The San Francisco call., 1904-11-16
AWFUL COST OF ASSAULT.
More Than Two Thousand Japanese
Fall at Port Arthur.


LONDON, Nov. l6.-The Daily Tele-
graphs correspondent with the Jap
anese army before Port Arthur, de-
scribing the attack Of the japanese on
the eastern fortified ridges on October
80. says:
The terrific and continuous bonn
bardment. night and day, from October
27 10 October 80. eliminated in a won
derful artillery practice, quite beyond
description With appalling rapidity
countless bursting shells mingled their
smoke into a dense. osciIlaung mass Of
vspor, laden with earth and cleaning
with flashes Of fire, the climax being
reached at o'clock with q tremendous
fire Of shrapnel across the broken
breastworks Of the fortresses.
Suddenly every gun ceased firing
and the japanese infantry rushed out
from their parallels before the hills had
ceased reTerberating with the thunder
of the cannonade from seven separate
quarters against the Rihlung, Keekwan
and Panlung fortified ridges. The at
tack was simultaneously developed
without a single premonitory feint,
fully 1000 troops dashing out pellmen
with fixed bsyOnets, waving standards
and rending the air with shouts Of
'Banzaftf "
The correspondent details how the
various japanese attacks were checked
by the big moats and the terrible Rus
sian fire. which rapidly depleted their
ranks. Notwithstanding clever cover
ing fire OF japanese artillery, and
SAYS
1t was most remarkable. even in
credible. but fully substantiating the
surmises 0f their ability 10 withstand
T-4r- ord
nance. how the Russians. despite the
previous bombardment. replied from
their fortress guns. although over 1900
500-p pound shells had been fired that
day not counting thousands Of smaller
prOjectiIes. Before half an hour had
elapsed and after losing 500 men, the
japanese abandoned the attack against
the south Keekwan fort.
BY 4 o'clock the japanese fire dtmin-
ished in intensity and the assaults
ceased shortly before sunset. when IRE
broke out in the new town Of Port Ar
thur. and at nightfau the japanese
onened q shraDnel fire on the eastern
ridge TO cover the retirement Of their
isolated assaulters, whose situation
was critical between the east and the
south keeEEwan forts. The total Jap
anese casualties exceeded 1000.
Although the assaults failed in the
capture Of the main objective they alb
solutely unmasked the eastern Russian
positions and their strength. The cas-
ualties are relatively small, for al
though seven regiments were engaged,
not half the troops issued from the
parallels. owing 10 the attacks being so
skiufuuy manipulated and finally ceas-
ing. For strength the Russian propO-
siti0n was unassaultabl bic, and il would
have been useless TO endanger double
the force and incur double the casual
ty iu the same assault.
After dusk the Russians SORTED and
recovered the ground lost between the
south and the east Keekwan forts.
They recovered the fort at 10 o'clock in
the evening. but General IchinOye gal
lantly restOrmed the hill and despite
go casualties, expelled the Russians by
sheer dash and courage. Indeed, his
personality won the hill for the Jap
snese.
After having captured the capon-
ieres covered galleries) OF the East
Keekwan forts. the japanese engaged
in a bloody fight in the underground
massage slowly winning the Vitals OF
the forts inch by inch, despite the
bombs and mountain guns Of the Rus
SLAMS defending the casemates. On
November 6 the central and fort sec
ti0ns of the caponieres were gained.
The work, however, is progressing
slowly, owing 10 the nature OF the
ground"
The Daily Telegraph's Chefu CORE
spOndeuF gives rumors Of renewed
japanese attacks on Port Arthur with
1900 troops between -November and
g, with 1900 casualties. The Daily Tel
egraph, however, does not credit these
rumOrs. because Of evidence that the
foregoing dispatch was fled on Novem-
Der or later. November still re-
mains the latest date Of reliable news