The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-15
DETAILS OF FIGHTING.
Story of Two Days Battle Told by
Associated Press Correspondents.


/ den, on the Railway. Oct. 13.-De-
| layed.-A Russian correspondent of
the Associated Press telegraphs as
follows:
For over two days the battle has
ragged ceaseIessly. 1t was close to mid
night of October 10 when the Jap
anese attempted to surprise and at
| tack our frontal positions in the i'm
penetrable darkness and hurled the
| full force of their battalionS against
| our intrenchments. The darkness was
| split by the blaze of their rifles and
! the answering volleys of our own men.
| The attack never ceased for hours.
We lay close, hugging the entrench-
mentS with but a few minutes of res
pite, every mans gun to his Shout
| der firing at the flashes until near
dawn, when the evil-boding rifle fire
ceased and even the distant batteries
were silent. We watched the daylight
| break in bands of red and yellow. The
| clouds, seemingly tinged with streaks
of blood hung over the silent valley,
which might have been empty for all
the signs of life it gave, while from
the plain below us rose dark and silent
| hills like the silhouettes of tombstones
through the half light. The fog
thickened, covering low-lying places.
ed for todays duel between two
races.
| Day had hardly lightened the slope
of the Two Horned mountain when
shrapnel. Puffs of white smoke
marked the landing of each shell.
With ones naked eye we could see the
Japanese being shelled out of their
| trenches First one and then groups
of three and four black figures sprang
into view, squatting down, running for
cover or scurrying away among the
rocks but the shells followed them,
| literally like wheat thrown by the
hand of sower. On the mountain
beside the Buddhist temple our battery
was also working. Then another
opened from the opposite side. The
Japanese fed so quickly the gunners
could hardly follow them. Cool Japa-
nese resourcefulness showed itself.
They fired big native village on the
side of the Two Horned mountain,
rightly guessing that the wind from
the east would carry the smoke toward
fusing the aim of our gunners. From
/ s o'clock in the morning the fight
ragged. Along the whole line the in
fernal din of the rifle fire continued
the Japanese batteries gave no sign
of life. 1t developed that they were
waiting to locate our positions before
opening fire. Even after they COM
menced, it was not so heavy as the
previous days bombardment.
Far to the westward the japanese are
trying to work round our flank, but
there we are safe and have sufficient
forces to meet them. Two simultaneous
turning movements are proceeding
theirs and ours.
Reports of heavy losses during the
night attack are coming in. The Tomsk
regiment suffered terribly. OF the bril-
liant Tamboff regiment few remained.
The troops fought like heroes through
out the hours of darkness, and the
morning found most of them dead on
the ground they had bravely defended.
Those remaining continue to fight. In
the big village before us the remnants
NF 1fcJ far- 81
tacks throughout the night ensconced
themselves in the shelter of walls of the
houses, prepared for a fresh days work.
The Japanese attack on Temple noun
tain held by the Volonski regiment be-
gan at S:45 o'clock in the morning but
our batteries on each side kept them in
view and repealed the attack. The at
tack was repeated at 10 o'clock and
ordered a retirement from the position
going to Shikhi. We had scarcely left
the hill before it was covered with Jap
anese projectiles. At Shixhi we met
General Zalinsky who had come to re-
port. Then an aide galloped up with
the news that the Japanese had driven
us from the railroad on the west but
had not followed up the temporary adj
vantage, stopping to cook their noon
day meal. Late at night we caught
them at a disadvantage and the Morn
shenk regiment paid them with interest
for their success of the morning.
From our turning column on the
left nothing has been heard. We are
anxiousl-T expecting news that it has
reached its destination. Our men are
displaying the greatest bravery and en-
durance in the face of all obstacles.
Guns have been dragged by hand up
impossible mountains. In one narrow
defile the Japanese rolled stones on
them. We could not take the pass,
but men scaled the hillside and took
heights commanding the japanese po-
Sition after a stubborn fight.
Our right has recovered itself. We
have kept within touch of our turn
ing column, so that strategetically we
have a decided advantage. In con-
trast to the veteran regiments that
participated in the battle of Lao
Yang, the new reserves from Euro
pean Russia, in fresh uniforms and
equipments. with faces untanned and
, unworn by war are watchful. ener-
getic and determined.
cannot speak in detail of the be-
havior of individual regiments. The
Transbaika1 regiment under Colonel
Gavrilieff is doing splendid work The
Japanese today landed an unexpected
blow on our right flank and took two
batteries, but we regained them.
The whole of today was of a wait
ing character, we depending on hold
ing positions captured from the Jap
anese two days ago.
1t is impossible at present to judge
of the situation: to do this we prob
ably will have to wait some days. Our
men still believe we shall achieve a
final success.
We are wet to the skim A thunder
storm of almost tropical character
swept down upon US last night and
flooded the trenches The sky was
torn with bolts heavier than those of
any artillery. 1t is now 10 in the
morning and the storm is increasing.
The crash of thunder. mingled with