The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-01-08
INCIDENTS oF IHE S|EGE
Wire EntangleInents, Man in
Arnor and the Star Shell.
RUSS SSANDINGENIOUSJAPS
Japanese Were Not Accustomed to the
Searchlights and Were Confused
and Blinded by Them-Realized
Their Safety Lay in Gsttins
Back to Camp.

Back to Camp.
Among the many contriyances
which contributed to make Port Ar
thur what it was, nothing exceeded
in Importance the Russian use Of wire
entanglements, writes B. w. Norre-
gard. war correspondent Of the Lon.
don Daily Mail. The single or double
rows of these entanglements were the
strongest passive defenses Of the
forts, and the Japanese tried many
devices to cut their way through. At
first they thought to succeed simply
with shears, of which they haG
brought $4,000 with them, but the wire
was too strong.
The commonest way was for the
soldiers to creep up after dark, lie Oh
their backs, and then try to cut the
wires with their shears.
For a time another eXpedient was
more successful A man would crawl
up during the night and fix ropes to
the tops Of some of the poles. and
then wriggle back again with the ends
Of the ropes to the nearest trenches,
where his comrades would tug, with
an ''ichi, ri, SAN till the whole ar.
ran cement came down bodily. But
the Russians soon found out what
was happening. and the next time
the japanese tried the same game
they found that the poles had feen
wire-braced and withstood all their
efforts.
Of course, the shell fire destroyed
much of the wire fences, but the Jap:
anese had another way Of destroying
them by powder They took long
bamboo poles and filled them with
black, strong, smoke-giving powder.
Then man crept up, placed the pole
under the entanglements, lit a fuse
and Sd blasted part of the wire.
Sometimes the men would ,as last
desperate resort, walk up in broad
daylight have seen it myself before
an attack-pTotected by one OF their
big shields, and quietly set to work to
cut the wire right in front Of the de-
tenders. The shields are made Of two
one-cuarter inch iron plates welded to
gether, and weigh about forty pounds
One slit at the top is for the eyes
and the bottom slit it where the man
works his shears. The shield reaches
to his knees and is slung from his
shoulders. He can only walk very
slowly, and do not think he would
have much of chance in a race with
a tortoise.
The first man who was sent out was
met by number of rifle shots, which
hit him right in the chest; the bul
lets did not penetrate the shield. but
the impact, which possessed the force
of sledgehammer blow, knocked him
clean over. He was not hurt but got
On ais; feet again, and the impact Of
the bullets made him stop and stag,
ger, before he reached the entangle
ments.
Of the active means Of defense the
Russian searcnugnts and machine
guns came in the front rank. They ut.
terly blinded and confused the Jap
anese. At one moment the powerful
light was glaring full in their faces.
at the next it was suddenly turned of,
leaving them in complete and battling
darkness.
Then suddenly another light, Of
which the Russians had nine, threw
the japanese into the fullest relief.
Instantly a tremendous fire was
opened up on them from rifles, and
especially, from machine guns, which,
at this; range, played havoc with them
on the coverless plain. They could
see nothing. they could do nothing;
death was among them, and they knew
not how to evade it; they were blind
and helpless, and did not lnow where
they were or where the enemy was.
Everything got mixed up for them
Even the brarest among them recog.
nized that there was only one thing
to do-get away, away from the
slaughter, eway from the cruel light.
back 10 their own camps, back to the
night and the darkness.
A japanese machine gun attempted
to ecover the retreat. A star shell
instantly detected it. whereupon q
searchlight was turned upon it and
the Russian quickfrers went up and
commenced their ''pom-pom-pom
against it and put it out of action al
once. 1t was no use: the attack was
hopelessly broken The Japanese be-
fore the siege were not accustomed to
the searchlights AS one Of their OF
ficers said to me, gloomily. after the
reverse: They are the most deadly
weapons we have to face"
At times we could hear a faint
swish in the air when star shell was
fred. A thin, scarcely perceptibls
curved line of sparks mounting sky
ward. a rain of white phosphorus
stars sinking slowly. slowly through
the dark. a glory Of light, dream Of
beauty, and an excellent means o.
Illuminating, for few moments, thu
underlying country. in way that NJ
ten searchlights can do it, because
the light. of an immense intensity
comes from right above. so that there
are no deep shadows: everything i:
laid bare. not a man can move Or live
under the circle of light without be
ing discovered.
The ink plant of New Granada is
curiosity. The juice of il can be use,