The Springfield herald., 1904-05-06

SLAMS were forced to abandon Antung
yesterday. They burned the town and
retreated to Feng Huan Cheng.
The Japanese now control the estu-
ary of the Yalu.
Toxic. May i. p. m.-After five days
OF fighting with artillery. the first Jap
anese army under General Kuroki. has
forced crossing of the Yalu river and
to-day, with gallant infantry charge.
covering a frontage Of four miles, 1t
drove the Russians from Chi Tien
bank of the Tho or Aida river. which
enters the Yalu from the north almost
opposite Wiju.
The Japanese turned the left flank Of
the Russian position and in the battle
of to-day they swept away the new
front interposed by the Russians to
check their onward movement.
The present position of the Japanese
is dominating one and they may force
the abandonment of the defenses erect
ed by the Russians at Antung and 9TH
er points lower down the river.
General kuropi began the movement
on Tuesday by ordering a detachment
of the imperial guards division to seize
the island of Kurito. which is in the
Yalu above Wiju, and a detachment OF
the second division to seize the island
OF Kintito. which is situated below
Wiju. The detachment of the imperial
guards with some resistance. but 1t
succeeded in. clearing the enemy out
and occupied Kurito island. The Rus
SLAMS abandoned the island of Kin
teito when attacked by the detachment
of the second division.
The actual losses sustained by the
detachment of the imperial guards Is
Eot known, as there is an error in that
Fart of the message received here re-
ferring to the number killed, but nine
OF the detachment were severely and
sixteen were slightly wounded. The de-
tachment of the Second division which
took the island of Kinteito sustained
no losses.
During these movements on the Is
lands the Russians opened fire on the
Japanese with eight 9h-centime guns
from a hill behind Chiu Tien Cheng
nnd two Hotchkiss guns which were
mounted on the bank of the river at
Kosack where the Russians seemed to
have established their headquarters.
One company of Japanese artillery
which had taken a position on a hill
to the east of Wiju fired three volleys
at Jusan and at noon of Tuesday the
Russian battery behind Chiu Tien
Cheng shelled Wiju with scrapnel. On
Wednesday the Russians resumed the
bombardment of Wiju fighting at in
tervals throughout the day. The jap
anese artillery did not respond to this
fire.
General Kuroki has received reports
to the effect that the Russians are for
tifying the heights on the right bank oI
the Tho river. These new defenses
are declared to extend from Chiu Tien
Cheng through the village of Makao tc
Koshoko, a distance of three and q
quarter miles.
The Russians resumed their bonn
bardment on Thursday, but it was gen
orally ineffective. Subsequently, Gen
eIal Kuroki ordered two companies oi
the imperial guards to cross the Yalu
and make a reconnaissance along the
left bank of the Tho for the purpose OF
discovering the character of the Rus
sian fortifications along the heights or
the right bank of the river.
The Japanese force advanced toward
Korsan, and then despatched small
detachment to the village where par
ty of Russians were killed. The Rus
slams shelled the accommodating party
from an emplacement in the hills in tht
southeastern part of Qoshoko. Thi!
fire was without effect.
The Russian artillery on the hill be
hind Chiu Tien Cheng. firing at higf
engle, again opened on Wiju. the is
land of Kurito and Seikodo, to the
south of Wiju. where some japanese
batteries had taken position. This fir
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. N%NNNNNNNSN<>