Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1904 — NOGI'S MEN TAKE THE KEKWAN FORT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NOGI'S MEN TAKE THE KEKWAN FORT

Struggle That Ends Near Mid« night Puts the Japs Into Complete Possession. TIGHT OPENS WITH A BLAST Mine Explodqfl Under the Position Great Havoc. / *• Russians Repulse the First Assault, but the Second Is Successful— Japs Report Their Loss Not Great. London, Dec. 22.—A dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph company from St. Petersburg says General Kuropatkin has telegraphed the general staff tbgt he has received a report from Chinese sources to the effect that the Russians have recaptured 203-Meter hill at Port Arthur, together with the guns mounted by the Japanese. The Japanese legation snys It has no confirmation of the reported recapture of 203-Meter hill.

London,-. Dec. 21.—The Daily Mail’s correspondent at Hong Kong says he has learned on trustworthy authority that a powerful Japanese squadron of battleships and armored cruisers is proceeding south, accompanied by fifteen colliers and transports, to attack the Russian Baltic squadron.

Tokio, Dec. 20.—The Japanese fired a great mine under portions of the north fort of East Kekwan mountain, on Sunday at 2 p. m. and then charged and occupied the fort with a heavy force. The following report of the capture was telegraphed from General

MAP or POST ABTHUB KMVUtOIW. Nogi’s headquarters yesterday. “At2:ls o’clock on the afternoon of Dec. 18 part of our army blew up the parapets of the north fort of East Kekwan mountain and then charged. .A fierce battle with hand grenades ensued. Owing to the stubborn resistance of the enemy with his machine guns our operations were temporarily suspended. Captured After a Night Attack. “Subsequently, at 7 o’clock in the evening, General Semeamiam, commanding the supports, advanced into tjie casemates,^ and encouraging his men threw his supports into the fighting line in a last brave charge. At 11:50 o’clock at night we completely occupied the fort, and immediately engaged in the construction of defensive works. Our occupation became firmly assured today. Before retiring the enemy exploded four mines in the neighborhood of the neck of the fort.

•Jap* Take Seven Gunn*

“We captured five nine-centimeter field guns and two machine guns, ns well as plenty of ammunition. The enemy left forty or fifty dead. Our casualties have not been investigated, but they are not heavy.” Repulse of the Bunluu Reported. Tokio, Dec. 20.—Manchurian headquarters. in a report dated Dec. 18, says: “On the night of Dec. 17, between 8:30 and 11 o’clock, the enemy made three attacks against our outposts in the neighborhood of Santaokuntzua, and also advanced at 1 o’clock in the morning to the vicinity of Sinhuntun and Tunghaisengkou. The enemy was entirely repulsed. The enemy, with heavy guns, in the neighborhood of Sufangtai, commencing at 2:30 o’clock on the afternoon of Dec. 18, fired eighty rounds from cannon against the neighborhood of theShakhe railway bridge, but the cannonade did not injure us.”

SURPRISE TO THE BUSS GARRISON Good Reason for Surprise—Two Tons of Dynamite Let Loose. London, Dec. 20. —According to special correspondents with the Japanese army the capture of the Kekwan fort was a complete surprise to the Russian garrison, there having been no preparatory bombardment. Japanese sappers drove shafts forty feet under the parapet of the fprt from the escarpment and moat In these two tons of dynamite were exploded simultaneously, completely wrecking the interior of the fort, whilst siege and shrapnel guns shelled Russian troops in the vtnicity. This occurred at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. A detachment of Japanese infantry made a headlong, but premature, rush, and sixty of them became burled under a mass of debris, greatly delaying the attack. Despite this mischance another volunteer force dashed forward and captured the parapet in the meantime' the Russians had been strongly reinforced, and a fierce hand-to-hand struggle with bayonets and grenades was continued till near mid-

Bight, when the few Russian survivors retreated to the city and the fort vu! captured. CLIMAX OF THE WAR COMING When Togo and Rcje.tveu.lrjr Oat Togoth ar—Fort Arthur Squadron. . Toklo, Dec. 22.—A powerful Japanese fleet, including many battleships and cruisers, with colliers, forty vessels in all, is steaming south to meet the Russian Baltic fleet south of Formosa. This meeting will be the climax of the war. If the Japanese win the last hope of the Russians to win the war on the sea will be destroyed. If the Russians win the Japanese will have a desperate struggle to prevent communications between their country and the Manchurian army from being cut off. Just where the opposing ships are likely to clash is a matter of conjecture. Tt is expected it will be at a point not far from the Mauritius group of islands. It is not believed probable the Japanese will try to meet the Russian squadrons before they unite. The Russian fleet is believed to be the stronger in battleships, but the Japanese have the advantage in cruisers. And if the misfortunes of the Baltic fleet so far are any indication the Japs are by far superior in seamanship.

Materiel Taken with Kekwan. Tokio, Dec. 22. —The Japanese army besieging Port Arthur as follows regarding the trophies captured by the Japanese in the north fort of Kekwan mountain: “Further investigation shows that we captured five 8.2 centimeter quick-firing field guns; two 47-millimeter quick-firing guns, one of them being serviceable; two 24milllmeter guns, one being serviceable; four machine guns, nil serviceable; sixteen rifles. 4(51 rounds of great gun ammunition, 250 rounds of 47-millime-ter gun ammunition. *240 rounds of 24mllllmeter gun ammunition, 1,150 rounds of machine gun ammunition, J 5,000 roundk of small arms ammunition, 80 grenades and 9 star shells, all serviceable; six cases of powder, and timber, sand bags, clothing, etc.” Russian Advices from Port Arthur. St. Petersburg, Dec. 22. —While declining'to give details, the admiralty admits that Russian advices from Port Arthur sent by General Stoessel substantially confirmed the Japanese advices of the partial, wrecking of the Russian ships in the harbor and the censor has been instructed to permit the publication of the dispatches. It is claimed that several of the larger ships and a respectable number of torpedoboat destroyers are still seaworthy, but they are not being considered as a factor in the coming fight between Admiral Togo’s ships and the Russian aecoud Pacific squadron. Mmy CtnM an Anglo-,Tap Dispute. Nagasaki. Dec. 21, 10 a. m. The British steamer Nigretia was seized by the Japanese cruiser Tsushima off Ulsnn yesterday, aiid has arrived at Sasebo for trial before the prize court. The Nigretia was proceeding to Vladivostok with a cargo of kerosene. It is stated that the crew of the Nigretia refused to leave Shanghai, but were compelled by the consul, who held that her cargo was not contraband owing to the fact that the port of Vladivostok is not being blockaded by the Japanese.

BAY OF KOREA