The sun., 1904-08-31
JAPS MOVED DOWN IN HEAPS.
FIERCE ASSAULTS AT PORT Ar
THUR ARE REPCLSED.
One OF the Forts Captured and Retaken
Four Ttmes--Reckiess Bravery OF the
Besiegers Described by Port Arthur's
Newspapcr-Loss Of 30, 900 Reported.
Special Gable Despatch 10 The Sun.


Arthur newspaper Norikrai OF Aug 20,
which have just arrived here, give the
Russian version Of the preceding days
fighting. According to this, the Japanese
concentrated a great forcs OF infantry
opposite the redoubt battery at II O'Clock
on the night of Aug "a. Lying prone,
the Japanese began TO creep along in long
lines The Russians waited until they
were beneath the walls, when part OF the
defenders opened vollcy firing and the
Japanese rolled down the hillside, dead
and wounded the rifles rattling after them.
At midnight they advanced again with
reckless bravery, dashing over the bodies
of their comrades. They were again re- \
pulsed. One company OF infantry. how
ever, penetrated the lines Of defences, but
the Russian infantry with bayonets an
initiated the enemy, none of whom was
left. The brave fellows shouted "Banzai!'
with their last breath
More troops advanced, stumbling across
the dead and the wounded. The Russians
waited until they were 100 yards away.
They then fired on them with machine
guns and moved the japanese down like
reapers cutting corn Still they advanced
with rifle volleys to the fifty yard range
and again retired. heavy artillery duel
followed.
Then once more the Japanese endeavored
to storm the fort There was hand-to-
hand fight and Maxims were used. The
pile of dead increased row upon row, and
the wounded and dead were mixed to-
gether The Japanese eventually took
cover.
At 2.lO A. NJ. the enemy again advanced
in numerous dense columns. Marching
steadily forward, they broke through the
Chinese wall in front OF the fort. A fierce
engagement ensued. 10000 rifles cracking.
Amid the roar of all kinds Of guns the Jap
| anese kept their front line complete, each
man stepping forward to fill vacancies
Suddenly the Russians ceased firing and.
fixing bayonets charged and swept away
| the first line. Each thrust of steel got
home. The Russian infantry then opened
| IIIe On VIC lSIdiiSiCi, wiz IC'iVuNSN Ai va
ceent order The dead we're laid out in
long lines and the wounded underneath
were extricated, the Japanese searchlights
assisting in the ghastly work. The Russian
reserves now arrived at the fort, and the
| relief was welcome.
The foregoing is one Of many recorded
! assaults on isolated forts, during one OF
| which Gen. SmyrnofT, who commands the
! forts. narrowly escaped death, having been
! marked by the japanese sharpshooters.
1t is stated that the Japanese have placed
| sixty guns in position near the villages OF
! Ha,satun and Sauhandatau and ,ha. they
! occupy the southern part of Pigeon Bay.
! Fort No l seems to have been the sceno
and recaptured four times. On one occa-
! sion the Russians had 100 fied there. and
although they finally held the position, it
was a mass OF ruins. The guns were de-
! stroyed.
During one OF the engagements at this
| fort the Russians and the Japanese were
| wedged in a struggling mass between the
! walls. They were unable to Use firearms
and fought with bayonets. lunging reckless
ly at one another and slashing each
others faces, Many were nearly de-
captated. Among the Japanese dead were
many boys and grayhaired men.
, In another part OF the paper the Norikdri
describes the advance OF the Japanese
| 7 :l,o N ~r Il b,,, Il ~
through streams Of blood 10 the Russian
lines, whore they were impaled upon rows
, of bayonets. Men were also killed by
wholesale while constructing carthw orks,
but others stepped into the vacancies and
calmly took up the picks and shovels
dropped by the dead, until whole trenches
were swept away
The Japanese grand assault. despite the
prodigious valor Of the men. failed utterly
They were unable to break through the ring
of forts in places Essential for the capture
of the others. Since July II they have
lost 10000 killed and 25 900 wounded They
are receiving large reenforccments and are
preparing to renew the attack, which they
VIII DTODVbly I'll bOiuc poitt
they consider weak. The Japanese are
amazed at the stoutness OF the defence.
The Russian food supply is adequate. but
the ammunition ia fast diminishing, The
strength Of the dc!ecc,s, however. is
stupendous.
A junl, which lef, Port Arthur on Aug
% reports that there have been several days
fighting at Ralich ang, about three miles
north of Port Arthur in which both sides
suffered severe losses. The Japanos, ulti-
mately held tho position. fierce FIRE
was exchanged with two Russian forts in
the neighborhood Of Tapingtse Tho
refugees on the junk also say the Russians
fire daily from the seshan and Atsushan
forts. which would appear to show that
they have recaptured these positions.
PRECIOJS LOAD INTO RIVER.