Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1904-07-15
STILL AFTER PORT ARTHUR
JAPANESE CONTINUE TO FIGHT
WAY TO THE CITY.
Are Entrenched in Positions Three to
Seven Miles From Main City-Rus.
6attery-Fiehting East of Port
Arthur Since July a.

Cheefoo. July 1O.-A fair wind
brought fleet of junks from Port
Arthur today. carrying both Chinese
and Europeans. Reports which they
bring of conditions at Port Arthur are
contradictory, but they all say that the
Japanese division from the northward
is entrenched seven miles from the
marine camp while another division
from the eastward is fighting continu-
ously, and with the aid of the fleet is
endeavoring to gain a position COM
manding the town and naval basin.
A Russian says that the Japanese &C.
cupied the summit of Takushan noun
tain, which is about three miles from
Port Arthur, on the night of July 6,
with a mounted battery of artillery.
On July the Russian cruiser No
vik and four gunboats went out under
the protection of the guns on Golden
hill and shelled a Japanese battery
which was surrounded and captured
finally by Russian infantry.
The fighting to the eastward of Port
Arthur has been very heavy since July
4. The Japanese ships along the
shore are Smelling the Russian posi-
ton in the hills from daylight until
dark, while the artillery is just as busy
in the hills. The smoke from the
artillery on the hills around Port
Arthur is seen almost continuously.
Dead and wounded are being brought
in at all hours and many private
houses have been turned into
hospitals. Only skirmishes have &C.
Cured to the northward. The main
Japanese force is 10 miles away, but
Japanese scouts have been seen in the
vicinity of the marine camp, which
commands the principal pass to the
hills directly back of Port Arthur. Dur
ing the nights of July 2, and H. the
Japanese feet bombarded the roads
from the south of the town. The forts
were not damaged. No further night
attacks have been made since July 4.
Are Fleets Intact?
A Chinese mechanic from the Port
Arthur drydock says that two large
three funnel ships have been missing
from the Russian fleet since the fight
off Port Arthur on June 20. The bat
tleship Sevastopol is still undergoing
repairs and four torpedo boat destroy
ers are in drydocks.
The Russians on the other hand
say that their feet is intact and as a
matter of fact the Japanese have been
the losers in the fights of Port Arthur
The Russians assert that the Japanese
have lost no less than 10 torpedo boats
in their attempts to reach the Rus
sian guardship, which was protected
by the stone laden ships sunk by
the Japanese feet in their efforts to
block the entrance to Port Arthur. The
guardship anchored behind the wreck
ed vessels. An entrance was opened
around the foot of Golden hill, but the
remainder of the channel was closed
with booms, making it impossible for
torpedo boats to pass.
Several hundred Russians and 100
Chinese mechanics are still at work In
the dockyards at rort Arthur.
Some of the torpedo attacks Of the
Japanese have been almost fanatical.
Frequently they nave made attacks
where success was impossible, ana
when the torpedo boats have been
sunk the Japanese have refused as
sistance, either committing suicide or
fighting off their rescuers.