The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-12

- sees the monster scarlet and golo
psinted mud effigies of grotesque dieties
- war who by their spells kept pacA
~ japanese from the Mo-Tien-Ling leii
lars ago. This month their shrine mas
4ns.eitered many Japanese struck down by
sasusslan bullets, the red cross hangs III
rs gateway and the telegraph ticks on
l rs altar. To the right Of the temple
Neeahs the pass) runs road winch
snere' Is about two thousand yards from
s.o main japanese redoubts on the top
lnose ridges, and which gradually as
oenolhs stretches to the right FOR halL
Aalle or more at an angle nearing tue
Iencnes which are separated from It py
" woe deep ravine most of the distance
OF Tour hours, from to 3, the hus.
sian attacking line held the temple ana
the road above it to the corner where
i turns toward the mouth of the pass
ana Tor four hours the japanese in their
erencnes CURED a continuous and deauly
IRE across the intervening chasm. Inc
temple Itself became a veritable slaugnter
mousse In the road and the bushy helu
beyond 1t the Russians left more than
hundred dead and wounded, and 1t was
SAID that at the angle of the road the
nearest point to the pass which they gain
eu' the bodies lay so close that II was
necessary to pile them away to make
/ ~ Tic dlUluuitlbu Il ans eA+ftN
lowed the pursuing columns.
Shells Strike Temple Walls.
From seven to nine the Japanese beyond
| the deep ravine fired shrapnel among
the Russian infantry at a range of little
more than two thousand yards. Several
| shells struck the temple walls. Two of
them penetrated fifteen inches Of com
pact bricks and dropped inside the yard.
All over the temple yard, over the road
ana the fields about it, shrapnel balls
We're strewn thickly and the ground was
sowed with rifle bullets, which could be
picked up on every square foot. Ihey
Testified convincingly to the staying pow
ers of the Russian soldiery as convinc-
1ngly to the judgment Of their officers in
electing to make a frontal attack against
the gateway to southern Manchuria.
Evidence more striking was the harvest
of the bullets. Not since Hamatan has
this army seen more men disabled on a
small area. Along the line where the
Russian wave broke 1t left a fringe of
dead and wounded. Five bodies were
close together in the road just above the
temple all lying with their faces toward
| the enemy as they had dropped appar-
| entity in the first rush. One corpse was on
its hands and knees still clutching a
rifle and but for the head fallen forward
on the chest might have seemed alive
and STOPPING to shoot.
Others Lay on Faces.
Others lay on their faces as they had
| been stricken with instant death. An6
others. some not yet dead had crawled
behind bushes and rocks In hope of shell
ter Two rifles stuck up In the road
against little piles of stones, with hand
kerchiefs tied to the bayonet just as hat
been done at Hamatan. The owners, |
seemed tired of the fight and surrendered
when the Japanese came down upoI
them. They were not the only ones t,
abandon the business. The squad search
| Ing for wounded discovered several stall
! wart soldiers without any marks on then
huddled In the shrubbery OF one of thesi
a foreign attache, speaking Russian ask
ed If no was not ashamed.
mo" replied the soldier, IT have hat
enough of this war, and I made up m,
mind to be taken prisoner the first tim
! found chance" The reports curren
In the army credit many Russian pris
oners with the same action.
The Russians go into battle with heav,
marching equipment, weighted down b,
all their effects. One soldier MORTAL,
wounded, wore his heavy coat in rol
over his shoulder an entrenehing spade
/ cooking pot, canvass bag filed witt
| black bread, a canteen and bandolle
OF cartridges were strapped to him, an,
| saw Japanese stop to cut thes
weights from his enemy and drag hin
into the shade of bush, putting a blan
ket under his head and a handkerchie
over his face. Russian impedlmenta wer
strewn all over the field. Most noticeabl
were the heavy snuff colored coats, which
prove useful in Japanese hospitals. tn
crude wooden water TASKS the pouche
of coarse bread, numerous rifles droppe
In the retreat, and two or three drum
emblazoned with the double headed eagle
whose abandonment Is almost like givinl
up the colors.
Jap Commanders Were Cool.
General Nichi observed the end of tn
engagement from the summit of a hi
close by the temple. He had dressed a
his usual hour, taken a leisurely break
fast, keeping In touch with his eomman
by cobweb of telegraphs and telephone
and only when he learned that the Rus
slams had begun to retreat and the busI
ness of the day was practically decide
had he sarted on an unhurried ride t
the scene.
His brigade general, Okasawa. manage
affairs on the spot, and the superior CAV
his subordinate a free hand. Japanes
officers explain that it is not necessar
LOT the generals TO go on the firing lin
and supervise the maneuvers In perso
because they have confidence that ever
under officer knows anu is competent I
do his part In the work. General Kurolx
whose headquarters were two hours rid
away, passed the morning with his chic
of staff, General Full, and Prince Kun
sitting on the bank of a tiny mountai
brook placidly fishing for mnnows.
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