The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-21

y Y = = = = ? = = y Y
nHEFOO Oct 20, p. m.-The most
important recent events at Port
Arthur include the capture by the
Japanese Of further minor positions
near RihlUng mountain and the severe
damage Of a Japanese torpedo boat de-
stroyer by striking a floating mine.
According to Chinese advices which
reached here today and when are con-
firmed in essential points by Japanese
letters from Port Dalny. the japanese
made assaults on the remaining outer
works OF RihlUng mountain at dawn
oct ) and were rspulsed. The follow
ing day the Russians made an attack
on the japanese trenches and they i'm
/ turn were repulsed. The japanese i'm
hedlately followed with another assault
resulting IN the capture Of an iron rail-
rOda Drldge and the heights south of
the bridge which is five hundred wards
from the main fortress. Tbs imrorlanco
OF these captures lies in the fact that
they curtaii the Russian fire i'm bar-
| asslng japanese who may attempt to
| advance on the trenches located on the
slope OF Rlhlung mountain. The attack
seems 10 have been a surprise for the
russians, the japanese claiming that
| they lost only fifty men. Since the
| capture Of the points mentioned the
japanese assert that they have sue
cesstully resisted numerous sorties in
attempting 10 re-captUre them.
Torpedo Boat Hit a Mine.
Al 10 o'clock on the morning of oct.
y seven Russian torpedo boat destroy
lers emerged from the harbor of Port Ar
( thur and later they were followed bv
Two more destroyers. This squadron
proceeded 10 ShaOpintau and lombard
I ed the Japanese left flank. -Four Ian
anese torpedo boat destroyers hurried
to the scene and the Russians retired
to the harbOr followed by the Japau-
/ csc. TIE pursuit ceased upon entering
the mined area One japanese destroye-
While returning hit a mechanical mine
and was severely damaged. but she
managed 10 reach Port Dalny and is
now being repaired
Meanwhile the japanese seige guns
continued TO drop big shells in the har-
Dor. the japanese claiming that they
damaged the Russian gunboat Giliak.
which is alleged 10 have been hit three
times and to have changed her an
ehorage from the east basin to the
shelter of Tiger hill 1t is also believed
that the funnel of another Russian
warship was pierced, as a dense cloud
OF smoke following the landing Of a
shell on board Of her
y Chinaman who arrived here today
declares that during the japanese as
sault ON Rihlung mountain the Rus
sian battleshipS fired almost inces-
sanity 10 the north.
Ceaseless Storm of Shells.
The japanese at Taku mountain have
dropped a ceaEeIeSs storm of shells on
the Chlnese town and many rifle bullets
also tell IN the place. The Chinaman
ADDS that the fighting was very severe
and that the Japanese loss was con
siderable he says he left Port ArtbII,
oct IS because he was frightened Inv
the shells.
Il is asserted that the Russian fore.
al Fort Arthur now numbers 5000 n1en.
excluding the militia, which is not en-
gagged in the fighting. but patrols The
streets. doing provost duty. and cuar5s
the arsenals etc.
Winter clothing is very scarce ,t
Port Arthur, shoes particularly. The
Russian soldiers are wearing Chine,sa
shoes and some of them are unable
10 obtain even these and gvraD rigs
about their feet The garrison is great
II worn out by the many months of
exhausung, anxious labor ard fight
ing.
Town Full Of Wounded.
The town is fun of wounded. Flour
is plentiful and the slaughter of hr..ses
mules and donkeys continues. Chimes
who have reached Chefoo from porr
Dalny say that Japanese reinforce
ments continues 10 arrive daily. Tho
japanese confirm this. 4 Junk which
reached this port today from Port D,I-
ny was allowed TO leave only on con
dition that she take no coolies. whom
the japanese are using in large uur,-
bers in constructing warehouses and
removing the dead and wounded. The
wounded are taken TO the railroad and
thence are transported TO Dalny. from
which port they are shipped TO Japan.
The Japanese have practically con-
pleted immense warehouses between
Port Dalny and Port Arthur and have
therein supplies sufficient TO last them
until spring Similar preparations have
been made at New Chuang and there
fore the japanese expect the release of
sixty transports next month