Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-02-07
A HILL OF DEATH.
How Thousands Died In One of the
Port Arthur Assaults.

How Thousands Died In One of the
Port Arthur Assaults.
The absorbing interest In st. Peters,
burg permits little attention to be paid
to the full accounts now In London Of
one Of the greatest feats of modern
arms, the capture Of 203 Metre Hill and
the slaughter Of thousands of Japanese
in three or four unsuccessful attacks.
The last assault encountered no resist
ance, for the infantry found the
trenches filled with dead Russians, SO
awful had been the greatest lombard
ment In history. The crucial moment
Is thus described:
AT 8 o'clock forward movement
was made by the soldiers on a COM
panion hill, which was designated an
210. They pressed on, encountering
little resistance, and were soon In pos.
session Of half the crest. At the same
roment 500 men left Japanese
trench on 203 Metre Hill and rushed
a Russian trench thirty yards away.
The Japanese soldiers were seen to en-
ter the trench. Then there was brief
pause. and the artillery continued to
lombard the summit Of the mountains.
Nothing could be seen Of the Russians.
"a few minutes later the soldiers La
possession Of the first trench reappear-
ed on the far side and again moved
forward. Every one watched with
breathless anxiety for this part Of the
climb that had always been 80 fatal.
The soldiers on 210 Hill also moved
forward, and before one had time to
realize what had happened the Japan.
ese infantry were over the crest OF
both peaks and outlined against the
skyline.
with the exception Of three prison.
ers not a live Russian was found on
the summit. They had been shelled
to pieces, and not even mouse could
have escaped from that hail. No
mountain ever contained, contracted In
so small space. so much Of the hor-
rors Of war. The crest had been abso-
lutely smashed to pieces. One could
not even trace the lines Of original de-
fences.
Among this confused tumble OF
rocks, sandbags, shells, charred tim
Der, broken rifles, bits Of uniforms and
soldiers accoutrements Of every de-
scription the dead lay in hundreds,
many smashed beyond resemblance to
human form. so terrible Is the effect
Of modern shellfire. On the east side
Of the mountain lay dead Russians
and on the west side the dead Japan
ese. The summit was sacred to both.
"It had been freezing during the day
Of the attack and the bodies were per-
fectly preserved. Some seemed to have
died a natural death. but the majority,
especially the. Japanese, who were
struck down while advancing up g.
steep slope, had their teeth clenched
and look of fierce resolve was writ
ten on their faces. The Russians, who
for the most part met death while sit
ting in the trenches on the summit,
wore a panied, even surprised, appear
ance. In one place a dozen soldiers
were sitting in square shelter Of SAND
bags when big shell landed between
them and killed all.
1.-The defences had been tempor-
arily repaired from time to time, and
often one could see the body Ct SOL
1ier taking the place Of a sandbag In
improvised walls. Many Of the dead
had been killed as far back as Septem-
her and their bodies remained un"
buried in all stages Of decay. But what
struck one more forcibly than any
thing else was the manner In which
the big shells smashed everything to
pulp."-New York Sun.