The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-26

which began on Sept. 70 the Japanese
succeeded in capturing several import
ant positions and today the Russian
DHure of the big forts guarding the
north. northeast and northwest sides
OF The town IS seriously threatened.
chinese information places the Japan
csc losses under 1000 for the three
days fighting, and this comparatively
small casualty list is due to the ex-
eessire care used by the japanese in
making their preparations for the ad-
vance. Russian sources, however.
claim TO have information that tie
Japanese losses were unusually Sc
we're, amounting TO fully three times
the number mentioned above Pos
sibly the most important capture dur
ing the three days fighting was that
OF Fort KurOpatkin. which, while Of
minor value with regard TO preventing
the entrance into the town Of the Jap
anese. lad been constructed for the
purpose of protecting the source Of the
garrison's water supply. The control
OF this water supply is now in the
hands of the Japanese.
As was announced in these dis
patches on Sept. 20, the battle began
before daybreak on Sept. 10. At this
hour the citizens and the garrison of
Port Arthur after the enjoyment of
weeks OF comparative security, awOke
10 TIE thunderous reports of artillery
along the line extending from the west
Of ItZ mountain TO Rihlung and Xix
wan mountains. This was but a pref
ace TO the assault which was destined
20 result in the capture Of three new
and important Russian positions. to-
Sether with six small but annoying
forts lying between Shushiyen and
Rihlung mountain. During the day
and night Of tie 18th and until noon
Of the 10Th the bombardment continued
without cessation, and the many shells
falling from quarters which previous
~ had been silent made it obvious that
the Japanese had at last succeeded
in mounting many heavy guns in new
positions or in strengthening their old
positions. Tie infantry fighting dur
ing this period was comparatively
trivial.
Infantry Take Forts.
At noon Of Sept 20 the japanese
right and center, the former being to
the west and the latter to the east of
the railroad commenced the advance.
The troops made use Of the trenches
and infrequeht natural cover that lay
IN their way. The small forts TO, the
south of Shushiyen resisted this ad-
vance but briefly, their garrisOns not
being strong numerically. Since the
Beginning Of the bombardment the ar
tillery fire from Fort Kuropatkin had
been growing steadily weaker, and ii
having become apparent that it had
been practically silenced the Japanese
assaulted the fort. Fort KurOpatkin
rs situated TO the south of Palichuang
and TO the northeast of the parade
ground on low kill. 1t derives its
name from the time when General ku-
rcpatiIin inspected it, pointed out the
weakness of the position and ordered
that IL be strengthened as FAR 2s pos
sible because of the necessity of pro-
tecting the water supply. While stu
ated in the chain Of main forts Fort
kuropatkin never has been as strong
as them. and after severe fighting it
fell into the hands of tie japanese. |
This capture lessons further the Sc
cuTity of the fort on Rihlung noun |
tain, which Is NOW threatened from |
new quarter as Well as from Pail |
chuang
At ) O'Clock of the afternoon of the 1
10Th the japanese captured a supple
mentary fort which from the lower |
ground threatens the fort on liz noun
tain. This ended the heavy fighting for |
that day. although the japanese later |
were compelled to resist several scr /
ties
During the night the heavy bonn |
bardment OF the Russian positions con- !
tinued. the japanese fire being directed I
with particular vigor against another |
supplementary fort 5000 yards to the |
west of the fort on Itz mountain. and |
regarded as highly important, because /
Of its bearing on the Itz and Anshu |
forts