The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
Evs Witness Describes Onslaught
 of the Japs
TERRIFIC HAIL OF SHRAPNEL
Both combatants Fought Desperately All Day, But Russians Were Finally Forced to Retire
 to the North.

Mukden, July 30-A correspondent of the Associated Press who witnessed the battle of Ia Tche Kiao, July 23 to July 25. and who rode over hundred miles on horseback, all the way to Mukden to bring the account, gives the following personal description of the engagement; The correspondent was awakened at D O clock on the morning of July 3 by the booming of guns. He had slept in the village of Tien Tsiatin four miles south l of Ia Tche Kiao, where the regiment to which he was attached was stationed. He hurriedly rode to the Russian outposts and found them engaged in hot artil- lery duel. which continued for two hours Then the batteries slowly retreated on the main position. where General zarou- baieff decided to accept battle. The Rus sian gunners thence poured well direct ed hail of projectiles, effectually stopping the Japanese advances and enabling the various outpost attachments to fall back ,A in safety.
 Placed in Order of Battle.
 The artillery fire ceased at about Il O clock, and then for three hours the Japanese were engaged in placing their batteries in position and disposng of their forces in order of battle At in the afternoon the bombardment recommended and lasted until after Q clock.
 The Japanese had several guns of large calibre, and all their batteries were send ing out streams of shrapne on the Rus sian positions, but not causing harm. In fact, the total losses at first were in- significant.
 The first gun was fired at o'clock and thenceforth the roar of artillery did not cease for an instant till S:30 in the evening At times the firing acquired ex- traordinary violence.
 The site of the battle was about three miles south of Ia Tehe Liao, and two miles east of the railroad. The was plainly discernihle from the heights over looking the battlefield, bnt nothing occur red in that direction. T'le Russian i,c- sitions ffonted south. with q slight in | clination eastward. About two artillery } corps were engaged.
 The correspondent was able to follow tonly the experiences of General zarou- \baieff's corps, and so confines himself Ito recording the incidents of this portion of the Russian troops. Zaroubaieff's corps occupied a position on two hills, of which She largest was crowned by three sum- inits.
 Guns Masked By Corn.
 RThe commander and his staff stationed themselves on the highest point, the cen ters one, whence they had an uninter- rupted view of the surrounding country. The general had placed batteries on the plain behind these hills the guns being cleverly masked by lofty Chinese corn. The Japanese tried vanly the whole day to locate them, and the Russian losses therefore were slight. The men suf- fered more from the. scorcning heat from the sun than the Japanese projeetiles. It was essentially an artillery battle, but 1t was remarkable and even uncanny that during the thirteen hours it lasted the Russians could not make out single Japanese soldier even with the most pow erful glasses.
 From the position occupied by General Zaroubaieff not a single rifle shot was fired. but the gunners on both sides. worked like mad men. The air was split and torn by the deafening, crashing re- ports of the guns, the dull booming of the distant shots furnishing a background of deep bass for the vicious hissing of the hurrying messengers of death ex- ploding about the Russians.
 Smoke From Shrapnel Shells.
 White puffs of smoke from the ex- ploding shrapnel shells, formed clouds overhead into which were thrown foun- tains of dust and sand when the shells burst on the ground upon impact, shower ing bullets and splinters around.
 The Japanese fire was at first concen- trated upon the eastward hill, held by a small force of Russians, and by Il o'clock this part of the position was literally afame, enough to try the courage of the brayest 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, when the spouting fire looked like miniature volcanoes. When this spectacle of savage splendor had lasted four or five hours one after another of the Rus sian positions became untenable.
 laps Are NonpIussed.
 In the meantime the gunners serving the Russian batteries behind the hills re- doubled their energies and the Japanese were evidently non-plussed by the fierce ness of the fire from the unbeatable bat teries. They even directed their attention to the Russian right, showering projec- tiles on a small hill which was quite un- occupied. Then the Japanese shifted their fire to the Russian center but not single man was withdrawn therefrom.
 The fire of the Japanese diminished at about o'clock and ceased altogether half an hour later, whereas the Russian bat teries continued to fire.
 When the Japanese gunners reopened the artillery duel later they had changed their position to the westward whence they obtained an uninterrupted range of the plain behind the Russian position and their projectiles began falling danger ously near the Russian batteries. Two Chinese villages in the vicinity suffered terribly. The whole plain was pIoughed and pitted by the explosion of shells.
 No Relief From laps.
 With the approach of evening the Rus sians had little relief from the heat but none from the Japanese, the only diff ference being that the flashes of the Jap anese guns were distinguishable on the slopes of the hills facing the Russians, revealing their exact position by the red sparks of each cannons mouth against the sombre shadow, followed by the bursting of shells over the Russians.
 The wild beauty of the scene had now reached It's zenith. the bombardment slow lv diminished in intensity and half an
 
 lcontinued on Second Paael