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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1904-10-14, Page 2SAP AND RUSS AT A STANDSTILL, Neither0yama Nor Kouropat- kin Want to Advance, Japanese Casualties Since Kinchou Placed at 45,000. .Details of Desperate Struggle at Port Arthur. London cable says—The Standard's correspondent with Gen. Kuroki's army says that since the battle of Kinehau the Russian casualties, sick and miss- ing, are estimated to have numbered 8,000, while the Japanese casualties are placed at 45,000. One hundred. and sixty- Russian ixtyR,ussian guns have been captured. Seven Russian generas have been killed or wounded. One Japanese general Was wounded. These losses occurred ex- clusively at Port Arthur. Kill so Donkeys Daily. Chefoo cable says—Stories of another sortie by the Russian Port Arthur squadron are not confirmed and are not believed. Chinese arrivals says that 30 donkeys are killed daily at Port Arthtur to provide fresh meat, which sells at five shilings a pound. AWFUL CARNAGE. Details of Recent Attacks on Port Arthur Fortress. Chefoo cable — A private letter re- ceived here to -day front Port Arthur, dated Sept. 23, gives further details of the fighting from Sept. 10 to Sept. 22. The attack. began with a heavy bom- bardment directed against nearly all the Russian outposts and many of the forts. The shelling of the redoubts protecting the water supply of Port Ar- thur was tremendous. 'Nightfall of Sept. 10 found the waterworks redoubts reduced to mere heaps of debris. The garrisons of the redoubts thereupon re- treated safely to the main fortifications under cover of darkness. At 4 o'clock the same afternoon (Sept. 10) the Japanese assault on High Hill began. The Japanese plan of at- tack never varied. First, a bombard- ment and then an assault, and when repulsed a bombardment again, and then another assault. The desperate determination of the Japanese to cap- ture this position eisouuted to fan- aticism, their efforts never ceasing dur- ing four days. One battalion of Jap- anese, having retreated into a valley, were exposed to the Russian shrapnel fire, and were almost annihilated, Eventually the Japanese succeeded in placing one field grin and two machine guns in position, :behind hastily -trade barriers. Their tenure of the position owing to the fire from the inner forts was very insecure, and when Lieut. Poggorsky and the volunteers charged the tide turned against thein. One of the companies charged the Japanese temporary fortifications and drove the latter from all their positions. Several mines were exploded during the general battle, causing severe losses. The Russians calculate that the total Japanese losses for the four days' fight- ing reached 20,000 men. Chinese who left Port Arthur on Oct. 1, and who were previously engaged in burying the dead, say the effect of the Russian shells and machine guns is ter- rific. The slopes of a high hill were ittered with mangled bodies, and several heads and limbs. In -one trench the Chinese buried three hundred Japanese and two hundred Russians. While it is true that the regular water supply at Port Arthur has been stopped by the Japanese, the fortress has other supplies which can be taken only when the city falls. The garrison of Port Arthur now has sufficient food, but the supply of tinned meats is nearly exhausted. and the troops are now slaughtering thirty donkeys daily for fresh meat, which is worth $1.20 per pound. Eggs cost 20 cents each. ' PLAYING WAITING GAME. The Japs Not Inclined to Move Fur- ther North. London cable says—So far as can be learned, all is quiet at Mukden, except for reconnnaissances and skirmishes. The Sinminting correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says he learns that General Kouropatkin docs not intend to move south, being content to weaken the invad- ers as ithey advance. Another report in- timates that Gen. Kouropatkin is about to attack the Japanese, whose busy con- struction of semi-permanent fortifica- tions indicate the expectation of an•at- tack and confirms the reports that they are not inclined to move further north. "WE ARE SURE TO WIN," I€ouropatkin is Still Confident of Ultim- , ate Victory. St. Petersburg cable says Nemirovieh Denchenko, the Russian war correspon- dent,' was recently received by General 1 ouropatkin at Mukden. He telegraphs that the commander is looking hale and hearty. and that his words breathe un- ruffled confidence. Kouropatkin is wor- shiped by the soldiers, and enjoys the Unbounded confidence of the officers, whom he cheers and invigorates by ex- ample into unceasing activity. To the younger officers he says constantly: "Be patient. We are pure to win. Tire senerriy m'tust and shall be Vanquished. Till then Help one another. Be valiant. Remember that War is the tine to learn:• So take your lessons 'to heart. Some Brisk Skirmishing. A Tokio eable says --- The following official report has been tssuea : •"1'he i\htncliurian headquarters reports by telegraph. that a body of scouts sent by. our advance detachment on October consisting of a company of infantry and a troop of cavalry, attacked and routed - a detachment of the enemy's cavalry, 00 strong, occupying Paohsintun, thirteen, miles north of Liao .Yung and nine miles . west of Mukden road. While :further re- connoitering in the vicinity a force of Russian cavalry, 230 strong,' attacked the Japanese scouts. After fighting for some time the Japanese returned.. The enemy's less was about thirty. 'We sus- tained no• casualties. "The stale of affair at the front of our - army remains nuchangecl," Paris cable -- The St. Petersburg cor- respondent of the Petit 1'ari.sien quotes a Vhefoo telegram received There which professes to give the details of an armistice that trut declared. at Port Arthur for the burial of the dead. It is stated that the 1..{tiy.sians and Japan- ese buried 2.000 bodies. mostly in a state of decomposition. The burial parties had to -.rive away swarms of vultures and e-Irrioe (rows. During the work of bur- ial the bands of the garrison played the Russian and ,lapanese natioeal.antlieins. VTARSHIPS Pe ANTED BLUE. Preparatory to Another Sortie From Port Arthur. Paris cable ---The St. Petersburg cot• - reports tha t the Russian warships at Port Arthur have been painted a dark blue, resembling the vessels of the Brit- ish navy. and that they intend to make another effort to escape. 1)eapatehes from Pekin state that the populace are uneasy, owing to rumors that a second Boxer outbreak is threat- ening. It is stated. that the Russians are c•onceutratincf at large at lrkntsk to invade Corea by w o v of Vladivostock. The Kokunnin states that the Conan land reclamation negotiation+ have been reopened and the proposals amended in a practical. form. "ALL IS WELL." Japs Teying to Mount Heavy Guns Under Deadly Russian Fire. Tokio cable — A despatch from Moji foo corespondent of the Daily Telegraph, the latest -Chinese couriers arrived there llondiy night. They say th.tt all is well at Port Arthur. The .Japanese before ltshan are trying to mount heavy guns under a deadly Russian fine. A fiere gale is prevailing in the Yellow Sea. Sonne of the ,Inpanese to'pedo boats have been unuelt damaged and compelled to seek shelter. GREAT BATTLE • Will Be Fought in Five or Six Days' Time. London cable --- According to the ('he- responukant of the Echo de Paris says he has learned from a general on the • general stall that telegrams received from Oen. Kouropatkin yesterday men- tion unimportant skirmishes nierely, ' but that a great battle east of Mukden nears- be expeeted five or six days hence. Thr principal action probably will be at Fuc Iain, which is thirty miles east of Mukden. The outposts of the two armies are only about two miles ' from one another there. COSSACKS SCORE. They Drive Back Japanese in Outpost Engagements. St. Petersburg cable --- The War Of- fice has received the following despatch from General Salcharoff, dated Oct. 3: "At dawn on Oct, 1, a squadron of Jap- anese cavalry twice attempted to break through the lines ui advance posts of Cossacks of the guard in the district between Khnunkhuanadi and 1'engtia- pu. Both attempts were unsuccessful. Two sotnias of our cavalry reinforeed the advance posts and the Japanese dispersed. Towards noon the sante day one battalion of the Japanese advance guard ts'ith two or three -battalions of cavalry renewed the' offensive move- ment against a regiment of Cossacks. The firing lasted until nightfall. Gen. Mistchenke sent reinforcements to the aid of the Cossacks, and towards even- ing the enemy were repulsed at all points, the whole line retreating to- wards Sialionhetzy, pursued by our cavalry. • Captain ToIstoukine, commander of a sotnia, ambushed one of the enemy's patrols a.t Konachtzy. One Japanese ofifcer was killed. In the positions abandoned by the Japanese e.: it Cosacks found a num- ber of cartridges and inedieai stores and also a few deed horses. We had two. officers and two Cossacks wounded. "The sante day a .Japanese force • of one battalion and a half and a squad- ron of cavalry attacked in three di- visions our outpost between the Hun .liver and the railway. Towards even- ing this movonent was checked with the help of 'another company,. which re- inforced the outpost. One Cossack was killed and one- wonitded. "Otte Russian patrol dispersed two Japanese patrols in the vicinity of Tchjantan on the • right hank of the Hun River, taking three Japanese, pri- soners. Another Russian patrol sent in an easterly direction discovered Tawang- hau Pass occupied by 20 Chinese ban- dits, commanded by Japanese officers: During• the reconuaissanco, one .Cossaelt was' killed," 1GGEST F WE 1 IGS. Five of Rada of Kedah's Sous Marry at Once. Surely the greatest marriage festival celebrated in resent times, says the Lan- don Sphere, is that which has just taken place in Kedah, where five of the Sultan of Kehad's sons were married in succes- sion, the ceremonies lasting from June 14 to Aug. 10. Although Kedah, which has an area of 3,000 square utiles and a population of 30,000, lies in Siam, of which it is the most southerly province, everyboci-y in the Straits Settlements who could spare the time hastened to see the show,. which was as picturesque vas' it was unique. for the preliminaries had taken months to prepare and the news of the ceremonies had been bruited far and wide. Each marriage took twelve daya to celebrate (in she case of Crownthe rown Prince thirteen days were oc- cupied), and as there were one or two days' interval between each the festiv- ities,festiv- ities,lastest two solid months. The importance ,of the occasion may be judged from the fact that although the King of Siam was unable to be pres- ent, he sent one of his omunerous) sons, Prince Charan, who travelled •overland from the eastern side of the peninsula on his elephants, the Sultan according him at special reception. The ceremonies began on June 14 with the nuptials of his Ilighness Dinka Ibrahim, the Crown Prince, with his first cousin, her Highness Troika Ayshah, daughter of his Highness tine Rajah lIu- da of Kedah. The first day of each wedding began with prayers for bride and bridegroom, 'who had not met before, and in the even- ing dinner was served to almost all classes, The European guests and highest class of natives had the grla.test atten- tion paid to them. The banquet was served in the court house, beautifully decorated for the occasion. The largest room was laid out with four long tables for the leading members of the royal house of Kedah and their European friends, while the ;Malay officials were entertained in the adjoining rooms. Two refreshment bars were kept open in the court house day mard night, free to every- body, during the two months .of the cere- monies. Many temporary buildings were also put up for the entertainment of all classes. , From the second to the seventh day a round of jnnketings was given, beginning sometimes es early as 0 in the morning and lasting till 1 the next morning and including sports. and fireworks. Numbers of open :stages were erected on the roadsides throughout town. on which the various performances were given. Every class of inhabitants—and the town is as polyglot as Babel, includ- ing Malays, Siamese, Hindus, Chinese, Mohammedans and so on—had o stage to iteelf. While these play-acting per- formances were being given the Euro- peans had plenty of sporting facilities, for many shooting parties were organ- ized by the Sultan's brother, the Rajah. Muck of Kedah, the father of the bride. On the eighth day the usual perform- ances were given until 3 o'clock, when a procession round the town began in which all manner of quaint and curious things were carried amout, such as big boxes made up in the shape of birds, while peo- ple of importance were carried about as part of the procession. The procession lasted an hour, and was followed by one of the most interesting and vital parts of the ceremonies, name- ly amely "picking of enai." This consisted of the entire procession parading seven times round a garden planted with artificial flowers. Then the great ones got out of their ornamental seats and walking to the centre of the artificial garden picked two handfuls of leaves from the enai trees. These leaves were afterwards tak- en to the house of the bride and bride- groom and sprinkled over them, an ad- dress being delivered to each of the hap- py pair separately, for they had not yet met each other. The ninth day's programme was the same as that of the second. the natives reveling in fencing and cock -fighting, a favorite form of recreation. At 10 o'clock in the evening. however, the bride and bridegroom met for the first time. They were carried through the town on a throne borne by no fewer than 200 na- tives. The last day of all (Sunday) was marked by a very curious ceremony, known as the lime bath ("ber limoh"), which greatly must the foreign spee- tators, although it have made the European ladies who were present very indignant, considering the damage to the dresses. The celebration of the lime bath was held in a beautiful little pavilion sur- rounded by a high brick wall, with only two gates, each of them being guarded by policemen. At 3 p. m. all .the Euro- pean guests were directed to the pavil- ion, where the Sultan and the whole Ro- yal family were present, together with many hundreds of natives in the yard. Then the gates were locked until the ce- remony was (finished. The bride was then carried in and the groom walked in supported by two best men and •seated themselves on a golden bench perched on a platform. They were THEY SEPT AT THEIR POST. Overworked Trasnmen Should Quit Work Rather Than Jeopardize Lives. Morristown, J., Oct. 10. — Judge Swartz, county court, has refused to af- firm a point in law that when a railroad employee falls asleep from physical weak- ness, from illness or from weariness, from long hours of steady employment, and an accident happens, the employee .shmid be aequitted. The ease was that of J•. F. Fleischutt, an engineer 'on a Penn- sylvania railroad freight train. The freight train and a passenger train col- lided near Portstown, last April, two persons were killed and a dozen injured. The crew of the freight train were held' by to coroner for erhninal negligence. Fleisehtitt was the first to be tried. It was testified that the freight train had been ordered to wait on a siding until the passenger train had passed. He said the crew had been on duty 22 hours, and that while waiting for the trains to pass had fallen asleep. • Before the fourth train had passed the men awoke and thinking that the fourth train had gone by the freight train was taken from the sicking. Before the case went to the jury, Pleischutt's attorney made the point above stated. In refusing to af- firm it, Judge Swartz held that no man had a right to work on a railroad unless in fine physical condition, and if he fell asleep no matter from what cause, he should discontinue work, even though he should lose his position, rather than jeop- ardise human life by continuing on duty. Fleischutt was convicted. in'their best state dresses of silk and sparkled with gold and .diamonds. When they were seated some twelve old Mdlay ladies began walking round and round. the couple, first on the highest step of the platform, then lower and lower un- til they reached the bottom and disap- petixed. Two ladies stayed behind, dos- ed all the curtains around the couple, tools off their valuable dresses and jew- els, and dressed them in light garments. When the curtains were again pulled ' open the serpents which formed the sides of the throne began to belch out water on the couple, drenching them to the skin.. The next part of the ceremony as- tounded the European spectators. Each native seized a bucket, dippped it in a huge tub filled with scented water, and proceeded to drench his neighbors with the contents. It was impossible for any ' one to escape, for the gates were lock- - ed. Not until every drop of water was used were the gates unlocked. When this was done there was a perfect stam- pede for dry elothes. BALFOUR OPENS CAMPAIGN. Proposes Fiscal Conference Colonials. Lorfdon, Oct. 10.—In the course of a. speech at Edinburgh Prime Minister Bal- four paid a very warm tribute tri the late Sir William Vernon Harcourt, the former Liberal leader: Referring to Mr. Redmond's assertion that the Irish, after the next general election, would hold the balance of power in the House of Commons, and would ex- act their own terms, Mr. Balfour said that so far as himself and his colleagues were concerned no such bargaining could or would occur. The Irish might make what' propositions they liked and. what terms they chose with the Radicals, but the Unionists were net for sale. The greater pant of the speech dealt with the fiscal question. Mr. Balfour reaffirmed that he was pereonally op- posed to protection, and that he would not lead the Conservatives if they adopted that polincy. He still took his stand on the Sheffield platform. Great Britain, he declared, had got to a point in her fiscal relations with the colonies when the only way out of a dangerous impasse was a free conference with autonomous colonies, and India, to de- termine upon a policy, one way or the other. He advised his party to invite such a conference. The question of the colonies, he said, more than any other require sthat con- sideration by ,the party and the coun- try winch shall take it out of the region of mere platform controversy and put it in the very first place in view of every eitizen in the British Islands. It was surely wrong that we should now be using, voluntarily or involuntarily, those Imperial sentiments as they exist- ed in our great self-governing colonies, as counters In the political game. With KILLED BY X-RAYS. Cancerous Growth Produced by Devotion to Science. Orange, N. J., Oct. 10.—Clarence M. Dally is dead at his home in .East Or- ange from the effects of a cancerous growth resulting from long continued persistence in the experimenting with x-rays apparatus in the Edison Labor- atory. The history of his case shows him to have been a martyr to science, to his devotion to the solution of the mysteries of the x-rays and fleuoro- scope. For sixteen years Mr. Dally was em- ployed in the Edison works, sand seven years ago he became assistant in the x-rays experiment department, where continuous exposure to the mysterious power of the rays induced the cancer- ous growth on his hands, which finally caused his death, after intense suffer- ing, and -the successive amputations of both his arms. NWS IN BRIEF Z The London Times reports of British trade are fairly encouraging. Ottawa is establishing a cottage at the Muskoka Sanitarium. The Toronto Civic Parks Committee are considering the removal of the Zee Mr. Il..T. Wickham is organizing the fourteen Canadian Branches of the Navy League into one association. C. P. R. carmen have made an agree- ment with the company, their wages being increased about 7 per cent. Mr. Cawthra Mulook has offerer, $100,000 for a new out-patient depart- ment for the Toronto General Hospital. A farmer named Phillips White, living about three rnilies front Port Colborne,. was struck by lightning and instantly ' killed. H. M. Moir, of St. Mary's, charged by the Dominion Express Company with misappropriating $45, was acquitted at Stratford. U.,, S. Consul -General Goodnow, at Shanghai, bas received permission to go to Washington to defend himself again:4 charges of maladministration. Mr. Munro Hayes, farmer, has been nommnted for tl+n ramtnons by the Con- servatives of Shefford. The Minister ii ;itailways has decided to inerease the wages of the carpenters on the Welland and Rideau Canals from $2 ho $2.25 a day. The Presbyterian Church has 24 mis• - sionaries in Henan Province, China, where an anti -,foreign campaign is threat- ened. A thriving new municipality has been organized on the Letchworth estate, hear Hitchin, England, and the shareholders in the enterprise have been invited to vote on aname. Six names have been suggested, of which Letchworth seems to be the most natural and the most English.