The San Francisco call., 1904-12-25
FIERCEST
FIGHTING. Of
The SIEGE
Russian Garrison on East
Keekwan Mountain Con-
tinues Unequal Combat In
It'll 1t !. Is Annihilated
Continued From Page IS. Column 8.

continued FROM Page 20. Column 8.
parallel, who were distinguished by
red badges on their arms, were to
make the second assault. General
Samejima personally conducted those
assaults at o'clock on the afternoon
of December 10. after the explosions
had taken place. ~.
The first mine exploded without
warning and the explosion was not en-
tirely successful, owing to the heavy
concrete above the mine. The explo-
sion of the second mine followed i'm
mediately and this was succeeded by
five smaller explosions.
The sight was wonderful in the ex-
treme. Huge clouds of brown earth
and debris of all kinds were thrown
200 feet into the air and it looked as If
the whole fort had been sent heaven
ward. When the clouds Of earth had
settled down, the snow for some 800
yards around the fort was covered with
brown earth, pieces of timber and
blocks of concrete.
The explosions made two large
breaches in the north wall Of the fort,
through which the japanese in the
quickly that fifty of them were either
killed or wounded by the falling
debris. The japanese succeeded in
gaining the ramparts and charged the
interior of the fort, but they were re-
pulsed by portion of the garrison
from behind a wall at the rear of the
fort, which had not been touched by
the force of the explosion. Behind this
AlId nd
three machine guns.
In the meantime, the Russians had
rushed re-enforcements of some 300 to
the fort, through the covered wall at
the rear.
/ The Second battalion Of attackers
was not able to advance immediately.
as the sapping trenches from the
parallel to the moat were filled with
debris. When this debris had been ex-
cavated the battalion gained the moat
4 and reached the ramparts through the
+ breaches that had been made by the
+ explosions.
/ SCATTERS HIS MEN.
The commander Of this enterprise
realized that any attempt to gain the
interior of the fort would end in dis
aster If his whole force advanced in one
body, so he disposed his men along
the wall and ordered tnem to gain the
lower level Of the Interior OF the fort by
: twos and threes and to find cover in
the holes which had been made in the
surface by the Japanese shells. In the
whole. center Of the fort great holes
had been torn by the Japanese shells
and these offered good cover from the
~ Aa o,,1 o1, rcrA Aironfad
the rear of the. fort. In these holes $50
of the attackers had found cover by
o'clock in the evening.
Advancing carefully, the Japanese
approached the Russian defenses in
the rear of the fort and by working
from hole to hole under cover Of the
darkness the entire battalion gained
the interior of the fort, Notwithstanding
the desperate resistance made by the
Russians.
The first charge made against the
wall of sandbags proved unsuccessful,
but charge followed charge until mid
night, when the last corner of the Rus
sian defenses was captured.
The fighting was desperate in the ex-
treme,- with bayonets and dynamite
hand grenades, and the entire garrison
was killed, with the exception of a
party Of twenty who escaped through
the covered wall, which they destroyed
behind them by exploding four mines
and thus prevented the Japanese pur-
suing them.
GARRISON DIES FIGHTING.
Though the numbers engaged and the
area OF the fighting were small, both
assault and defense were more furious
than any in the previous history of the
siege of Port Arthur With the excep-
tions noted the garrison died fighting,
to the last man with wonderful deter
nina ton.
The final rushes of the Japanese were
irresistible. Their wounded refused to
retire and insisted on continuing the
fighting, saying that they had vowed to
take the fort and that they must sue
ceed.
Four field guns and three machine
guns were captured and more than 300
Russians were killed.
The skillful maner in which the Sec
ond assault was executed prevented
heavy losses and ensured the capture
j of the fort which, though not the larg-
est, is one of the strongest of the east
ern fortified ridge. The fort is inn
portant to the Japanese, as it opens
way up the gorge between it and the
eastern part of Keekwan Mountain and
is the easiest point at which to pierce
the principal line of fortifcations for
the purpose of gaining a foothold en-
the higher hills of the ridge.
= The, stubborn resistance made by the
Russians was due to the fact that the
captured fort was the key of the posi-