Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-06-03
CLOSING ON PORT ARTHUR.
Japanese Lost 5000 Men Killed and
Wounded In Gaining Key to Situation
Russians Evacuated Dalny

Japan bought the key to the Kwang-
| Tung peninsular cheaply, If it turns out
| as officially reported that her casualties
were only 5000 killed and wounded i'm
| the taking of kin-Chow and the line of
defences south of that city. Russia ap-
! parently meant to mold this narrow neck
! Of land. commanding the entrance to the
| peninsular, as long a $ possible. but made
| the mistake so often made in warfare of
/ leaving virtually unprotected one of her
nanks-the left. This the clever Japan
ese, Of course, discovered, after carefully
! feeling the Russian position. and strength
ening their right they were enabled to
| envclop Kin-Chow and the extreme Rus
| sian left. This, however, did not obviate
! the necessity, apparently, of making a
/ frontal attack on the strongly fortified
| Russian positions on Nanshan Hin. Here
/ the Russians stubbornly held their ground
/ and the position was carried only after
! repeated assaults. Four hundred Rus
! sian dead were left on the field and the
/ Japanese took fifty pieces Of artillery.
The japanese are likely to meet with no
/ further serious opposition until they reach
! the actual fortiications around Port Ar
| thur. Therefore, the entire garrison Is
! likely to retire into Port Arthur works
and resign itself to a close siege. 1t Is
! understood that the outer defences Of
| the town include fortifications on the sec
ond line of hills encircling the port.
| These command the old Chinese positions
| on the range Of hills nearest the town,
| and their occupation by the japanese in
1894 was decisive. If the Russians have
not fortified the outer chain they will
! pay the same penalty as the Chinese.
Thirty-five hundred Japanese killed or
wounded and 500 Russian dead found on
| the field are the revised estimates sent
| out from Toxic of the losses sustained in
| the battles at Kin-Chow and Nan Shan
on Thursday. SiXty-eight guns and ten
machine guns were captured by the Jap
anese.
Almost all the inhabitants of Dalny
| have left the town, and mines have been
laid to destroy the piers on the ap-
proach of the Japanese, whose scouts
have been seen near the port. A Rus
sian warship, thought to be the Bayan,.
was in Talien-Wan Bay. and her capture
by the japanese was considered proba BILE.
1t is reported that Russia had made a
proposal to China. offering to evacuate
all Manchuria in exchange for the Iii
territory.
Advices from Lao Yang said that Chi
nese merchants were preparing to leave
the town, and that there were rumors of
a native uprising against the Russians.
The price of food has been raised.
At least two Russian destroyers are
believed by tine japanese to have been
destroyed by mines laid outside Port
Arthur harbor.
Nine successive times the japanese
charged the fortified heights of Nam
Shan in the face of a storm of death deal
ing missiles. and in their last effort they
carried the forts and trenches only after
bayonet to bayonet conflict with the
Russians. who made "A desperate. des-
pairing struggle to beat back the on
coming masses.
The final assault of the japanese. in
which they at last succeeded in taking
| possession, was marked by the most des-
perate hand-to-hand encounter that has
| thus far characterized the war.
| Cen Oku's troops occupied Dalny, and
| found the town in flames. The Russians
had destroyed the great pier. set fire to
| many offices and residences. blown up
| the Russian gunboat Bobr and three large
| merchant steamships, but had failed to
destroy the smaller piers more than 100
warehouses and barracks and 200 rail-
| road cars The town had been pillased by
| Chinese bandits.
Gen. Kuropatkn reported a severe en-
| gagement between Cossacks and about
| 2O00 japanese troops at Nagenfuchu. a
railroad station on the Port Arthur line.
south of Haicheng. The Cossacks nearly
| wiped out the squadron Of japanese cav
airy, but We're forced to retire under a
heavy fire from the enemy's infantry,
who had four machine guns.
a continued advance by Gen Kuroki's
| troops north of Fengwang- -cheng was re-
| ported, and at last accounts a strong Jap
anese force was marching on Samaitsa.