New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-10
BURNING PITS PREVENT CAPTURE OF TRENCHES.


Dec. 9.-The general assault on Port Arthur
which began at noon on November 26 is still in
progress. In the first series of assaults an at
tempt was made to capture the forts at Rihluns
and Kikwan hills by penetrating the principal
line of Notifications surrounding them. and TO
envelop the city from the east At the same
time strong force pushed up the gorge OF
Shi-shi Valley between two fortified ridges and
attacked the supporting fort in the rear OF West
Rihlung Hill, officially called sung-Shu Noun
tain with the intention OF enveloping the city
from the west.
The attempt failed after the most furious
fighting that has been witnessed since Port Ar
thur was invested The fighting lasted from
noon of November 26 until after dawn OF the
following day without cessation.
The assault began in the early morning with
a tremendous bombardment of the forts on the
western half OF the eastern fortified ridge by
battery which had been placed in position on
the crest Of ridge to the rear For hours the
whole western half Of the fortified ridge was
deluged with heavy shells. At noon the prin-
cipal line of fortifcations was perfect hell Of
bursting shrapneI and the spectacle was more
wonderful than anything previously seen
The front lines Of infantry. having been
strongly reinforced. began an attack simultane-
o,lsiy along the entire line from East Kikwan
/ Hill to West Rfhluug Hill.
I Through the haze caused by the smoke Of the
/ bursting shells the sssauIters could he seen
| emerging from the cover Of the parallels as well
| as svarn7ing up the fortified ridge at half A
dozen different points.
! Rifles. rapid fire guns and machine guns blazed
from the Russian position where advances we're
made in the open. The men went down by hun
/ dreds The forts we're beIchtng smoke and
! bursting shells. and the rampant walls were
black with sssailants who. on reaching the
crests met with an awful fire from within the
! forts which swept down line after line Of Jap
anese
! As fast rs the aseaulterz we're rNpulsAd more
japanese svarred up, only to be moved down
in turn.
The determination and fury Of the japanese
assaults were equaned by the stubbornness Of
! the resistance of the Russians
| on the eastern extremity Of the line the jap
anese made an assault in m attempt to capture
the Russian trenches midway Of tho SLOPE q
| East Ktkwan Hill
The japanese paraIleled some thtrty-fve yards
Of the Russian trench lire and AT entire regi-
ment charged across. the men falling by hun
dreds before ,oe awful fire Of the Russians
Still more men came on over the bodies Of those
who had fallen. ard by sheer weight of numbers
they reached the trenches. which they captured
! at the point Of the bayCnet.
| The Russian shrapneI fire made the captured
| portion Of the trenches a perfect hell. while the
| Japanese shrapne1 assisted the captors 70 push
east and west along the trench line.
| The assailants succeeded in holding some
| eighty yards Of the trench in front of the par
aIlels. but their effort to rush the trench line
east and west was failure owing to impossible
burning pits which filed the whole space Of the
trench on the northern side as well as 70 the
fact that their progress was barred by the fire Of
the Russian machine guns.
The japanese built traverse walls across the
trench under the protection Of their machine
guns. and tried To cross the bills. hut they We're
unable to do 50.
| At O'Clock in the evening furious Russian
counter attack drove the japanese back to the
parallels with great loss,
At 9 o'clock the. ia panese again captured the
same portion of the trench. and made desperate
but unsuccessful efforts TO cross the pits The
awful struggle continued until o'clock in the
morning, when the Russians again counter at
tackled and recaptured the trer Il. which was
piled with dead bodies; a space Of over thirty
yards between the trenches was veritabIe
shamties, The last attacks and counter attacks
Were made over the bodies of the slain.
The ms, attempt to rush the fort ON the north
ern portion of Kikwan TIiu was made at l
O'Clock in the afternoon when the assaiIants
/ swarmed up the rampant wall frou the moat
and met a terrific fire from within and from the
/ Chinese wall in the rear of the fort
When the Russians that Ii was the in'en-
I tou Of the Japanese to rush the fort. they moved
a consideraoie force from the Chinese wa. i0to
gorge TO the east and to the rear Of the fort.
/ Daring IN foIr five firious assaults which
the japanese made upon TIE fort some OF the
garrison attempted to evaeuate the fort over the
rear raI1larts but they were fred upon by the
Russian forces in the gorge.
As the result OF the first assault the rampant