Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-06-10

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covered wide range, the eastern enc
OF Tiger Hill seemed to be O.
especial interest to the guns.
All this time the Japanese firms
had not been fast, but now i
quickened a great deal. The Who'll,
hillside was searched out and over
every place where it seemed possible
for an enemy to hide shrapnei was
exploded. The accuracy OF the fire
was extraordinary, and it showed the
evenness of the Japanese explosive
Over and over again shells burst i'm
the same places. 1t was apparently
only necessary to get the range with
the first shell or two to land there.
after as many as was desired exactly
i'm one spot.
The japanese batteries. however.
were not careless. The moment the
Russians began to bark the Japanese
were turned on them and perfect
hail of shrapnel was poured over the
battery position. Several batteries
were engaged in the work and their
lire Was terrible. The air seemed
filled with shells and their rush was
Ike roar of strong wind through
forest of pines. Before the first
shell tlom gun had found its mark
the second was on its way. 1t seemed
that nothing could live under such a
lire and its accuracy was as deadly
as its rapidity.
The practice of the Japanese gun
ners was revelation. Men who
have been through campaigns were
amazed at 1T, and declared that never
had they seen anything like it. How
many guns were engaged we could
not estimate, and the japanese would
not tell, but it took only a short
time to con vince the Russian gunuers
In their battery, back of the Al
river, that it would be well for them
to seek cover rather than to try to
continue firing at mark they could
not reach. Their fire died away, and
presently ceased altogether.
But now they took it up farther
along the line. 1t seemed to be in
their minds that the Japanese were
about to try to force crossing from
kinteto Island. There was only a
small force Of japanese on the island,
but some of them were moving about
and could be seen plainly from where
we were, and, of course, from the
Russian position.
There seemed to be no limit to the
speed with which the Japanese could
handle their guns. All along the
line of Russian hills the shells were
bursting, and now the howitzers
joined their barking to the awful din
of the field guns.
No force could withstand long
such pounding as the Japanese
were giving their enemy. Almost
every shell found its mark. Not the
stoutest heart can make human flesh
and blood stand that. No finer
bravery can he ahown than that ex-
hibited by the Russian defenders of
this position, but bravery alone would
not suffice.
Now the failure to do the prelimi-
nary work revealed itself. Their
fire slackened and died away. The
japanese were masters and they reo-
ognlzed it-masters in number of
guns, masters in the rapidity of fire
and masters In its accuracy.
AS the Russians ceased to fire the
japanese guns slowed down aud soon
stopped altogether. 1t was quiet as
if there had never been thought of
war.
There was not long to rest. The
russians were not disposed to give
up easily. Half or three-quarters of
au hour they waited. Then the
guns began again. Still thev sought
their old work. Then the men on
the hills above them were left to ad-
vance as they pleased, while Kinteto
and the batteries along the shore i'm
mediately above and below Wiiu re-
ceived new scourge of shells.
But these batteries we're none the
less ready than they had been In the
morning, and soon the angry clamor
of the guns was as loud and as fierce
as ever. The japanese shells search
ed every corner of the Russian posi-
tion, and the shrapnel fell among
the line in hail of lead and steel.
A last the Russians gave Up the
effort to work their guns in same
places and the horses were brought
up to take them away. 1t was all
plainly to be seen from the Japanese
side, and the gunners seemed inspired
by new activity. The roar of the
guns voiced an lmplacable hatred as
they drove to defeat the Russian in
tentions.
Now began wonderful and deadly
game. The howitzers played along
the crest Of a rook with their oom-
mon shell, and the field guns filled
the air above 1t with shrapnel. A
haze of smoke from the bursting
shells hovered above the rock and
through this haze could be seen
Russians struggling to get their guns
away. For so yards or more they
had to go in plain sight and many
brave fellow met his death in the
gallant effort.
No more terrible fire was ever de-
livered by any guns than the Japa-
nese poured upon that spot. Men
and horses were seen to fall, Then
a common shell struok the Timber of
one of the guns and the flash and
roar which followed showed plainly
what had happened.
The attempt to save the guns was
over and the battery was lost.
Next day, when the victorious
japanese climbed on the rock and
along the trench that led from it,
they found the ruins of the guns.
In their defeat the Russians had
saved what they could and had not