The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-31

thrown fountains of dust and sand
 when the shells burst on the ground upon impact showering bullets and splinters around.
 The Japanese fire was at first con- centrated upon the eastward hill, held
 by a small force of Russians, and by
 II o'clock this part of the position
 was literally aflame. enough to try the courage of the bravest soldier. The men threw themselves down with their faces to the ground as soon as they heard the hiss of the approaching shells which, on striking, dug deep
 craters in the hillside, whence the
 spouting fire looked like miniature vol canoes. When this spectacle of savage
 splendor had lasted four or five hours
 one after another of the Russian posi- tions became untenable.
 In the meantime the gunners serving the Russian batteries behind the hills redoubled their energies and the Ja- panese. were evidently honplussd by the fierceness of the fire from the unlo-
 catable batteries. They even directed
 their attention to the Russian right showering projectiles on a small hill
 which was quite unoccupied. Then the
 Japanese shifted their fire to the Rus
 sian centre but not a single man was withdrawn therefrom.
 The fire of the Japanese diminished
 at about o'clock and ceased altogeth-
 CT half an hour later, whereas the Rus
 sian batteries continued to fire. When
 the Japanese gunners reopened the ar tillery duel later they had changed their position to the westward whence
 they obtained an uninterrupted range
 of the plain behind the Russian posi-
 ton and their projectiless began falling dangerously near the Russian batter
 les. Two Chinese villages In the vi- cinity suffered terribly. The whole plain was pIoughed and pitted by the explosion of shells.
 With the approach of evening the
 Russians had a little relief from the heat but none from the Japanese. the
 only difference being that the flashes of the Japanese guns were distinguishable on the slopes of the hills facing the Russians, revealing their exact position | by the red sparks of each cannon's | mouth against the sombre shadow, fol- | lowed by the bursting of shells over the Russians. The wild beauty of the scene hos now reached its zenith the lombard ment slowly diminished in intensity and half an hour later profound si- | lence reigned, broken only now and then by the rattle of infantry volleys | from the distant portions of the fields
  | on.
 Upon reaching Sinmintin the same | evening the correspondent found that
 the place had already been abandoned
 by the Russian troops, though he was | for time under the impression that they had merely gone out to take up l positions at the front. In fact, he was l convinced that the fight which had come under his observation for thir-
 teen hours the Japanese at no point
 seemed able to advance, Therefore | great was his surprise on Monday | morning when he awoke to find the
 Russian army retreating. Jumping in- | to the saddle the correspondent rode | out of the village and encountered a | large force of Russian cavalry covering | on infantry regiment which was nov
 ing toward Tatche Kiao. On reaching
 that town, correspondent found every thing prepared for it's evacuation. The ] last train left Ta-Tche- Kiao at about | II o'clock, at which time the Japanese were already bombarding the place. Notwith standing the fire and even the rapid approach of the Japanese. the Russian retreat was carried out in per- feet order, although the men and ani- | mals suffered terribly from the sti- | fling heat.
 The Russian stores of flour and other provisions at Ta Tche Kiao were burn l ed and as the correspondent rode | northward, immense columns of bla k ! smoke were rising along the horizon | behind him and until he approached Hai-Cheng at o'clock that night he