New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-25
THE STORM OF kIKWAN.
CAPTURE OF NORTH FORT.
Only T1centy of Garrison Escaped
Japanese VOzC Fulfilled.


Rihiung and Kikwan Hill. resulting in furious
nghting and great loss of life. described by the
Associated Press correspondent In a dispatch
filed November 2S. the japanese have beer. en-
gagged In tunnelling under the north fort o,
Kiixwan Hill. Two main tunnels run under the
north wall Of the fort from the moat for a.
distance of forty feet. and there were four short
branch tunnels
On the morning of December IS seven dyna-
mite mines were laid. the object OF which was
to destroy the north wall and so give tho
Japanese access to the fort.
The fort had long resisted the assaults OF
the Japanese that it was considered necessary
that the explosions of the mines and the subse-
quent attacks should be carefully planned Gen.
eral samejima. commanding the left division,
asked for volunteers who would be prepared to
capture the fort or to die in the attempt Two
entire battalions answered the generals call.
one from the left division and the other from
the general reserves. The first battalion re-
mained in the caponieres during the explosion
OF tho mines. while the second battalion was
in parallel close to the wall of the counters
scarp.
In order that the dark blue uniform OF this
men might not show against the brown OF tina
soil which would be turned by the force Of hi,
explosion. all the attackers wore brown wooIlen
underdrawers over their trousers and brown
sweaters over their tunics. Instead OF a cap
each man wore brown wooilen headpiece,
which extended to the shoulders leaving only
the face visible Every man carried q rife in
his right hand and dynamite grenades in his
left. while lighted slow match was attached
to his cartridge belt with which to ignite the
fuses of the grenades.
In this garb. with the lighted matches at
their waists the troops presented a strapes
appearance. The soldiers of the battalion, n
the capiOnieres. who we're DISTINGUISHED bv
white badges on their arms. we're to make the
second assault. General samejma personally
| conducted these assaults at . O'Clock on the
afternoon of December 10 after the exrlosions
had taken place.
The first mine exploded without varriuy and
the explosion was not entirely successful. owing
to the heavy concrete above the mine Ths
explosion Of the second mine followed fn1me-
diately. and this was succeeded by five smaller
explosions
The sight was wonderful in the extreme.
Huge clouds of brown earth and wreckage ~
all kinds were thrown two hundred feet into
the air. and it looked as IL the whole fort had
been sent heavenward When the cIouds NJ
earth had settled down. the snow for some evs
hundred yards around the fort was covered with
earth. pieces of timber and blocks of concrete
The explosions made two large breaches Z,
the north wall Of the fort through which tbs
Japanese in the moat swarmed They charrA1
so quickly that fifty of them were either killed
wounded by the falling wreckare.
The Japanese succeeded in gaining the ram
parts, and charged the interior Of the fort, but
they were repulsed by portion of the garrison
behind wall at the rear of the fort which
had not been touched by the force OF the ex-
plosion. Behind this wall there were four field
gunsaand three machine guns
In the mean time the Russians had rushed re-
inforcements OF some three hundred men to the
fort through the covered wall at the rear
The second battalion of assaiIants was un-
able 10 advance Immediately. the sapping
trenches from the parallel 10 the moat were
filled with wreckage. When this material had
been excavated the battalion gained the noat
and reached the ramparts through the breaches
made by the explosions
The commander OF this enterprise realized
that any attempt to gain the interior Of the
fort would end IN disaster If his whole force ad-
vanced in body, he disposed his men
along the wall ordering them 10 gain the lower
level OF the interior OF the fort by twos and
threes, and to find cover in the holes which had
been made in the surface by the Japanese shells.
These holes offered good cover from the rifle
and machine gun fire directed from the rear o.
the fort. In these excavations $50 of the attack
ers had found cover by O'Clock in the morn
ing.
Advancing carefully. the Japanese approached
the Russian defences IN the rear OF the fort
and by working from hole TO hole under cover
of darkness the entire battalion gained the IT,
terror of the fort Notwithstanding The desper-
ate resistance made by the Russians,
The first charge made against the weH ~ sand
bags proved unsuccessful. but charge followed
charge until midnight when the last corner %
the Russian Gefences was captured
The fighting was desperate in the extreme.
with bayonets and dynamite hand grenaGcs
and the entire garrison was killed. with the ex-
ception of a party of twenty men. who escaped
tbrOuSb the cOrared vail 1tcb rDcv- ,1as.-o,-,s