The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1904-09-30
/, JAPS CAPTURE MORE FORTS
PORT ARTHUR is IN SERIOUS
WAY FOR WATER.
Chinese Place Japanese Losses for 8
Days Fighting at 5000, Russians
Claim 1t Was 3 Times as Many
No Blood Shed Near Mukden, Be-
ing Burial Ground Chinese Emperors

Chefoo, Sept 26.-As a result of the
battle before Port Arthur, which be-
gan on September 10, the Japanese
succeeded in capturing several i'm
portant positions and today the Rus
sian tenure of the big forts guard
ing the north, northeast and northwest
sides of the town is seriously threat
ened.
Chinese information places the Jap
anese losses under 1900 for the three
days fighting, and this comparatively
small casualty list is due to the ex-
cessive care used by the Japanese in
making their preparations for the ad-
vance. Russian sources, however.
claim to have information that the Jap
anese losses were unusually severe.
amounting to fully three times the
number mentioned above.
Possibly the most important capture
during the three days fighting was
that of Fort Kuropatkin, which, while
of minor value with regard to prevent
ing the entrance into the town by the
Japanese, had been constructed for the
purpose of protecting the source of the
garrisons water supply. The control
of this water supply is now in the
hands of the Japanese.
Without interruption the Japanese
are continuing their savage onslaught
upon Port Arthur. and after fighting
for hours amid a rain of shell they
have succeeded in capturing six i'm
portant forts. The assaults upon
these strongholds were made with an
utter disregard of life, and so soon
as one company had been wiped out
another was moved forward ano
thrown into the breach.
The storming of these forts was be
gun Monday last and on Tuesday nigh
the attacked positions were in the
hands of Japanese. The assaults upoI
the forts were made simultaneously
The Japanese batteries in the rear an(
warships in the harbOr concentrating
their fire upon the six positions ant
the infantry rushing up the hills witt
fixed bayonets. Tuesday evening
supplementary fort fell after a desper
ate struggle.
At Fort Esteshan the fury of bot
attack and defense beggars descriI
ton. The Japanese attacked the for
from all sides, swarming up the hi
over the dead and wounded and meet
ing the defenders on the wall. Their
a combat such as history has very fey
parallels to tell of developed. Rifle
and swords were thrown away, as tn
men were too near each other to us
any but short weapons effectively, an
hand to hand fighting began, lastin
far into the night. The number c
dead and wounded in this attack alon
exceeds several thosand, many officer
being among the killed on both sides
Both inside and outside the walls la
heaps Of dead. The fighting did NJ
cease until nearly all OF the garrlso
were killed or placed out of the hgh
ing by being wounded. The massacI
of Russians in Fort Esteshan is sal
to be the worst of the war. There wa
a letup in the firing on Friday, but O
Saturday the assault was resumes
The booming of the heavy guns ca
be heard for miles distant from POI
Arthur.
The London Daily Mails Chetc
correspondent says the Japanese al
now devoting their energies to an
tempt to drive the Russian fleet fro
Port Arthur.
The halt in active operations aroun