The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-25

shells toward our position. On he
night of october 18th the enemy at
tackled the front of the left column, but
he was repulsed."
REGENT HAPPENINGS AT PORT
ARTHUR.
Che Foo, october 90 8 p. m. The
mcst important recent events at Port
Arthur include the capture by the Jap
anese of further minor positions near
Rihlung mountain and the severe dam
age of a Japanese torpedo boat Destroy
er by striking d floating mine.
According to Chinese advices which
reached here today and which are con-
firmed in essential points by Japa-
nese letters from Port Dalny, the jap
anese made assaults on the remaining
outer works of Rihlung mountain at
dawn October 18th and were repulsed.
The following day the Russians made
an attack on the Japanese trenches n
they in turn were repulsed.
The Japanese Immediately followed
with another assault resulting in the
capture of an iron railroad bridge and
the heights south of the bridge, which
is five hundred yards from the main
fortress. The Importance of these cap
lures lies in the fact that they curtail
the Russian fire in ~harrassing Japanese
who may attempt to advance on the
trenches located on the slope of Rih-
lung mountain. This attack scenes
to have been a surprise for the Rus
sians, the Japanese claiming that they
lost only fifty men. Since the capture
of the points mentioned the Japanese
assert that they have successful re-
sisted numerous sortieS in attempts
to capture them.
AT 10 o'clock in morning of October
18th, seven Russian torpedo boat de-
stroyers emerged from the harbor of
Port Arthur and later they were follow
ed by two more ~destroyers. This squad
ron proceeded to Shaopingtau and bonn
barded the Japanese left flank. Four
japanese torpedo boat deStroyerS hur-
ried to the scene and the Russians re-
tired to the harbor followed by the Jap
anese. The pursuit ceased upon enter
ing the mined area. One Japanese de-
stroyer while returning hit a mechan~
ical mine and was severely damanged
u she managed to reach Port Dalny
and is now being repaired.
Meanwhile the Japanese siege guns
continued to drop big shells in the har-
Dor, the Japanese claiming that they
damaged the Russian gunboat Giliak,
which is alleged to I've been hit three
times, and to have changed her
anchorage from the east basin to the
shelter of Tiger Hill. 1t is also believ>
ed that the funnel of another Russian
warship was pierced as a dense cloud
of smoke followed the landing of a shell
on board of her.
A Chinaman who arrived here today
declares that during the Japanese as
sault on Rihlung mountain the Rus
sian battleships fired almost i~ncessant>
ly to the north.
The japanese at Taku mountain have
dropped a ceaSeleSS storm of shells on
the Chinese town and many rifle bull
lets also fell in the place. The China>
men adds that the lighting was very
severe and tina the Japanese loss was
considerable. He says he left Port
Arthur October 18th because he was
frightened by the shells.
1t is asserted that the Russian force
at Port ARTHUR now numbers five thou
SAND men excluding the militia, which
is not engaged in the fighting but pa
trolls the streets, doing provost duty
and guards the arsenals, etc.
+, Winter clothing is very scarce at
Port ARTHUR, shoes particularly. The
Russian soldiers are wearing Chinese
shoes and some of them are unable to
obtain eve these n wrap rags about
their feet. The garrison is greatly worn
out by the many months of exhaust
ing. and fighting. The town is full or
wounded. Flour is plentiful and the
slaughter of horses, mules and dom
keys continues.
Chinese who have reached Che Foo
from Port Dalny say that Japanese
reinforcements continue to arrive daily.
The Japanese confirm this. A junk
which reached this port today from
Port Dalny was allowed to leave only
on condition that she take no coolies.
whom the japanese ere using in large
numbers in constructing warehouses
n removing the dead and wounded.