The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-09-27
SEVERAL IMPORTANT RUS.
SIAN POSITIONS AROUND
PoR1 ARTHUR.
END SEEMS NEAR AT HAND
HEART OF RUSSIAN FORTRESS
is MENAcED BY THE ARMIES
OF THE MikADo.

Chefoo, Sept. 26.-As a result Of the
battle before Port Arthur which be-
gan on Sept. 10, the Japanese succeed
ed in capturing several important po-
sitions and Sunday the Russian tenure
of the big forts guarding the north,
northeast and northwest sides Of the
town is seriously threatened. Chinese
information places the Japanese losses
under 5000 for the three days fighting,
and this comparatively small ~causalty
list is due to the excessive care used
by the Japanese in making their prep
arations for the advance. Russian
sources. however, claim to have infor-
nation that the Japanese losses were
unusually severe, amounting to fully
three times the number mentioned
above. Possibly the most important
capture during the three days fight
ing was that of Fort Kuropatkin,
which, while of minor value with re-
gard to preventing the entrance into
the town of the Japanese, had been
constructed for the purpose Of pro-
tecting the source of the garrison's
water supply. The control of this wa
ter supply is now in the hands of the
Japanese.
Awakened by Heavy Artillery.
AS was announced in these dis
patches on Sept. 20, the battle began
before daybreak on Sept. 10. At this
hour the citizens and the garrison of
Port Arthur. after the enjoyment of
weeks of comparative security, awoke
to the thunderous reports of artillery
along the line extending from the
west of Itz mountains to Rihlung and
| Kikwan mountains. This was but a
preface to the assault which was des-
tined to result in the capture Of three
new and important Russian positions,
together with six small but annoying
forts lying between Shushlyen. and
Rihlung mountain. During the day
and night of Sept. 10 and until noon
of Sept. 20, the bombardment con
tinued without cessation, and the many
shells falling from quarters which
previously had been silent, made it OBJ
vious that the Japanese had at least
succeeded either in mounting many
guns in new positions or in strength
ening their old positions. The in
fantry fighting during this period was
comparatively trivial.
At noon on Sept. 20 the Japanese
right and center, the former being to
the west and the latter to the east of
the railroad, commenced the advance.
The troops made use of the trenches
and infrequent natural cover that lay
in their way. The small forts to the
south of S%hushiyen
Resisted This Advance
but briefly, their garrisons not
being strong numerically. Since the
beginning of the bombardment artil-
lery fire from Fort Kuropatkin had
been growing steadily weaker, and, it
having become apparent that it had
been practically silenced, the Japanese
assaulted the fort. Fort Kuropatkin
is situated to the south of Palichuang
and to the northeast Of the parade
ground, on a low hill. It derives its
name from the time when General Ku-
ropatkin inspected it, pointed out the
weakness of the position, and order.
ed that it be strengthened as far as
possible because of the necessity Of
protecting the water supply. While
situated III the chain Of main forts
Fort Kuropatkin never has been az
strong as the Others, and after severe
fighting it fell into the hands Of the
Japanese.
This capture lessons further the Sc
curity of the fort on Riblung noun
tain, which is now threatened from 8
new quarter as well as from Palich
uang.
At s. O'Clock on the afternoon Of
Sept 20 the Japanese captured a sup
Elementary fort which from the lowel
ground threatens the fort on IT.
mountain. This ended the heavy fight
ing for that day, although the Japa
nese later were compelled to resis
several sorties.
laps Capture the Fort.
During the night the heavy bonn
bardment of the Russian positions con
tinued, the Japanese fire being direct
ed with particular vigor against an
other supplementary fort 5000 yard,
to the west of the fort on ItZ mountain
and regarded as highly important be
cause of it's bearing on the ItZ ant
Anshu mountain forts. The next day
after having pounded this position un
mercifully and until it's fire had slack
ened visibly, the Japanese delivered
their assault. They met with a stub
born resistance. They were expose,
to the fire of machine guns and rifle
and they made frantic efforts to reacl
the crest of the slope. They leapet
over trenches and embankments ant
tore down the entanglements in thei
path until at length they entered thu
fort. The Russian troops there re
fused to desert their position, yer II
the face Of the superior number
, which confronted them, and desperat,
hand to hand fighting occurred insid'
the fort. Eventually almost the en-
tire Russian garrison was either kille'
or wounded.
Military experts here are of tn
opinion that if the Japanese .captur
!. either Rihlung or Kikwan forts or tn