Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-11-05
FIGHTING AT PORT ARTHUR

FIGHTING AT PORT ARTHUR
Hundreds of Jap Guns Gathering North.
eriy and EasterIy Forts.
Toxic, Nov. 2.-Imperial headquar-
tiers published series of reports COW
sring the SEPARATIONS against Port Ar
thur during the months OF August,
September and October. The chief in
tsrest centers In the tremendous at
tack which was begun October 26 and
is still continuing.
Hundreds of Japanese guns began
battering against the northerly and
easterly forts on October 26, the infan-
try moving forward with desperate
rushes where the artillery had prepared
the way, while the pioneers and sap
pers were running mines against the
Russian forts.
The reports record a series of des-
perate encounters at close range and
tell dramatic story
The reports, beginning with that COW
ering the attack of October rs. are as
follows:
From $50 o'clock in the morning
the forts on Sungshu and Rihlung
mountains, the eastern group of forts
on keekwan mountain, and q fort lying
to the north of the latter, were bonn
barded with our siege guns and naval
ordnance, and ESQ shells took effect
Two Of the most important covers on
Sungshu mountain fort were DESTROYED
by our shells. One 15-centimetre gun
was dismounted and another damaged.
nyn
Keekwan mountain was destroyed.
From 2 o'clock in the afternoon
other siege guns were directed against
the trenches on all slopes Of Sungshu
against the trenches on the south side
OF Pohsian mountain. All of these
trenches we're heavily damaged A por-
ton of ot1 right wing charged against
the trenches on SungslS mountain and
portion Of our centre wing charged
against the trenches on Rihlung noun
tain and on the southern part of Poh-
sian mountain and took poeSessiop Of
them without heavy loss.
During the night the enemy resort
ed to every means to obstruct our
work, assaulting and using bombs. At
the same time the Russians worked
theoretically in effecting repairs on
some portions of their forts damaged
by our shells.
ION October % the bombardment
with heavy and other siege guns was
continued and its effect was good. Two
hundred and eighty-five effective shells
have been counted, and besides these
several other shells took effect on the
forts of Anshu mountain, liz noun
tain, Paiyu mountain and on a hill 203
metres high.
"A confiagration occurred in the old
city, and a second confagration was
observed in a factory at the northeast
base of Golden Hill, which lasted for
three hours. During the night a ma
chinery building near the harbor was
bombarded by our guns, which also
protected the work of the engineers.
"On October % the bombardment
was continued with an increased num-
Der of shells. On the same morning at
dawn 100 of the enemy assaulted our
line extending toward Rihlung fort,
but they were repulsed with heavy loss
simultaneously a similar force of the
enemy assaulted our mine projected
against Sungshu mountain. Our men
bravely withstood the attack but were
forced to lose a portion of the mine,
which, however, was regained with the
assistance of the artillery at o'clock
in the afternoon.
'Our bombardment is proving in
creasingly effective. A number of shells
from our heavy guns are taking effect.
We counted $50 OF the shells. Besides
this, heavy damage has been inflicted
on the Laoluechuikao, Itz mountain
and Paiyu mountain forts and those
| lying between them.
Five Russian ships which were be-
ing used in clearing mines were also
bombarded. Three of them were heavily
damaged and the other two were set
on fire."