The Bourbon news., 1904-11-18
FIGHTING RESUMED.
Japs Made Attack On a Fortified
Ridge At PORT Arthur.
Their infantry Made Charge, But
They Were Checked by the Big
Meats and the Terrible Fire
of the Russian Guns.

London, Nov. 16-The Daily Tele-
graphs correspondent with the Jap
anese army before Port Arthur during
the attack of the Japanese on the east
ern occupied ridges on October SO,
saws: The terrific and continuous
= bombardment, night and day, from Oc-
tober 27 to October 80, eliminated in
wonderful practice, quite beyond criti-
rism With appalling rapidity count
less bursting shells mingled their
smoke into dense, oscillating mass of
vapor laden with earth and cleaning
with flashes of fire, the climax being
reached at O'Clock with tremen-
dous fire of shrapnel across the bro
ken breastworks of the fortresses
Suddenly every gun ceased fire and
the Japanese infantry rushed out from
their parallels ere the hills had ceas-
ed reverberating with the thunder of
the canonade from seven separate
quarters against the Rihlupg, Keek-
wan and Panlung fortified ridges The
attack was simultaneously developed
with a single premonitory feint, fully
fixed bayonets, waving standards and
rending the air with shouts of ban
zai"
The correspondent details how the
various Japanese attacks we're check
ed by the big moats and the terrible
Russian fire, which rapidly depleted
their ranks Notwithstanding a clever
covering fire of Japanese artillery,
and says:
1T was most remarkable, even in
credible, but fully substantiating sur
misses of their ability to withstand the
fire of the heaviest Japanese ordnance
how the Russians, despite the previ-
Gus bombardment, replied from their
fortress guns, although over 1900 500
pound shells had been fired that day,
not counting thousands of smaller pro-
jectiles.
Before half an hour had elapsed, and
after losing 600 men, the Japanese
abandoned the attack against the
South Keekwan fort
BY 4 o'clock the. Japanese fire had
diminished in intensity and the as
saults ceased shortly before sunset,
when fire broke out in the new town
of Port Arthur; and at nightfall the
Japanese opened a shrapnel fire on
the eastern ridge to cover the retire
ment of their isolated assaulters,
whose situation was critical, between
the east and the south Keekwan forts
The total Japanese casualties exceed
ed 1000.
Although the assaults failed in the
capture of the main objective they alb
sOlutely unmasked the eastern Rus
sian positions and their strength. The
casualties are relatively small for al
though seven regiments were engaged,
not half the troops issued from the
parallels owing to the attacks being
SO skilfully manipulated and finally
ceasing without supports being util-
lied. For strength the Russian posi-
tion was unassaultable and it would
have been useless to endanger double
the force and. incur double the casu-
atty in the same assault.
After dusk the Russians SORTED
and recovered the ground lost be-
tween the east and south Keekwan
forts They recovered the P fort at
10 o'clock in the evening, but Gen.
Icinoye gallantly restored the hill and,
despite $50 casualties, expelled the
Russians by sheer dash and courage
st. Petersburg, Nov 17.-There is
no official confirmation at this hour of
the reported blowing up of the torpe-
do boat destroyer Ratsoropny at Che
Foo. The understanding at the admi-
rally had been that the vessel would
he hauled up on shore to prevent a
repetition of the Ryeshitelni affair,
and that she would be disarmed in
regular course. Officials here state
that nothing has yet been received to
indicate that there has been any 9TH
er procedure, but that the command
er will be governed by local condi-
tons There is no inclination to
blame him for taking any measures
that might appear to him to be neces-
sary
Gen Stoessers report has not been
given out, but a press representative
understands that it contains no re-
quest for instructions regarding the
surrender of Port Arthur: 1t is inti-
mated that the report goes at consid-
cradle length into details of the re-
cent fierce land fighting, but says that
the interior line of defenses remain
intact. Gen. Stoessel believes he will
be able to withstand the Japanese as
saults for some time to come.
MulSden, Nov. 17.-It has been gen
orally quiet along the Russian line
Wednesday. varied by occasional ar
tillery exchanges. There have been
fewer skirmishes for some days past.
There is, reason to believe that i'm
Dortant Developments will transpire
shortly, and that possibly there will be
heavy fighting
Farewell Reception to Rooth-Tucker
New York, Nov. ia farewell re-
ception to Commander Booth-Tucker.