The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-29
A HILL or DEATH.
How Thousands Died in One OF the Port
Arthur Assaults.

.Sptei1l Cable Despatch 10 THE SUN
LONDON, Jan. 2s,-The absorbing nteres
in ST. Petersburg permits little attention
to be paid to the full accounts now in Lon
don of one of the greatest feats of modern
arms, the capture of 203 Metre Hill anC
the slaughter of thousands of Japanese in
three or four unsuccessful attacks. The
last assault encountered no resistance fol
the infantry found the trenches filled with
dead Russians. awful had been the
greatest bombardment in history. The
crucial moment is thus described
AT 3 o'clock a forward movement was
made by the soldiers on a companion hill
which was designated az 2i0. They pressed
on encountering little resistance, and
were soon in possession Of half the crest
At the same moment 800 men left Japa
mesa trench on 203 Metre Hill and rushed
a Russian trench thirty yards away The
japanese soldiers were seen to enter the
trench Then there was brief pause. and
the artillery continued to lombard the sum
NIT OF the mountains. Nothing could be
seen Of the Russians
a few minutes later the soldiers in pos
session of the first trench reappeared on
the far side and again moved forward
for this part of the climb that had always
been so fatal. The soldiers on 2l0 Hill
also moved forward and before one had
time to realize what had happened the
Japanese infantry were over the crest Of
both peaks and outlined against the sky
line.
With the exception Of three prisoners
not live Russian was found on the summit.
They had been shelled to pieces. and not
even a mouse could have escaped from that
hail. No mountain ever contained con-
tracted in so small a space 40 much Of the
horrors Of war. The crest had been alb
solutey smashed to pieces. One could
not even trace the lines Of original de-
fences,
Among this confused tumble Of rocks.
va nd ba gs, shells. charred timber. broken
rifles, bits Of uniforms and soldiers ac-
coutrements Of every description the dead
lay in hundreds many smashe beyond
resemblance TO human form. so terrible
is the effect Of modern shellfre. On the
east side OF the mountain lay dead Rus
slams and on the west side the dead Japanese.
The summit was sacred TO both.
It had been freezing during the day of
the attack and the bodies were perfectly
preserved. Some seemed to have died a
natural death but the majority. especially
the Japanese, who were struck down while
advancing up a steep slope had their teeth
clenched, and n look Of fierce resolve was
written on their faces The Russians
who for the most part met death while sitting
in the trenches on the summit. wore
panied even surprised, appearance In
one place a dozen soldiers we're sitting in
square shelter OF sandbaRs when big
shell landed between them and killed all
The defences had been temporarily re-
paired from time to time. and often one
could see the body Of soldier taking the
place OF a sandbag in improvised walls
Many of the dead had been killed "a far
back as September and their bodies re-
Inained unburied in all stages Of decay.
But what struck one more forcibly than
anything else was the manner in which the
big shells mashed everything 10 pulp