WAS destined to result
in the capture of three new and inn
portant Russian possessions, together
with six outlying forts lying between
Shushiyrn and Rihlung mountain.
During tie day ana night of the 18th.
and unti noon of the 10Th the bonn
barclment continued without cessation.
and the many shells falling from quar-
tcrS which previously had been silent.
made it obvious that the Japant Sc hld
mt last succeeded either in mountain:
many heavy guns in new positions. or
in strengthening their old positions.
The infantry lighting during this period
was comparative. - trivial.
At noon. Sept. %. the japanese right
ana center the former being To the
west and tn" latter 70 the .',St of the
railroad. commenced tn" advance. The
troops made use of the trenches and
infreuuent natural cover that lay il
their way.
The small forts to the south of Shu
shiy.n resisted this advance, bu
briefly, as their garriSonS We're not
strong numerically. Since the begin
ming of the bombardment the artillery
fire from Fort Kuropatkin had hrrl
growing steadily weaker and it havin'
become apparent that it had becl
practically silcnccd, the japanese as
luit,d the fort.
Fort Eurupatkin is situated to tn
,uth Of Palichuang and to the north
asst of the parade grounds on a 10y
hill. 1t derives its name from the tim
when Cen. Kuropatkin inspected il
pointed ont the weakness of the posi-
ton and ordered that it be strength
cned as far as possible because of tn
necessity of protecting the water sup
ply.
While situated in the chain of mali
forts, Fort kuropatkin never has bee
as strong as the others and after Sc
we're fighting it fen into the hands .
the Japanese. This capture lessen
further the security of the fort OF
Rihung mountain. which is nov
threatened from new quarter u
we'll as from Palichuang.
At O'Clock on the afternoon Of tn
Goth. the Japancs" captured supple
mcntary fort which from the lowe
ground Threatened the fort on 1t
nountrin. This ended the heavy fight
ing for that day although the .ilpanes
later were compelled to resist sever;
s"rtirs.
During tn" night the homhardmen
Of the Russian positions continued. tn
Japanese fire being directed With par
ticuar vigor against another suppl
m"ntary fort 5000 yards to the west .
the fort on ltZ mountain, and rcgardc
as highly important because OF *
hearing on the ItZ and Anshu niountai
forts.
The next day. after having pounde
this position numerically. and unit
its fire had slackened vis!bly. the Ja1
anese delivered their assault. Thu
met with stubborn resistance. Expos
to the fire machine guns and riff,
they made frantic efforts To reach III
crest of the slope. They leaped ovt
trenches and embankments and tor
down the acknowledgements in their patti
until ut length they entered the fort.
The Russian troops there refused to d.
Sert inc position. even III the lace ~ II
superior numbers. which Confro0 Z
them. and desperate hand-to-had hrhtr
occurred inside the fort. Eventually a
most the entire Russian garrison ";
either killed or wounded.
The foregoing information has been ol
tanned from 4 Chinese cf unimpeaUha b
trustworthiness.
Military experts here are Of the orinic
that if the Japanese capture either Eli
lung forts or the ltz and Anshu forts Il
doom OF Pert Arthur is sealed and f,
this reason the Importance of the red ou
obtained by the Japanese in their late
assaults upon the Russian positions
obvious As the Chinese from whom Il
correspondent of The Associated Pre-
obtained his information left Port a
thur the night of September u. h is III
able to say. whether the battle was r
newed on the I'D or not although junl
which have come in here bring repur
of light bombardment on that day.
A steamer which has arrived here fro
Port Dalny confirms previous reports HI
there was heavy fighting at Port Arthu
Sept. "A.
John Murdoch. Ii. D.. founder al
II. - I