The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-04-12
by VIII n. Brill.

Newspaper Enterprise Association.
Field Headquarters, II. /. J. Nj.
Second Army, March 6.-Today for
the first time in this battle l saw
fight | had given up all hope of
seeing anything and that added to
the pleasure of really seeing some
thing after all The fight | saw was
the attack on and capture of the llttle
village of kan-kya- chien. which is
one of a dozen villages lying in the
angle made by the Hun river on the
south and the railway on the east.
1t was a good fight and l could see
almost every detail of it,
Early this morning we rode for
ward to a long low sand hill which
lies almost directly west Of Mukden
at a distance Of about 10 miles. There
General Oku and his staff had taken
nm their quarters and there the CORE
spondents and military attaches pre-
empted an end of the hill for them
selves.
At the foot of the hill lay large
open plain bounded on the southwest
bv the abandoned railway emoank-
ment. To the southwest Of the hlll'
across the plain. lay -kya-chlen.
On one side Of il was the village
which I have called the North VII
lage. on the other one which | nave
rallied the West Village. Both these
villages were occupied by the Japan
csc Yesterday. but this morning Kan
kya-chien was in the hands or the
Russians as were several villages be
yond It. 1t is perhaps half mile
from Ksn-kva-chien to the North
Village, while the West Village is
about mile away. The plain Itself
Is crossed by dozens Of roads and III
various places there are clumps OF
trees.
Al Artillery Duel.
Revond the railway embankment
was a Jspanese battery Of heavy
guns while between trees In front
of the emhankment was battery OF
neld guns. BoGn these batteries were
Smelling Kan-kya-chien and the Rus-
sian batteries beyond when we reach
ed the hill The Russians were re-
turning the fire heavily. Hundreds OF
shells fell into and around the North
Village firing it in several plaNes,
while shell and shrapnel burst on and
over the field in front of us. Here
the Russian fire was wild for during
the whole day there was nothing on
the field to fire at save an occasional
mounted orderly.
The hill itself with its hurryns
aides and staff officers. its busy tele-
nhone tents and its steady stream OF
eal,onine orderlies, reminded me OF
pan-cho-put. from which we saw the
last DAYS fighting in the battle or the
sha Ho. Tents had been erected be
low the crest of the hill for the gem
eral. the staff and the foreign OBJ
servers. where protection could ne 90
tanned from the sharp north wind ana
cold fingers could be warmed at char
coal fires.
All morning the hombardment kept
I'D from both sides, but there was
nothing else The chief Of artillery
Of the army spent most OF his time
at his telescope on the top Of the
hill and there was usually stan or
fcer at the big glasses, but the stan
in general didn't seem to be taxing
any particular interest in the afalr
At 2 o'clock. however, the japanese
bombardment began to increase uhti
II seemed that every available gun
had been turned on kan-kya-chien.
This continued for an hour and then
there was a stir among the tents and
General Oku. followed by nearly all
his staff officers, mounted the hill.
They spread themselves on the sand
and each one turned his glasses on
Kan-kya-chien. We followed suit.