The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-05-13

Win. May 1 via Seoul May s.
When the early mist drifted from the
Yalu river this morning, the japanese
infantry was disclosed lined up for bat
tie on the low, sandy Island Of Kintei-
to, which is in front of Wiju.
The walls and towers of the city on
the hill, rising abruptly from the south
bank of the river and the nearest of the
three channels. were crowded with Japa
nese and Korean spectators Of the
forthcoming attack. The soldiers were
spread out in their black lines three
miles long, from a point on the island
opposite the village of Chiu Lien Cheng
on the west, to a point opposite the ex-
tremity of the Tigers Head on the east.
Two batteries began the action by
throwing shells to the Manchurian side
OF the river for half an hour, while the
sun was rising. They sprinkled with
shells the embankments whence the
Russian guns had been firing for the
past week, but no response to their fire
md-S duu II IL
the Russians had removed their bat
feries during the night.
Soon after z o'clock the japanese be-
gan to advance.
When they were a few hundred yards
from the hills on the Manchurian side
they threw themselves prone on the
ground and began volleying.
In the meantime the japanese bat
Feries searched the hills with 'Shrapnel.
vhe> he a
fervals where the road was exposed,
hurrying in small squads along the
hills. These exposed stretches Of the
road made fine targets for the japanese
gunners. A fierce fire was concentrated
ON one open space. half the Shrapnel
khrown bursting over a small area with
wonderful precision.
Still the Russians remained Silent.
There was no answering fire from them,
until the first Japanese line was within
a few hundred yards of the river bank.
Then sharp volleys burst almost stimuli
taneously from several trenches and the
attacking Japanese found themselves
under a heavy and continuous fire at
easy range from covered positions high
above them. They lay behind sand
hillocks, replying bravely and hotly to
the fire, while their own batteries
pumped shells over their heads.
Soon after o'clock the Russian fire
was legal silenced by the combined
artillery and infantry attack of the
japanese and parties of the enemys
troops could be seen hurrying upward
over the mountain roads in retreat,
Two regiments Of Japanese troops,
one directly opposite Wiju and another
near a village On the west, ran to the
river, stopping to fire now and then as
they progressed. giving shrill cheers as.
they hurried forward, which echoed
clearly over the plain. Their formation
was closer than that kept by British
or American troops and it looked as
though their losses must be great.
They waded up the river, ran on
across the sands and climbed up the
steep, rocky hillsides like a, swarm of
ants their red and yellow cap bands
cleaning in the sun. A storming partv
on the west side of the advance mount
ed a hill commanding the Russian re-
treat. Just as the men We're punched
thickly on the crest of this hill, two
japanese shells burst among them
They had fallen short. When the
smoke had cleared away dozen bodies
could be seen lying where the shells
had exploded and the remainder of the
Storming party were clambering down
the hill to escape this unexpected hre
from their rear.
The sound of the rifle firing soon pass
ed on over the hills as the japanese
pursued the retreating enemy. One
column of weary soldiers who had been
almost two days without rest, was
trudging down the river toward An
tung where the Japanese gunboats
were shelling the Russian works.
At O'Clock a solitary soldier climb
ing ahead of his comrades, unfurled a
huge Japanese flag on the face of the
topmost Russian fort, on a ridge a
thousand feet above the plain. He
marched back and forth along the para
pet, waving the banner and then for the
first time, the Japanese on the walls
of Wiju broke the impassive silence
with which they had watched tho hn+-
tie and shouted -'Banzai.' Already foot
soldiers, batteries and pack trains were
streaming onto the island by every road
and tonight the entire Japanese army
will be in Manchuria.
Official estimates of the Japanese cas-
lIalties are not given out but the cor
respondent saw 800 japanese and 20
Russians wounded in one field hospital.
Russians Returning to LiaO Yang.
London, May 10.-The Toxic corre-
spondent of the Daily Chronicle says
that 1900 Russians are retiring from
New Chwang to Iiao Yang.
The correspondent also says that Chi
nese bandits have destroyed the road