Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-10
TO THE FRONT.
CONTINUED from page ~

it's extreme TANKS, concealed by the
shrubbery.
Two batteries began the action by
throwing shells to the Manchurian side
of the river for half an hour, while t'is
sun WIS rising. They sprinkled with
shells the establishments whence the
Russian guns had been firing for the
past week, but no respoI sc to their fire
was forthcoming and it looked as
though the Russians had removed their
batteries during the night. 1t seemed
as if the enemy had withdrawn entire
ly, as no sign of life could be seen on
their works.
Soon after o'clock the japanese be-
gan to advance. The distance from the
Corean to the Manchurian bank of the
Yalu is about two miles. The japanese
troops spread out in extended fOrma-
tion as they went forward. When they
were few hundred yards from the
hills on the Manchurian side they threw
themselves prone on the ground and
began volleying. In the meantime the
Japanese batteries searched the hills
with shrapneL
The russians now could be seen at
intervals where the road was exposed.
hurryinS in small squads along the
hills. These exposed stretches of the
road made fine targets for the japanese
Sunncrs. \ fierce fire was concentrated
on one open space, half the Shrapnel
thrown bursting over Il small area WITH
wonderful precision. There was per-
feet shower of puffS of white smoke NJ
this place and the observers could see
the work of an occasional shell as 1t
dug a great hole in the earth and scat
tered quantities of rock.
Still the Russians remained silent.
There was no answering OF the IRE
from them until the first japanese line
was within Il few hundred yards OF the
river bank. Then sharp volleys burst
almost Simultaneously from several
trenches and the attacking Japanese
found themselves under n heavy ana
continuous fire ut easy range from
covered positions high above them.
They lay behind the sand hillocks re-
plying bravely and holly to the fire,
while their own batteries pumped shells
over their heads.
The Japanese officers sat on their
horses or walked along the lines. They
were in no way sheltered nor protected.
A few stretcher-bearers coming back
to the field hospital indicated that men
We're being wounded.
The Russian smokcless powder was
excellent. Its use made it impossible
for the Japanee to discover the exact
positions of the enemy, or to estimate
their numbers.
Soon after o'clock the Russian fire
4
artillery and infantry attack of the
japanese and parties of the enemy's
troops could be seen hurrying upward
over the mountain roads in retreat.
Two regiments of japanese troops.
one directly opposite Win and another
near q village ON the west, ran the
river, stopping to fire now and then
as they profcssed and giving shrill
cheers as they hurried forward, which
echoed clear over the plain. Their for
nation was closer than that kept by
British or American troops and 1t look
ed as though their losses must be great.
They waded the river, ran across the
sands and climbed up the steep rocky
hillsides like n swarm of ants, their red
and yellow cap bands cleaning in the
sun. one Japanese SOlultT Ill oiic VI lile
regiments carried something white
with him. This was seen and caused Il
shout to go up that the Russians had
But upon reaching the
top of the first Russian trench a hum
drcd yards up the hillside, this man
shook out n japanese flag and waved it
to an fro.
a storming party on the west side OF
the advance mounted n hill command
ing the Russian retreat. Just as the
men were punched thickly on the
crest of this hill, two Japanese shells
burst among them. They had fallen
short. When the smoke had cleared
away n dozen bodies could be seen ly-
ing where the shells had exploded, and
the remainder of the storming party
was clambcring down the hill to eS-
cape this unexpected fire from their
rear.
The sound Of the rifle firing soon
passed over the hills as the japanese
pursued the retreating enemy. One col
umn of weary soldiers who had been
almost two days without rest. was
trudging down the river toward An
tung, where the Japanese gunboats
were Smelling the Russian works.
At o'clock, n solitary soldier climb
ing ahead of his comrades, unfurled
huge Japanese flag on the face of the
topmost Russian fort, on n ridge
thousand feet above the plain. He
marched back and forth along the
parapet, waving the banner ana then,
for the first time, the japanese on the
walls of Wiju broke the impressive ST
tal,f, h.,
battle and shouted 'BanZai." Already
foot soldiers. batteries and pack trains
were streaming onto the island by ev-
erv road and tonight, the entire Jap
anese army will be in Manchuria.
Official estimates of the japanese cas-
ualties are not given out. but the cor
respondent saw 300 Japanese and 40
Russian wounded in one field hospital.