The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-12-08

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Result That Several of Them Have
Been Set on Fire. and the Others Must
Either Put TO See or BE Destroyed.
Toxic, Dec. 6.-The Russians are
nightly attacking 20S-meter hill in
determined endeavor to re-take the
summit Of the ground in contention.
The japanese are Increasing their de-
lenses on the position and have sue
ceeded 30 far In repelling all the as
saults. The Russians have suffered the
heaviest losses and 1t is estimated that
they have sacrificed 5000 men in an
effort to re-capture the ground, which
the Japanese are confident in their
ability to hold. Observations indicate
that the garrison Is feeling the short
age Of men. The works against the
forts ON Sungshu mountain and
the forts to the eastward, are
progressing speedily and all indi-
cations point to an early general as
sault, although the date when 1t will
begin Is kept secret. II is expected
that the next general assault will prove
successful.
The effective bombardment Of the
Russian battleships in Port Arthur
which began on Saturday last was one
of the results of the capture of 203-
meter hill. Up to that time the war
ships had been able to seek shelter
from the Japanese fire under Peiyu
mountain. but the capture Of 203-meter
hill November 1890 enabled the jap
anese to train their guns on the Rus
sian vessels with the result that
number Of them have been set on fire
and the others must either put to
sea or suffer irreparable damage.
i, The Port Arthur besiegers report as
follows: ION Saturday, December 3,
our naval guns bombarded the enemy's
ships. The Pobieda (battleship) was
struck six times. vessel Of the Ret
ivizan (battleship) type was hit eight
times and on other ships 16 shells took
effect.
ION Monday following the same plan
the Poebida was hit seven times, the
Poltava (battleship) II times and the
Retvizan II times. At about three In
the afternoon one Of our shelsl struck
q magazine south Of Peiyu mountain
causing a heavy explosion. The con-
fiagration which followed was not exS
tinguished for two hours.
"The same day our heavy guns were
directed at the enemy's ships. The
Peresveit (battleship) was struck twice
and two more shells were lodged in
other ships A vessel Of the Poltava
type was observed to be on fire for
one hour, sending up great volume
Of smoke.
"The attacking operations against
the Sungshu mountain forts eastward
are carried on day and night. Two
36-milimeter quick-frers were cap
tured Sunday in a halfmoon fort de-
Tending counterscarp on Rihlung
mountain"
Mukden, Dec. 6.-There Is a persis-
tent report that the force of Japanese
sent to turn Gen. Rennenkampff's flank
has been repulsed with great loss. The
story is not yet officially confirmed,
but details are given with great cir
cumstantiality.
1t Is stated that Gen. Rennenkampff,
who knew the movement was matur-
ing, awaited the Japanese at the mouth
Of one Of the captured passes, and
that the Japanese turning force threw
themselves unsuspectingly into the am
buscade, where, after the fight, the
Russians collected 500 Japanese bodies.
1t Is added that there are 1000 more
Japanese bodies which 1t has been
impossible to collect owing to the fire
Of the japanese. This does not include
the Japanese loss in wounded. The Rus
sian loss, according to this account,
was only 80 or 40 men.