Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1904-07-13
STILL AFTER PORT ARTHUR
JAPANESE CONTINUE TO FIGHT
WAY TO THE CITY.

JAPANESE CONTINUE TO FIGHT
WAY TO THE CITY.
Are Entrenched In Positions Three to
Seven Miles From Main city-Rus.
slams Make sortie and Capture Jap
eattery-Fishtins East Of Port
Arthur Since July 4.
Cheefoo, July 10.-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 oc-
cupied the summit of Takushan noun.
tain. which Is about three miles from
Port Arthur, on the night of July 8,
with a mounted battery of artillery.
On July Z the Russian cruiser No.
vik and four gunboats went out under
the protection Of the guns on Golden
hill and shelled 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 shelling the Russian posi-
tion 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 oc-
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, 3 and 4, the
Japanese fleet 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 feet since the fight
off Port Arthur on June 23. 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
matter Of fact the Japanese have been
the losers in the fights on 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 1t 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
sank the japanese have refused as.
sistance, either committing suicide or
fighting off their rescuers.
Cheefoo, July II, Noon.-An Eu.
ropean who left Port Arthur at 5
O'Clock Sunday afternoon reports that
the Japanese made torpedo attack
Sunday morning, attempting to pene
trate into the harbor. They were re-
pulsed without loss.
The European further reports that
on July severe fighting occurred
around Port Arthur. The Russians
claim to have driven the Japanese
back on all sides, but admitted a loss
of over one thousand killed. Seven hun
dred wounded are said to have arrived
at Port Arthur July and it was re-
ported more were coming.