The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-09-29
IS In CLOSE QUARTERS
All information From Port Arthur In.
dictates Japanese Are Pressing
Toward the End

toward the End.
Chefoo, Sept. 2S.-As a result OF thu
battle before Port Arthur which began
on September 10, the Japanese sue
ceeded in capturing several important
posts. and today the Russian tenure
OF the big forts guarding the north
northeast n northwest sides of the
town is seriously threatened. Chinese
Information places the japanese losses
under 5000 for the three days fighting,
ana THIS comparatively small casualty
ilst is due TO the excessive care used
by the Japanese in making their prep
aratlons for the advance. Russian
sources, however, claim to have in
formation that The Japanese losses
We're unusually severe, amounting to
toned.
Possibly the most important capture
during the three days fighting was
that of Fort kuropatkIn, which, while
OF minor value with regard to pre-
venting the entrance INTO the town of
the Japanese, has been constructed for
the purpose of protecting the sources
OF the garrison's water supply. The
control of this water supply is now In
the hands of the Japanese.
Battle Began September 20.
AS was announced in these dispatches
on September 20, the battle began be-
fore daybreak on September 10. AT this
hour there We're thunderous reports of
artillery along the line extending from
the west of Itz mountain to Rhilungs
and kikWan mountains. This was but
n preface to the assault which was des-
tined to result in the capture of three
and important Russian positions,
together with six small forts lying be-
tween Shushiyen and Rhilung noun
tain. During the day and night of the
10Th and at noon of the 10Th the bonn.
bardment continued without cessation,
and the many shells falling from quar-
tiers which previously had been silent
made it obvious that the Japanese a
tat least succeeded in mounting many
heavy guns in new positions, or In
Strengthening their old positions. The
infantry fighting during this period was
comparatively trivial.
At loon on September 20, the Japan
csc right and center, the former being
to the north and the latter to the east
OF the railroad, commenced the ad-
vance. The troops made use of the
trenches and ~infrequent natural covers
that lay in their way. The small forts
to the south of Shushiyen resisted this
advance, but briefly. their garrisons not
being strong numerically.
Fort kuropatkin Fell.
Since the beginning of the lombard
ment the artillery fire from Fort Ku-
ropatkin had been growing steadily
tS''' ~ iiNtN ms DNSoiilN "iRol VIII
that it had been practically silenced
the japanese assaulted the forts. Fort
kuropatkin is situated to the south of
~Palichuang and to the northeast of
the parade ground, on a low hill. 1t
derives its name from the time when
General Kuropatkin inspected it.
pointed out the weakness of the posi-
ton, and ordered that it be strength
ened as far as possible because of the
necessity of protecting the water sup
ply. While situated in the chain of
main forts. Fort kuropatkin never has
been as strong as the others, and after
severe fighting it fell into the hands Of
the Japanese. This capture lessons
further the security of the fort on
Rhilung mountain, which is now
threatened from a new quarter as we'll
as from Palichuang.
At 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the
goth the Japanese carried a supple
mentary fort. which from the lower
ground threatens the fort on Itz noun
tain. This ended the heavy fighting for
that day, although the Japanese later
We're compelled to resist several sor-
ties.
Bomhardrnent, Then Assault.
During the night the heavy lombard
ment of the Russian positions con-
tinued, the Japanese fire being directed
with particular vigor against another
supplementary fort 5000 yards to the
west of the forts on TT mountain, and
regarded as highly important because
of its bearing on the Itz and Anshu
mountain forts.
The next day after having pounded
this position numerically and until its
fire had siackened visibly, the Japanese
delivered their assault. They met with
a stubborn resistance. They were eS-
posed to the fire of machine guns and
rifles, and they made frantic efforts to
reach the crest of the slope. They
leaped over trenches and entertainments
and tore down the entanglements in
their path until at length they entered
the fort. The Russian troops there re
fused to desert their position, even
in the face of the superior numbers
which confronted them, and desperate
hand to hand fighting occurred inside
the fort. Eventually almost the emit
tire Russian garrison was either killed
or wounded.
The foregoing information has been
obtained from a Chinese of unimpeach-,
able trustworthiness.
Fortress Seemingly Doomed.
Military experts here are of the opin-
ion that if the Japanese capture either
Rhilung or kikwan forts or the Itz and
Anshu forts, the doom of Port Arthur
is sealed, and for his reason the i'm
lportance of the results obtained by the
Japanese in their latest assaults upon
the Russian position is obvious.
AS the Chinese from whom the corre-t
spondent of the Associated Press OBJ
tanned his information left Port Arthur
the night of September q, he is unable.
to say whether the battle was renewed
on the 22d or not, although junks which
have come here bring reports of a light
bombardment on that day.
A steamer which has arrived here
from Port Dalmy confirms previous re,
ports that there was hea~y fighting a.
Port Arthur on September "a.