The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-12-17

unless Port Arthur is captured within
the next two or three weeks the op-
pOrtunities that will be presented to
blockade runners to carry supplies and
war material to the Russian garrison
may render all the efforts and blood
shed of the past five months nugatory
The crisis is therefore now very real
and very near.
There is Il persistent rumor that the
force Of Japanese sent to turn General
Renncnkampff's flank has been re-
pulsed with great loss. The story is
not yet officially confirmed, but details
are given with great circumstantiality.
1t is stated that General Rennen-
k;mptf commander of Cossack bri-
gadc). who knew the movement was
maturing. awaited the Japanese at
the mouth of one of the captured pass
es, md that the Japanese turning
force threw themselves unsuspectingly
into the ambuscade, where, after the
fight. the Russians collected 500 Japa-
nesc corpScS.
1t is added that there are 1000 more
Japanese corpses which it has been
impossible to collect, owing to the fire
of the Japanese. This does not in
clude the Japanese loss in wounded.
The Russian loss, according to this
account. was only 30 or 40 men.
The night of December . the .Japa-
nese began il heavy artillery fire on
Poutilof Qone Tree Hill, paving the
| way for an infantry attack. The Rus
sian artillery answered vigorously for
| several hours. and then slackened
The Japanese. imagining that the Rus
sian fire had been silenccd, flung them
selves in masses against the trenches
where they were allowed to come with
i'll close range, and then they were met
! with whitening volleys and a counter
charge with the bayonet. The Japa
nese fled, having sustained enormous
losses.
\ Cossacl expedition which was
! sent the night of December 2 to cap
! turc a Japanese battery on the Russian
! right flank, was only partially success
full. The Coss;lcks wiped out the Japa
nese scntrics, killed the gunncrs, ant
got possession Of the battery, but wer,
unable to remove the guns owing t,
the rapid arrival of Japanese rein
forcements.
Unofficial details of the capture o
High Hill (2O3-Mcter Hid at Por
Arthur show that the struggle began
ut p. m. on November %, when tn
besiegers concentrated the fire of thei
heavy guns on the parapets of Re,
Hill, 800 meters south of High HILL
J After that the infantry, advancing
in widely extended order from Kin
kia-Tun and Su-kia-Tun, reache
charging distance. Four censecutiv
charges were delivered between 3 an
O'clock. The fourth succeeded, br
ulTlllS Tic HlSHl luc luSSElnS mat
three counter-attacks, the third 9
, which was specially furious and drov
out the Japanese
On the morning of the 2Sth the Jap;
nese, instead of advancing via Re
, Hill, made direct move on High Hill
The attack began at daylight and wa
, continued with desperate resolution
. The Japanese, advancing into til
t valley between Red and High Hill
| received the fire from both forts an
were decimated. but. sweeping on, the
stcvmed the slopes of High Hill an
: captured the southeast corner of ii
, northern face.
Meanwhile another force effected
? Judgment near the parapet on ii
f southwest face. These operations wei
| very costly, both sides throwing nj