WAR IN THE EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 104, 6 May 1904, Page 3

WAR IN THE EAST.

CABLE NEWS.

Uafted Press Association.—By Telegraph.—Copyright.

. . | PORT ARTHUR DEFENCES. . FAIRWAY SAID TO BE BLOCKED LONDON, May 4. Guns belonging to the disabled war ships at Port Arthur have been landed, and will be used to strengthen the batteries. Reports received at Tokio statu that some of the eight lire ships completely block the fairway. It is oflicially announced that the Kinshu Maru's officers committed suicide in the cabins, and the soldiers mutually bayonetted one another. The prisoners taken by the cruiser Rossin were only 6ailors and coolies. The Russian ironclad Khrabry stopped the mail express boat Otiris in the Mediterranean for two hours

and sorted her mails, but the Japanese mails, which we:\j lying at the bottom of the mail room were untouched. REPORTED CAPTURE OF NIUCHWANG UNCONFIRMED. THE POSITION ON THE YALTJ RESEMBLED THAT AT TUOELA. LONDON, May 4. The reported capture of Niuchwang by the Japanese is unconfirmed. Mr Maxwell, correspondent of the Standard, in describing the fight on the Yalu, says that before the bat-

tie tho position exactly resembled that of the Tugela. Tho Russians had every advantage. The Japanese claim that besides 28 quick fircrs they captured 20 field pieces. The Russian prisoners testify that the new Arisaku guns decimated them* The Russians, before burning Antung, expelled 15,000 inhabitants at the point of tho bayonet. RUSSIAN GENERAL'S REPORT.

RUSSIANS TRY THE BAYONET. LONDON, May 4. General Sassnlich reports that the 12th and 22nd Regiments with tho second and third batteries of the Sixth Brigade of Artillery were engaged at Turen-tchen on 'Sunday. The battle began with a heavy cannonade from Wiju, an effort being made to seize the guns and iield batteries on the islands upon the Russian right flank. After a lull in the firing, which had been directed with extraordinary violence on tho left flank, the main positions at Turentchen and Potientsky were assaulted by bodies of Japanese from across the Aiho. The situation of tho defenders became most difficult especially at Potientsky, which was bombarded from the front and both Hanks. Thirty Japanese guns were Pitted against one battery at Potientsky, and the latter was silenced- A Japanese mountain battery then fired on the infantry, itself sustaining a few losses until the withdrawal of the infantry compelled it t to make a fresh position. Despit. , the Russian fire the Japanese made continual attacks. Their bodies lay in heaps at the fords of the river [ """"'taneously with the attack on . Potientsky there was another one on . the left flank, compelling the üban- ( doninent of the Russian trenci.es. At Turen-hehen reserves several - times reinforced the first Hnu, enabling it for a long time to maintain its position. Finally all the supports were brought into firing line, but owing to the distance from the main reserves it was impossible to reach tha advance force in time. The Russians retired from the principal positions in the rear of Turen. tcnen, followed by a concentrated _ fire from the Japanese, who hesitat--1 ed to abandon the crost of the hill - and face the Russian batteries. The Japanese dug fresh trendies, and ,1 opened a heavy artillery lire on the s new Russian position, and began to - turn the Russian left flanks towards IKchingou. Two battalions of the Uth Regiment, with a battery belonging to the reserves, took a fresh position at Laounhou, enabling the j° advance line (which had suffered heavily), and the wounded to rc- _ tire when the flanks of the 11th Ilei- giment turned. The Russians several times tried the bayonet, but the r Japanese declined a hand-to-hand conflict, and recoiled. A chapluin bearing a cross, led 1- them twice to tho attack. He was 3 Q struck by bullets. By threatened j bayonet charges the regiment was is at length able to retire, and the ars. rival of a battalion of tho 10th Re- - giuient enabled all to beat a r#V treat. d. The losses of the 11th and 12th - Regiments arc unknown, but they •<? were very great. One colonel unil J-wo lieutenant-colonels of the 12th s . Jlesniient were killed. The second ami third batteries of the Sixth Hrigaife abandoned their guns when \° they Dari lost the greater number oi

| their men and horses, hut they first rendered the guns useless. For the same reason six guns of the third .wtU'ry were disabled and abandonee'' L T p to the present- eight hundred wounded, including fourteen officers have I*-*" brought to Fcng-hen-cheng Hospi'tal, but th&r eventual transport ei' Efcn 'here is assured. Japan «ic cavalry appeared to the

south-east o! I''eng-l>en-cheng, but did not. appro.icll after biting two companies with guns. The transport of the wounded by Chinese bearers .was very dlulcult. Most of it he wounded arrived at the fort, assisted by their comrades, within a day of the battle. The Japairese losses during the passage were very heavy. Men engaged estimated that at least three or four thousand Japanese were killed, chiefly at Turenchen and during the conflict with the 51st Regiment. GERMAN FEELING. BERLIN", May 4. German newspapers consign the account of the Valu successes to their back pages, and advise their readers to await authentic details, as the dows has come from British sources. It is reported that General Sassulich fell into an ambuscade owing to tho Japanese intercepting General Kuropatkin'a telegram.