The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1905-01-06
COMMAND CITY AND HARB0R
INNER CIRCLE OF PORT ARTHUR
FORTS is NOW CUT IN
THREE PIECES.
BECOME THE PREY OF TOGO
BELIEVE THAT is THE
FATE IN STORE FOR BALTIC
SQUADRON.

=
SQUADRON.
Headquarters of the Japanese Army
Before Port Artl alr, via Fusan, Dec
31.-Rihlung fort was captured at 8
O'Clock yesterday morning, with a
thousand Japanese casualties. Seven
dynamite mines exploded at 10 o'clock
and made breaches in the fort wall
through which large body of Japan
csc troops charged under cover of a
tremendous bombardment and cap
tured the first line of light guns. A
bitter fight resulted in the capture of
the fort, The garrison, numbering 500
men, escaped.
Breach in Fertilization.
Rihlung fort, situated on Rihlung
mountain, formed part of the inner
circle of the chain of forts defending
Port Arthur. Rihlung is situated two
miles from the outskirts of the town
of Port Arthur from which it bears
due northeast. The fort is mile and
a half southeast of Keekwan fort re-
Gently captured by the Japanese.
The possession of these two forts
should make a most important breach
in the Notifications of Port Arthur and
cut off communication between the
Golden Hill forts and the forts of the
western section of the inner fortfica-
tioons.
Outside of the capture of 2O3-Meter
hill, on the eastern section of forts,
little is known of the exact positions
occupied by the Japanese, but it would
seem from the material available that
the inner circle of forts is now
Cut in Three Pieces
and that 2G3-Meter hill prohibits COM
munication with the Liaotie section of
forts, just as the possession of Rih-
lung and Keellwan forts cuts off COM
munication with the Golden hill forts,
except by the many underground
ways which are said to exist in vari
Gus parts of the fortress.
From Rihlung mountain, which is
nearly opposite 203-Meter hill, it would
appear that the Japanese fire will be
able to reach anything in the inner
heavy guns Of 203- Meter hill are I'M
able to hit, thus making it apparently
impossible for the Russian second Pa
cific squadron to make any use of Port
Arthur, even should the Japanese
content themselves with holding the
strong positions they now occupy.
Prey for Togo's Ships.
Toxic, Dec. 31.-As the Baltic feet
nears it's rendezvous the japanese
newspapers indicate the belief of the
nation that the Russian squadron is
destined to become the prey of Togo's
ships.
Japs Watch for Them.
Batavia, Island of Java, Dec. 81. =
Some warships showing the japanese
colors passed Anjar, sixty miles west
of here, yesterday.
Fall Into Japs' Hands.
Shanghai, Dec. 31.-Private advices
received here from Sassabo say that
the captain and lieutenant of the Rus
sian torpedo boat destroyer Rasto-
rophny, blown up at Chefu on Nov. 16,
after escaping from Port Arthur, have
been identified as being on board the
British steamer Nigretia, seized by
the Japanese protected cruiser Tsu-
shima off Uslan, Korea, Dec. 10, and
brought to Sasebo.
Russians Keep Up Fire.
Gen. Ollu's Headquarters, via Fusan
Dec. 31.-No change has taken place
at the front of the second army The
Russians continue a daily boombard-
ment, firing at random, and resulting
in few casualties.
The Japanese soldiers pick up fif-
teen-centimeter shell cases and with
them make charcoal burners to heat
the bomb proofs. Occasional collis-
ions take place between patrols, the
Russians always retiring. Both sides
seem satisfied to remain in the
trenches.
Lieut.. Gen. Sir William Nicholson,
director general of military intelli.
gence of the British war office. who
was attached to the Japanese army,
left here yesterday on his way to Eng.
land