Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-10
ASSAULT BEGINS.


eastern fortified ridge by battery
which had been placed IN position ON
the crest OF a ridge to the rear TOT
hours the whole western halt OF lhe lot
tlaed ridge was deluged win heaNy
shells. Al noon the principal line Of
fortlfcatlons was q perfect hell OF
bursting shrapneL .
Tho front lines OF infantry, having
been strongly reinforced. began an al
tack simultaneously along the enure
line from East KekWan mountain 10
West Rihlung mountain. Through the
haze caused by the smoke Of the BURST
inr shells the assallants could DE seen
emerging from the cover Of the paral'
lela, as well az swarming up the foru-
ned ridge az half "a dozen different
points. ..
Rifles, rapld-dre guns and machine
guns hla2ed from the Russian posi-
lions. where advances were MADE lu
the omen. The men went down by
hundreds. The forts were belchng
smoke and bursting shells, aud the ram
mart wallis were black with assailants
who, on reaching the crests, met WIN
an awful fire from within the torls
which swept down lire after line OF
japanese,
AZ fast AZ the assaults we're repulsed
more japanese swarmed up, only TO lie
moved down IN turn. The determine.
ton and fury OF the japanese assaults
were equaled by the stubbornness OF
tho resistance Of the Russians
MEN FELL BY HUNDREDS,
ON the eastern extremity Of the line
the japanese made an assault IN an az
tempt TO capture the Russian tenches
situated midway Of the slope OF East
Kekwan mountain. The Japanese par
nllelled some 80 yards OF the Russian
trench line and am entire regiment
charged across, the men falling by
hundreds before the awful fire OF the
Russians. Hut still more men came on
over the bodies Of those who had fallen,
and by sheer weight OF numbers they
reached the trenches, which they cap.
tured az the point Of the bayonet
The Russian shcapnel fire made the
captured portion of the trenches per-
feet hell, while the japanese shrapnel
fire assisted the captors to push east
and west along the trench line.
The assailants succeeded IN holding
some 50 yards OF the trench IN front
OF the parallels but their efforts to rush
the trench line east and west was a
failure owing 10 impossible burning
pits which filled the whole space Of the
trench on the northern side as well
as to the fact that their progress was
barred by the fire of the Russian ma
chine guns.
The japanese built traverse walls
across the trench under the protection
OF their machine guns and tried to
cross the pits, but they were unable to
do so,
RUSSIAN COUNTER ATTACK.
At 6 o'clock In the evening a furious
Russian counter attack drove the Jap
ancse back TO the parallels with great
loss. Az o'clock the Japanese again
captured the same portion Of the trench
and made desperate but unsuccessful
efforts TO cross the pits.
The awful struggle continued until
. o'clock I'm the morning, when th,
Russians again counter attacked anc
rccapture the trench which was ille(
with dead bodies. For more than 3
Yards between the trenches there was
workable shambles. The last attacks
and counter were made over the bodlel
OF the slain,
The first attempt 10 rush the fort OF
the northern part Of kekWan noun
tain was made at I o'clock In the after
noon wnen the attacking army swarme,
up the ramparts wall from the moa
and met with an awful fire from within
and from the Chinese wall In the rea
OF the fort,
When the Russians saw that IL wa
the intention Of the japanese to rusl
the fort they moved a considerable
force from the Chinese wall into
gorge 10 the east and TO the rear OF III
fort. During the four or I've furiou
assaults which the Japanese made upoi
the fort some OF the garrison attempte
90 cyacuate the fort over the rear ram
parts, but they We're fired upon by IN
Russian force in the gorge.
WALLS BLACK WITH BODIES,
As the result Of the first assault IN
rampant walls we're black with bOdiei
IN the second assault the Japanese sue
ceeded IN gaining a foothod In the IN
terror, where the defcnses were bomt
proof with raised lines Of protecte
trenches In the rear Of the fort wheI
the machine guns swept the front
the fort and the walls
The japanese attacked this bomt
proof maze, where the fighting wa
iand-to-hand with hayonet and grer
gdes.
The japanese mounted six mountal
guns on an intrenched hill called ~
fort, Immediately to the west, In AN en-
deavor % silence the fire Of the MAXI
guns, but they were unsuccessful.
At o'clock In the morning the jar
nnese succeed IN establishing trenC
line inside the ramparts, which the
stlll hold The first section OF the mar
OF bomb proofs were smashed and pile
with the bodies OF the dead OF bot
sides. The attempt 10 rush the interll
OF the fort proved a failure but Poi
tons of the fort were temporarily o.
cupied. The defenders were annlhllats
or we're unable or unwilling 70 refill
and fought 20 the last breach
In the meantime "a strong force