The Western news., 1904-09-28
JAPS Capture MORE FORTS
PORT ARTHUR is IN SERIOUS
WAY FOR WATER.
Chinese Place Japanese Losses for
Days Fighting at 5000, Russians
Claim 1t Was 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 5000 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,
garrison's 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 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 and
thrown into the breach.
The storming of these forts was be-
gun Monday last and on Tuesday night
the attacked positions were in the
hands of Japanese. The assaults upon
the forts were made simultaneously.
The Japanese batteries in the rear and
Warships in the harbor concentrating
their fire upon the six positions and
the infantry rushing up the hills with
fixed bayonets. Tuesday evening
supplementary fort fell after desper-
ate struggle.
At Fort Esteshan the fury of both
attack and defense beggars descrip-
ton. The Japanese attacked the fort
from all sides, swarming up the hill
over the dead and wounded and meet
ing the defenders on the wall. There
a combat such as history has very few
parallels to tell of developed. Rifles.
and swords were thrown away, as the
men were too near each other to use
any but short weapons effectively, and
hand to hand fighting began, lasting
far into the night The number OF
dead and wounded in this attack alone
exceeds several thosand, many officers,
being among the killed on both sides.
Both inside and outside the walls lay
heaps of dead. The fighting did not
cease until nearly all OF the garrison
were killed or placed out OF the fight
ing by being wounded. The massacre
of Russians in Fort Esteshan is said
to be the worst Of the war. There was
a letup in the firing on Friday, but on
Saturday the assault was resumed.
The booming of the heavy guns can
be heard for miles distant from Port
Arthur
The London Daily Mails Chefoo
correspondent says the Japanese are
now devoting their energies to an at
tempt to drive the Russian fleet from
Port Arthur.
The halt in active operations around
Mukden is believed to be due not only
to the fatigue of the Japanese troops
and the sloWness in getting up neces-
sary additional supplies, but to dis
tinct understanding between the Chin
ese and Japanese that there shall be
no bloodshed near the holy city,
where the Chinese emperors are bur-
led. 1t is expected that there will be
fighting north of Mukden, possibly on
a larger scale even than at Liaoyang.
MAD tn MIN