Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-12-15

able or unwilling to retire, and fought
TO the last breach.
After four furious attempts, small
body of Japanese succeeded in pierre
ing the principal line of Notifications
surrounding the eastern part of Ban
tung mountain, but the Russians
rushed the supports with machine
suns from the upper slopes Of the Wan
| tai hill forts and the japanese were
practically annihilated. The most
desperate fighting took place at this
point.
Russians Tremendous Courage.
| The last effort of assaulters was
made at midnight, assisted by artil-
lery, which covered the slopes of Wan
tai hill with an avalanche of shells.
The Russians fought with tremendous
courage, engaging the japanese with
bayonets and grenades when they
came to close quarters. The Japanes
finally established a trench line FIVE
yards in front of the line of fortifica-
tons.
In the first assault against the fort
on the eastern part of Rihlung noun
tain the Japanese were unable to gain
a foothold, though their artillery made
the interior a seething cauldron of
bursting shells.
The attempts first made to rush the
western part of Rhilung mountain, Of
ficially called Sungshu mountain, also
ended in failure. The Japanese
reached the parapets from the moat,
but fed as fast as they came, from the
fire within the fort. The walls were
black with assaulters, who were del
uged with shells from the fort on
THE Shuishi valley, and from the fort
Immediately in the rear.
Hand to Hand Encounter.
At o'clock at night 1000 volun-
teers from the right division started
from a point southwest of Shuishi viii
lage, pushed up the gorge between two
fortified ridges and attacked the sup
porting fort of Sungshu mountain, a
short distance outside the western con-
fines of Port Arthur, with the intention
and also for the purpose of assisting
the assaulters of the two Rihlung
mountain forts. This force reached
the hill and engaged a strong force of
Russians upon its slopes In a hand to
hand encounter which lasted for two
hours.
Received With Dynamite.
At the same time the japanese as
saulting the east and west Rihlung
forts made desperate attempts to rush
the interior of the forts. The Japan.
ese poured over the ramparts and fu-
rionsly attacked the first section of
bomb proofs. The defenders received
them with bayonets and dynamite gren-
AIDES, while machine guns on the up
per levels poured a deadly hail into
the ranks of Japanese. The defenders
of the greater part of the bomb proofs
on the lower levels were annihilated
and sections and cross sections of the
bomb proofs were piled with corpses.
The Japanese gained practically the
whole of the lower section of the fort,
but were moved down by machine
guns and rifles when they attempted
to assault the higher levels.
For an hour before midnight Japan
csc artillery shelled the higher levels
while Russian guns shelled the lower
levels.
Compelled to Retire.
A similar struggle was going on all
the time in west Rihlung fort. At IL
a despel ate effort was made by the
Japanese to push a force up the gorge
between east Rihlung fort and Hach-
imkijama, to assist the assaulters
against the supporting fort of Sung
shu mountain. but again and again this
force was repulsed. At midnight the
attacking column was compelled to re-
tire. having lost half the force.
The struggle in the two forts was
continued until dawn, when the as
saulters were compelled to retire to
trenches established inside the para
pet walls.
Worst Of Whole Siege.
The fighting during the afternoon
and night was the most desperate and
sanguinary since the siege began. The
opposing forces were so close that only
the fort walls or few yards of level
ground separated them. The struggle
from start to finish was at close
quarters with bayonets and grenades
and rifles used as clubs. The ferocity
of the attacking Japanese was equalled
by the defending Russians, who died
at their posts. everywhere fighting till
their last breath.
At daylight November q quiet
reigned and the silence during the day
was broken only by occasional cannon
and desultory rifle fire at points along
the fortified ridge where the forces
were far enough apart to use their
rifles.
FINE MONEY CONDITIONS.