New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-02

4 Greet Infantry Charge-Totql
Losses Fifteen Hundred.


Toxic. May AFTER FIVE days of fighting.
largely with artillery. the first Japanese army.
under General Kuroki, has forced crossing
Of the Yalu River. and to-day. with a gallant
infantry charge covering a front Of four miles.
it drove the Russians from Chiu-Tien-Cheng
-Cheng0 and the heights on the right
bank of the Tho Aida River. which enters
the YaIU from the north almost opposite witu.
The japanese turned the left flank of the Rus
sian position and in the battle of to-day they
swept away the front interposed by the
Russians to check their onward movement. The
japanese lost seven hundred and the Russians
eight hundred killed and wounded. General
Kurokf says:
The Russians made two stands. The enemy's
strength included all Of the Third Division two
regiments Of the Sixth Division. one cavalry
brigade, about forty Quick-fring guns and
eight machine guns
We have taken twenty-eisht quick-hring guns.
many rifles much ammunition, more than
twenty officers and many nOn-cOmmissiOned Of
fCers and men as prisoners.
am informed that Major KashtalinsAy.
commander Of the Third East Siberian Rifles
Brigade, and Lieutenant General Zassalitch
commander of the Second Siberian Army Corps.
our casualties number about 700 and ths
Russian loss is more than 500 men.
The present position of the Japanese Is a DOM
eating one. and they may force the abandon
nent OF the defences erected by the Russians
az Antung and other points lower down the
river.
General Kuroki began the movement on Tues
day by ordering a detachment Of the Imperial
Guards Division TO seize the island OF Kurito.
which is in the Yaiu above Win and a detach-
ment Of the Second Division to seize the island
Of Kinteito which is situated below wiju
The detachment OF the Imperial Guards met
with some resistance. but IL succeeded in clear
ing the enemy out and occupied Kurito Island
The Russians abandoned the island of Kinteito
when attacked by the detachment of the Second
Division.
The actual loss sustained by the detachment
Of the Imperial Guards is not known. as there ia
error in that part Of the message received
here referring to the number killed. but nine Of
the detachment were severely and sixteen
slightly wounded. The detachment of the Sec
ond Division. which took the island Of Kinteito.
sustained no losses.
ARTILLERY FORCES IN ACTION
In the course Of these movements on the
islands the Russians opened fire on the Jap
anese with eight 9ls-centirnetre guns from a
hill behind Chin-Tien-Cheng. and with two
Hotchkiss guns which were mounted on tho
bank Of the river at Kosan. where the Russians
seemed to have established their headquarters.
One battery OF Japanese artillery, which had
taken a position on a hill to the east OF Wiju.
fired three volleys at Kosan and at noon Of
Tuesday the Russian batteries behind Chiu-
Tien-Cheng sheIled W-iju. wounding one Japan
ese soldier with shrapneI- On Wednesday the
Russians resumed the bombardment Of wiju
firing at intervals through the day. The Japan
ese artillery did not respond to this fre.
General Kurok had received reports TO the
effect that the Russians were fortifying the
heights on the right bank of the Tho River
These new defences were said to extend from
te-Tien- -Cheng through the village OF Makao
10 Koshoki. distance Of three and a quarter
miles
The Russians resumed their Commandment on
Thursday. but 1t was generally ineffective sub
General Kuroki ordered two COM
panies of the Imperial Guards to cross the YaIu
and make a reconnaissance along the left bank
of the Tho for the purpose of discovering tho
character of the Russian fortihcations along the
heights on the right bank
JAPANESE PUSH ON TO KOsAN.
The japanese force advanced toward Kosan.
and then dispatched a small detachment to the
village. where a party of Russians was en-
In the engagement which followed
five Russians were killed. The Russians sheled
the reconnoitring party from an emplacemeut
in the hills in the southeast part of Yoshoko.
This fire was without effect.
The Russian artillery on the hill behind
hiu-Tien- -Cheng, firing at a high angle. opened
on Win and the islands of Kurito and Seikodo.
to the south of wiju where some Japanese bat
teries had taken position.
This firing continued into Thursday night and
General Kuroki reports that while il was IN
effective. it disturbed his preparations for an
attack. The Russians resumed the shelIins OF
wiju on Friday. but the japanese guns did not
reply.
The Twelfth Division of the japanese army
was chosen to make the first crossing of ths
Yalu. II began It's preparations ou Friday hS