Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-12-08
WAR NOTES.

day and night assault on one OF the
fortified hills, to the west of Port Ar
thur. and on Thursday gained possess
ion of it, though it is said to have cost
them fifteen thousand men.
The hill, known as 203- Metre hill, is
about two miles west of the town. and
its possession enables the Japs to cover
the entire town and harbor with their
fire. Golden hill and one other to the
east of the harbor, along the shore are
higher, but the possession Of this one il
considered by the Japs to be the begin
ming of the end of the siege.
BY the latter part of last week the
first division of the Baltic fleet had
doubled the Cape of Good Hope. and
the second division had passed ont OF
the Red sea. The destination or rem
devious of the two divisions was IN
known. but was supposed to be the is
land of Chagos. abo1t thousand miles
east of Africa and about four hundred
south of India, from where their move
ments would not be reported, as there
is no cable. From there the course will,
probably, be through the straits of Ma
lacca, and north into the China sea. which
lies between southern China and the
Philippines. The fleet win likely Sc
cure coal and provisions at the French
harbor of Saigon, in Cochin China, and
may create commotion in this country
by humping into the harbor of Manila.
but the chances are that it will pass
through the channel to the north OF
Luzon. and get into the open sea, as the
Japs are waiting for them at Formoss,
the next island to the south.
No movement of any import is re-
ported from the two great armies facing
each other along the Sakhe.
AT this time Of year the cold in Man
churia In intense, and what is known Of
the arrangements of the opposing armies
indicates that they have gone into win
ter quarters. During the present
month the thermometer at night ranges
from to 20 degrees below zero, and
during January, 30 degrees below is a
common rate. There are frequent bliz-
yards from the north. and no human
beings can live under canvas. The
usual expedient is to live in under
ground dwellings and these have been
extensively constructed by both armies.
The japanese are relieved of any diff
Guilty about fuel as they have coal mines
within their lines. A correspondent of
the London Times gives the following
description of the way in which the Jap
anese make their underground quar- ters:
The method is to dig trench about
10 feet to 10 feet deep and varying in
width, but generally about 0 feet wide
A marrow stairway is cut leading down
to the south end. At the base it is wild
ened and door frame set up with a
native door, turning on wooden piyots.
The upper half of the door is open
work. which, being covered with the
Opaque native window paper, admits
light The sun shines at midday down
the steps and, when the door is opened.
freshens and warns the room. Imme-
diately within. on one side, is cooking
stove. camp oven or boiler, in a simple
and primitive style, to which both Rus
slams and japanese are accusi iomed.
Along the length of the trench is plat
form some two and half feet high
and six feet wide, made of hammered
earth and unburned brick. Beneath
this are several simple fiues, up and
down to which the smoke and heat from
the cooking place finds Its way, issuing
at the end remote from the entrance,
by small chimney cut in the solid
ground. On this platform, which re-
sembles the old style of greenhouse fue
and is called by the Chinese kang,
many men can sleep in warmth and
comfort on a rough mat or dried grass.
This mode of heating is not only econom-
ical. but the flues consume and carry off
the earth damp or carbonic acid gas
which always generates in underground
dwellings Across the top of the trench
rough pieces of timber or poles are laid,
and on these kao lang stalks or straw,
upon which IS heaped the earth exca-
waited from the trench. This covering
keeps out the cold and is practically
she'll proof. No rain falls. and bat lit
tie snow. and the latter can. if desired.
be swept off the roofs or hounds over
the dwelling