The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-06
HOW JAPS CROSSED YALU
Correspondent Describes Movement
and Pays Tribute to Army.

correspondent DCSCTiUCS9ts NloVCHAcul
and Pays Tribute to Army.
Chi-fu, May g., via Dispatch Boat
With the Army Of the Yalu, Head
quarters. May 1.-(Delayed) .-The
general crossing of the Yalu in force
has been accomplished. ST
A Japanese army-a rough and
ready army such as Wellington had
| in the eninsula--readyytod do or die
| is pushing forward, eager to- enter the
| fray with the boasting Russians. Skin
mishes there have been aplenty; now
we are on the eve of sterner doings-
| a battle which will tell the tale for
many a day to come. ~
| AS my courier leaves, the guns on
our right are already at work pitch
ing the key for the music that is
bound to ring thru the land all day.
All around for miles slumbering
/ groups Of sheepskin-clad men have
rubbed their eyes at the shrill bugle's
call and have had their mess of tea
! and rice. IS
Company after company, regiment
! following regiment, thousands have
! passed in the dinaSlight on a swift dog
trot toward the front.
Here and there the great dark mass
1 of infantry.is relieved by a bunch Of
coolie bearers laden ito the limit, or
a battery galloping parallel to the in
l
a score of coolies ready to, man the
wheels at a moments notice.
Hundreds of Carts.
/ Hundreds Of carts are creaking
/ their way along ut is the eommissa-
Iriat. Such conlN1issariat! War cor
respondents, who 'have cannpaigned III
all quarters of the globe-officers Of
Am rican and European armies-de.
toJo - e1xyitr CYL
! feet commissariat arrangements il
their lives.
4 To date the commissary wagons
the grub coolies,s have ,s5Sbeen aheat
q rather than behind the army. Now
/ perforce, they can only be with thu
| army.
"A military feat that. must go dow
in history was the Japanese CROSSING
, of the Yalu. saw the Americans
s. the pontooning of rushing river b.
the Inniskilling Grays in Boerlanc
the crossing Of the muddy Nile by tn
, Blues Of the Royal horse, but tn
= Japanese have far and away eclipse
: tsuch incidents. y Skilled engineer
5 there may be and intrepid arm
: leaders, but where is the general
i past history who has put 10000 me
over a river like sithe YaIu river witt
J, loss Of handful of men and sco1
!, Of horses, and all this in face of til
enemy? Hundreds of boats, from tt
i dingy and skiff to the wherry and TT
9 familiar punt of Henley were use
, Three monstrous pontoons, one 81
= :. yards in length and several vii
= cabled ferries were used. It was tt
pontoons, after all. that gave results
The Advance Guard.
y The Japanese first threw enout
- force across the$ river to protect tt
- landings and the pontoon buildin
y A couple Of machine gun batteri
- and four regiments Of infantry he
8 the left bank secure from interferent
re They had some pot shooting to 6
le at that. Then the engineers tumbl
in. Boat after boat was carried aw
by the current, and many an unluc
log or cake of ice made the pontoo
ers blue with rage.
5 But after two days and nights
work the pioneers came shuffling ba
NJ and twas well done, engineers
along the line. 1T was late in
: afternoon before the main bridge "
completed, but there was no halt.
NJ A regiment, Of the line had the fl
crossing. They went thru the m;
- of men resting in all positions on
bank and were greeted with huzza
IN and merry jests
They formed four, carrying Ri
ST. at the trail, and swung on the pt
ch toon at a double the peculiar 6
% trot of the Japanese army. The
a bridge swayed and murmured, but
en- knot Of engineers watching show
lis their teeth in grins
N. The imperial guards, part of !
nd staff and commissariat carts follow
llg. Then came the guns till shadows or.
ne down from the purple mountains Il
on frowned over the river, and dusk Y
g upon us.
De It was difficult work getting
guns over. One light battery plune
hg with terrific force over the bank q
az on the bridge and came within
70 70 ace Of damage. The batteries t
ne followed were handled by men,
y ~: horses being sent ahead. and g
II and traces following separately.
Picturesque Scene.
3. When darkness came, the most r
~ turesque sight in the world was
e. ~. folded. Huge braziers We're ligh
oas along the shore. At every boat tn
~ hung lantern. At alternate be
III, mammoth torches lit up the swirl
ted yellow waters with a rudy glare.
hia But for the grim demeanor,
) AZ, hoarse shouts Of command, the st
Va reality Of it all lone could almost
the lieve it was fairyland as we h
the viewed it in the picture books
CHI thru that long might the host mo
lee forward.
ing Far In the distance in our fir
ket came now and, again g flare of
are and the sharplkattle Of musketry
ng. the boom OF q 81 NJ ne outlposts y
his doing their duty Wen.
to AS each regiment or battery Ian
on the bank they were quickly forr