The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-02
BATTLE OF THE HUN
Five Days Engagement Has
Passed Into History.
1t Was Fought on a Snow Cover
ed Plain.
EARTH LIKE GRANITE.
Russian Shot and Shell Power
less to Make an Impression.
Gunners Wept in DispaIr at
Impotence of Attack.

Russian Headquarters Huan Noun
tain, Feb. 2.-The five days combat
which will go down in history as the
battle of the Hun river was fought out
on seemingly unending plain which is
broken only by southern Amethyst
mountains around Yentai, the solitary
eminence of which is the Lao Yang
tower of bloody memory. The bright
flare of the sun reflected from a daz-
zling expanse of snow was painful to
the eyes, and it was with difficulty that
one could follow here and there black
streaks marking the Russian columns
or waverinE skirmish lines dashing
against what resembled dull gray rocks,
but which in reality were the villages
of Iidiatoun and Tanlepu and the ex-
tensive hamlet of Sandepas, Fashioned
by Chinese defenses and converted by
the Japanese into veritable fortresses.
Exposed to the intense cold of a Man
churian winter the earth had become
like granite and as impenetrable as the
steel sides of a modern battleship.
For five days Russian soldiers hurled
themselves against the defenses and
/ field artillery pounded them until the
frosty air reverberated with the thun-
der of cannon, the din of bursting shells
and the rattle of musketry, but neither
steel pointed shell nor nickel bullets
availed against the frozen earthworks-
The gunners actually wept with de-
spair at the impotence of the attack.
Mortar batteries came up at a gallop
in the hope of denolishing the fortifica-
tions. Night and day the stream OF
shells was poured against the earth
works, but it had very little effect. The
men seemed Indifferent to hunger ana
cold, which latter was of arctic intensity
Their fingers. hands and feet were be-
numbed, while stinging snow and dust
blinded them. The slightest wound
caused excruciating pain. Warm blood
no sooner exuded from lacerated flesh
than it began to freeze. The wounded
could not be left exposed, and If they
did not receive attention within an
hour they died. The surgeons, their as
sistaf1ts a1leEsnurses were almost pow
erIess in the bandaging Of wounds, for
I they were obliged to wear leather
! gloves or Tnittens in order to resist the
cold The men seemed to be living
/ again the horrors of the winter cam
paign of 1912 against the Turks. Every
thing that could be done was done; but
man was pOwerleSS in the face OF na-
4 ture, which heaped tortures upon the
troops. and defeated the well thought
out plan of the commander
Japanese Found Frozen.
Tsinkhetchen, Manchuria, Monday,
Jan. 3O.=Delayed in transmission
| The Japanese offensive in the neigh
/ borhood of Dziantchan, fourteen miles
southeast of Tsinkhatchen, has every
where been beaten off. The Japanese
left their killed and carried on a
couple hundred wounded The Rus
slams subsequently found a large num-
! her Of frozen corpses of Japanese
wounded who had tried to crawl off
| from Chenhaitin pass. The appear
ance of the corpses was frightful- The
bodies were scantily clad
Russia AbandOns Korea
Gensan, Korea, Feb. 2.-The Russian
supply station at Tenchian has been
abandoned. The Russian troops have
retired northward to Songjin after
destroying the telegraph line. 1t is
rumored that they will move further
north soon.
Russia's preparations for a campaign
on the Korean coast have, the. corre-
spondent adds, apparently been aban-
doned.
Russians Lost $4,000.
Mukden, Feb 2 - After the
| Russian bonn bardment of Sandiapu
the japanese tried to drive them off.
hut failed The indications are that the
Japanese will abandon Sandiapu.
The usual artillery duel is proceeding
at the center. Ten japanese battalions
which attacked the Russian left were
repulsed with heavy loss,
The latest returns of the Russian
losses during the recent fighting Show
that $4,000 men were killed or wound
ed. General Kondratzvitch being among
the latter
Russian Amazon Corps.
Victoria. B. G., Feb. 2.-The steam
err Shinano Maru. brings news of the
| formation of an Amazon corps at Niko
to aid the Russian forces at the
Shakhe. Russian women formed
regiment uniformed like Cossacks,
which has gone to the front The
women have cut their hair short and
wear masculine attire.