The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-06
How They Gained Water
Works Redoubts.
LOST Ten THOUSAND
StoesseI Tells of Preterhuman Courage
of Japanese. Heroic Deed OF a
Russian lieutenant. lap
anese Approach by Tunel
and lntrenchment.
(By the Associated Press.)

ST. Petersburg, Oct. 5.-6:2O p. m.
Emperor Nicholas has at last received
General Stoessels official report or the
desperate four days assault of the De-
siegers upon Port Arthur, from sep
tember 19 to %, from which it appears
that the unofficial report from Chefoo
was by no means exaggerated.
The Japanese displayed frenzied
bravery, but they lost ten thousand
men, and their only success was the
capture of two redoubts guarding the
waterworkS. They prepared for the
assault by a general bombardment
and then launched their attacks sim
ultaneously from the north and west.
Night and day they fought under a
cover of a continual bombardment
from their siege guns and finally
reached the redoubts on the north
side, but only after the defenses there
were completely demolished by shll
FIRE from the west.
The Japanese efforts were directed
chiefly against the commanding posi-
tion on High mountain, which faces
Pigeon Bay, slightly south OF Fort
Else. The mountain is 500 feet high,
and if it had fallen it's possession
would have given the Japanese a tre-
mendous lever against the chain OF
inner defense. The carnage there was
terrible and eliminated September p,
when the Japanese succeeded in reach
ing and occupying the russian armor-
ed shelter trenches; whence they ex-
pected about the next day to storm the
summit.
Poggorssy's Daring Feat.
During the night Lieutenant Poggor-
sky, of the navy, at the head of a de-
tachment of volunteers descended
upon the trenches and blew them up
with proxylin bombs, producing a
panic among the besiegers, who fled,
leaving the mountainside strewn with
dead The aJpanese then abandoned
further attempts but after a day or
two to recuperate, according to Gem
eral StoesseIs second dispatch, dated
September 80, they resumed the bonn
bardnent of the city and outer works,
and began to construct zigzag ap-
proaches, evidently getting nearer
from which to launch their next as
sault.
The loss of the waterworks is not
ons,dered vital as there is a fresh wa
ter lake and numerous wells as we'll
as a condensing apparatus within the
defenSeS.
General Stoessers dispatch which,
which was dated September 80, says:
After bloody assaults from the
18th to the 23rd of September. there
has been comparative tranquility
around the fortress. On the night OF
September %, the Japanese, after be-
ing repulsed by Lieutenant Poggor-
sky. fed in panic. They are now
working very actively and are APP
preaching by tunnel and entrench-
ments The bombardment was main
tained both upon the forts and the
buildings within the fortress.
I'VE make sorties frequently, driv-
ing back the enemy. The repulse OF
the last attack was especially due to
Lieutenant Poggorsky, General kond-
ratenko, Colonel Irman and Captain
Sychaff. The spirit of the troops is
heroic Wounded men are every day
returning from the hospitals to the
ranks.
1--WE pray to God for victsry and for
the health of Your Majesty