The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-31
THE SCENE WAS GRAND
DESCRIPTION OF ARTILLERY BAT
 TILE AT TACHE kIAO.
Throughout the Long Day the shrap- mel Screamed and Shells Whistied -Japanese Had Difhcuity in
 Locating Batteries.

Mukden, July BOA correspondent of the Associated Press who witnessed the battle of Tatche Kiao, July 23 10 Ju1v 25 and who rode over a hundred miles on horseback. all the way to Mukden, to bring the account, gives the following personal description or the engagement:
 The cores spondent was awakened at | o'clock on the morning of July 23 by the booming of guns. He had slept in the village of Tien Tsiatin, four miles south of Tatche Kiao. where the regiment to which he was attached was stationed. He hurriedly rode to the Russian outposts and found them en- gagged in a hot artillery duel, which continued for two hours.
 Then the batteries slowly retreated ,n the main position, where General Zaroubaieff decided to accept battle. The Russian gunners thence poured welI-directed hail of projectiles, ef- sectually stopping the Japanase ad- vances and enabling the various out post attachments to fall back in safety. The artillery fire ceased at about II o'clock and then for three hours the Japanese were engaged in placing their batteries in position and disposing of their forces in order of battle. At in the afternoon the bombardment re- commenced anu ldSltu uHlll dllNl o'clock The Japanese had several guns of large caliber. and all their bat tories were sending out streams of shrapnel on the Russian positions, but not causing harm. In fact, the total losses at first were insignificant.
 The first gun was fired at o'clock and thenoeforth the roar of artillery did not cease for an instant till S;3O in the evening. At times the firing acquired extraordinary violence.
 The site of the battle was about three miles south of Tatche Liao, and two miles east of the railroad. The rea was plainly discernible from the heights overlooking the battlefield, but nothing occurred in that direction. The Russian positions fronted south. with a slight inclination eastward About two artillery corps were engaged.
 The correspondent was able to fol- low only the experiences of General Zaroubaieffs corps. and so confines himself to recording the incidents of this portion of the Russian troops. Za- roubaieff's corps occupied a position on two hills. of which the largest was crowned by three summits. The com mander and his staff stationed them selves on the highest point, the center enc. whence they had an uninterrupted view of the surrodnding country. The generad had placed batteries on the plain behind these hills, the guns being cleverly masked by lofty Chinese corn. The Japanese tried vainly the whole day to locate them and the Russian losses therefore were slight. The men suffered more from the scorchtng heat from the sun than the Japanese pro- jectiles It was essentially an artillery battle. but 1t was remarkable and even uncanny that during the thirteen hours 1t lasted. the Russians could not make out a single Japanese soldier even with the most powerful glasses.
 From the position occupied by Gen. eral Zaroubaieff not a single rife shot was fired. but the gunners on both sides worked like mad men. The air was split and torn by the deafening crash ing reports of the guns the dull boom ing of the distant shots furnishing q background of deep bass for the vi- cious hissing of the hurrying messcn- gers of death exploding about the Rus sians. White puffs of smoke from the exploding shrapnel shells, formed clouds overhead into which were