Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-20
DRIVEN OUT BY RUSSIANS.
r.moeled to Give Up Their Position at
pallchvaug Whence They Bonn
barded the Forts.
PREPARING FOR GRAND ASSAULT
Sod,y's Battle Is for Purpose Of Cap
turing the Fortress Itself'-Heavy
Firing Heard.

rbefoo. Aug. 20, G;3O p. M There Is
mmor current here the source OF
which cannot be learned, that the Jap
.rese have been repulsed at Port Ar
thur
laps DRIVEN FROM POSITIONS,
81 Petersburg Aug 20, Q2;5O p. MI
The report from Chefoo that the Rus
SLAMS have driven the japanese out Of
me position at palchwang, Paung-
chang), whence they had been bonn
prdng the forts OF Port Arthur, was
received with considerable qualification
stths war Office, where II was regarded
as evidence that the defenders are
strong 10 take the offensive when the
occasion demands For this reason the
war Office IL not Inclined 30 credit the
reports that the Japanese have cap
rred forts NO e. and NO 4, Just
beyond Nagowsh hill, five miles north
west OF Port Arthur. II IL admitted
that the possession OF these forts would
rehde' the situation of the beSiegers
desperate
The war ONCE has no Official informa-
itn from the fortress. going beyond
Aug. s. 3, and TO- which probably was
sent through the captured Russian tor
pedo boat destroyer Ryeshitelnl, nj
though this Is nol admitted. This re-
port tells Of the desperate character Of
the japanese attacks which continued
practically without intermission for 40
hours Gen. Stoessels reports OF the
assaults OF Aug, II and 10 are expected
az any hour.
Private Information coming from
Port Arthur by way of Chinese junks
says that when the Japanese sent In
the flag OF truce Friday. they conveyed
message to both the general COM
handing the fortress and the admiral
commanding the squadron.
According to the admiralty's infor-
nation the battleship Retvlzan was the
most unlucky ship In the harbor be-
fore the sortie Of August 10, Out Of
i5 shells entering the town five struck
the RetyIzan. wounding her captain
and three other officers. She was also
The only ship hit when the japanese
fired over Lilo Tiao mountain. the ex-
ueme southern part OF the Kwang
Tung peninsula. during the earlier
stage Of the operations.
All the military operations In Man
churla have. II is asserted here, been
stopped by the rains. kilograms 10 the
war Office describe the terrific effects
Of the torrential down-pour. Many
bridges have been swept away and even
irafic on the roalroad Is temporarily
suspended. During this heavy weather
General Kuropatkin has been busy in
spectlng the refenses OF Anshanshan,
Ian Dian san and Anping. 1t Is un-
deStood that the garrison of Anshan-
shan consists Of only four divisions.
PREPARING FOR ASSAULT.
chefoo, Aug. 90 a p. MIN. II.
luin, the Japanese consul general at
Ilen Tsin who arrived here today on
me British steamer Pe-chi-Li, and who
had a conversation lasting 40 minutes
WIN the commander of japanese
torpedo boat destroyer which over
hauled the steamer off Liao.Ti promon-
lory last night, says that today's bat
lle' which began az daybreak is d.
lected against tho fortress itself II Is
taxing place along the entire line, and
" Is Japan's supreme effort, 10 which
'he recent battles were but preliminary
contests He added;
y firmly believe that you can safe
" say that Port Arthur win soon be In
our hands. one after the other OF the
outer defences have been taken by the
Japanese and the latter have COM
pleled their preparations for the grand
assault Gen. Stoesscl was asked to
surrender lie refused Now comes
The final test"
HEAVY FIRING HEARD.
Checfoo, Aug. 2O.--The steamer Pc
onli Just arrived here was oyerhauled
ahd boarded by Japanese destroyer
snd I'VE torpedo boats six miles off
lao Tieshan last night, An officer
rom the destroyer stayed on board
ior forty minutes conversing with the
consul to Newchwang who
Nas a passenger for Cheefoo The
'oulds or iirlng was so heavy occasion
y mat conversation was difficult. The
japanese explained that they were en-
ssged Smelling the Russian positions
WIN the utmost vigor preparing for
,,W assault today toward daybreak.
men the Pechili was PERMITTED to pro-
.Leeu on her course the firing was at IT'S
heaviest and II was believed to in
p.Vate the imminence OF general as