Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 110, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1904 — JAPANESE BLOWN UP. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JAPANESE BLOWN UP.

Column of 700 Annihilated by Electric Mine Placed by Russians. A Japanese column numbering approximately 700 men, while marching along at night on a road ill the valley, met a frightful disaster through the explosion of an electric land mine. The mine was carefully laid by the Russian's three weeks ago. It covered nearly a mile of available marching space. The explosive was placed at the bottom. Rocks were placed next and on top of these clay was packed so carefully that tlie ground gave the impression of not having been disturbed. The indications of Japanese activity in tlie vicinity put the Russians on guard. Near midnight tlie outposts rushed in and reported that tlie Japanese were approaching. The Russians withheld their

fire for some time. Suddenly they throw a searchlight up the valley. Tlie Japanese opened witli a rifle tire. The Russians waited until apparently the whole Japanese column wus in the danger zone. Then the mine was exploded. Tlie force

of the explosion knocked a number of Russians down and the sight of Japanese rifles, water bottles, legs and arms hurtling through the lighted apace made by a soar'd!flight was an awful spectacle.; Some rocks landed inside the Russian lines. There was one appalling moment during whiqh the garrison itself was stunned, then a deathlike silence. Ths

searchlight coldly lighted up the road and ilulisidos strewn with dead. The following day tlie Russians buried the dead, but owing to their dismembered and mutilated condition the Russians were unable to accurately estimate the number of killed. , -

FIELD MARSHAL OYAMA.