The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-02-02
Methods Used in Attacking
and Defending PIT. Arthur
INGENUITY OF JAPANESE
How They Cut Their Way Through the
Russian Wire Entanglements-
Methods Of Men in Amor in
Cutting Wires.

Among the many contrivances which
contributed to make the siege Of Port |
Arthur what 1t was nothing exceeded
IN Importance the Russian use Of wire
entangIements, writes B. w. Norre
gard. war correspondent Of the Lon
don Daily Mail. The single or double
rows Of these entanglements We're the
strongest passive defenses Of the forts,
and the Japanese tried many devices 70
cut their way through. At first they |
thought to succeed simply with shears |
Of which they had brought 10000 WITH
them. but the wire was too strong.
The comnonest way was for the sol
diers to creep up after dark, lie on
| their backs and then try to cut the
| wires with their shears. Sometimes
the men would get into such a rage
over their ALLURE that they would drop
/ their shears and seize the wire with
1 hands and teeth and by Juggling and
twisting and biting succeed IN cutting
it through after all This story has Of
ten been attested by japanese officers
Then the Japanese attempted 70 bring
down the whole arrangement Of wires
ana the poles to which the wires were
strung lengthwise and cEosswise III eY'
ery direction By cutting the poles. IN
one case they succeeded, but the ex
pertinent was never repeated as far as
know. The men We're fully exposed
10 the enemy's fire, and well, they had
to find some cheaper means
For q time another expedient was
more successful. A man would crawl
IN during the night and fx ropes to the
tons Of some Of the poles and then
wriggle back again with the ends Of the
ropes to the nearest trenches, where
Z his comrades would tug, with an sleih
hi. SAN till the whole arrangement
came down bodily. But the Russians
: soon found out what was happening
y ana the next time the Japanese trle'
n the same game they found that tn
poles had been wire braced and with
4 stood all their efforts.
Y or course, the shell fire destroye
much Of the wire fences, but the jar
]. anese had another way Of destroyin
them by powder They took long ban
boo poies and filed them with blacl
strong. smoke giving powder linen
I man crept up, placed the pole under q
ENHANCEMENT, lit q fuse and SO hlasfe
8 part OF the wire. These bamboo pole
= were also used sometimes in attack
unon bomb proofs and caponnieres
70 the forts. They were pushed throue
the loopholes or the entrances an
y made ID burst, and under cover Of q
y thick veil Of heavy black smoke, Wink
choked and blinded the defenders, q
Japanese would make their final rus
= Sometimes the men would, as la
desperate effort, walk up tn broad da
!. light--T have seen 1t myself before
'e- attaek-protected by one OF their D
shields. and quietly set to work 70
ie- the wire right in front of the defender
The shields are made of two one-aus
90 ter inch iron plates welded togeth
and weigh about forty pounds. 2
ne slit at the top is for the eyes. and I
Ve bottom slit IS where the nun works
shears. The shield reaches to his kne
I'D and is slung from bis shoulders.
can only walk very slowly, and
bis NOT think he would have much Of
All chance In Il race with q tortoise
iad Tie first man who WIS ''t a'st y
ng met BY il number OF rifle Stf7Es wlii
dy hit him right IN the chest fhe ls''lf
did not penetrate the shield bhs
at impact. which posse sed TIE fofee
He sledae hammer hl1w kaaflsaa =
clean over. lie was not haia b3s
did on bis feet again, and iloGsn he
hit over ana over again anl the
1ok pact Of the bullets made Tim stop
Singer be reached the eAtaaslelAei
he Sometimes tie man would brace p
self with two bamboo sticS& the
per ends Of which were firmly q
anh rs Il rope round his waist Wine
lower ends were hanging down
our dragging along fhe ground behind 7
When the shock Of the bullets hl
him lose his balance the bamboo st1
i / would grip the ground and Keep
from going over.
OF the active means Of ueieHse
Russian searchlights and machine Z
come III the front rank They ufh
Gov blinded and confused the aapah
Att ore moment the powerful iight
elarjng full III their faces n f'ae
it was suddenly turned 81 lea'
she