The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-05-07
RUSSIANS ROUTED BY MIkADO'S
TROOPS.
Charged Up the Heights Beyond the
River and Drove Troops of the
Gar From Their Entertainments
Port of Antung Abandoned and
Burned.

after five days of skirmishing, and the
Russian army was compelled to retire
to a second position" beyond the
heights from which it endeavored to
stop Gen. Kuroki as he sent his men
splashing across the river. The battle
ended with bayonet charge up the
heights, turning the Russian flank and
emptying the line of entertainments,
four miles long
1t is stated in Tokyo that the Rus
slams lost 500 and the Japs 700 men,
but these figures are evidently incom-
plete. Mainly it was an artillery bat
tie. The victorious Japs captured %
quick firing guns and much ammuni-
ton.
AS result of the battle the Rus
slams have been focred to abandon the
important town of Antung, at the
mouth of the Yalu, leaving the Japan
ese in complete control of the estuary.
They burned the town and retreated to
Fenghuancheng with the army. Sew
eral high Russian officials are reported
killed and wounded.
Tokyo, May 2.-After five days of
fighting, largely with artillery, the first
japanese army, udner Gen. Kuroki,
has forced crossing of the Yaiu river,
and yesterday, with a gallant charge,
covering frontage of four miles, it
drove the Russians from Chiutiencheng
and the heights of the right bank of
the Tho, or Aida river, which enters
the Yalu from the north almost oppo-
site Win.
Tokyo, May 2..-The war office has
received dispatch from General Kur-
oki, commanding the japanese ad-
vance, which tells of complete jap
anese victory in the first general en-
gageent ON land of the war. The
Russian army of 10000 men which
General Kuropatkin boastfully declar.
ed would sweep the Japanese into the
sea is completely routed and was COM
PEELED to retreat in confusion on Feng.
huancbeng.
The Russian losses are very heavy,
while those of the japanese are declar-
ed to have been much smaller than
might have been expected, consider
ing that they had to wade the Yalu
river in the face of whitening fire
from the Russians, who were strongly
entrenched.
The Japanese soldiers fought with
desperate courage, and after the Rus
sian artillery had been silenced by the
Japanese guns, they carried the Rus
sian Entertainments in gallant bayo-
net charge in which the men We'd with
each other and with the officers to be
the first to reach the interior of the
Russian position.
Troops Were Anxious.
On Sunday, the japanese artillery,
which during the night bad been post
ed on the left bank of the Yalu, open
ed fire on the Russian entrenchments
which extended for four miles along
the bank of the river from Kiulien-
cheng to Yujoko. The gunners served
their pieces with frantic engergy and
shell after shell burst along the line,
and one after another of the Russian
guns were dismantled and put out of
service.
The fire was kept up until 1880 a. M.
when the last of the Russian guns had
been silenced.
Immediately "a general assault was
ordered, and despite a severe rife fire,
which filled the air as with hail, the
intrepid Japanese waded the river
which in places was up to their waists
and were soon on the right bank. 1t
had been planned that the lines wuold
reform as soon as the Manchurian bank
was reached, but there was no stopping
the understood soldires. and with their
bayonets fixed they swept on up toward
the Russian trenches.
COuidn't he stopped.
1t was beyond the power of human
strength to check this charge, and in
exactly 45 minute, the Russian position
had been captured and the army of
10000 men was in full retreat toward
Fuancheng. No attempt was made to
follow the Russians. All that had
been planned by the general staff had
been accomplished; the right bank of
the Yalu river had been gained, and a
base in Manchuria, which is so neces.
sary to ultimate success, had been Sc
cured. The second army can now
cross without encountering any oppo-
sition, while the japanese are in a po-
sition to land the fleet of transports
upon which the third army is at pres
emit being embarked IN the wide mouth