May 15.
At 8.30 this morning the city was aroused to a pitch of excitement by the sudden sound of heavy' fung outside of the north gate. Immediately all eyes were turned toward the hills to the north of the city which are occupied by the city soldiers. All was activity. On the pinnacle of the Old Man Mountain the dark forms of the soldiers were silhouetted along. the northern sky-1 aid of glasses soldi taking up their positions along the various ridges that skirt that part of the city. Rifles chattered in endless. succession while little jets of smoke rising from the mountain summits followed by the thunderous roar of the old cannon, and a large field gun that had been taken out for service, told that an important battle was in progress.
For several weeks past certain hill-tops near the northern part of the city have been occupied by enemy reaps, and their near presence has endangered the city and they have' been a source of anxiety to the military leaders who are holding this place, Quite a few soldiers and Civilians have been Killed or wouinded by the sniping from those heights and s0 it was decided to storm the hills and: take these positions. Five thousand dollars was offered to the storming party to accomplish the dangerous task.
place at midnight, but the torrential The attack was, timed to. take rains prevented "the orders from
was postponed until this morning, being carried out, and. he attack Three hundred troops were selected to form the storming brigade, an{ in the early morning hours these observed took up their positions near the rocky base of some hills near by' ready for the signal to advance, Each soldier wore a small strip of red, white, and grey cotton on his
others, and when the big guna began distingutah "him rom the to roar these picked men ran out from their places of concealment and rushed forward to the attack, while the artillery on the mountain tops covered the advancing troops and opened the way for them to advance. The tide of war ebbed and flowed. Gains were made by the city soldiers and then lost in a coun ter attack. The big. guns boomed {orth encouragement, while the enemy, artillery snapped defiance and death, but cheered on by their comrades on the hilltops the city soldiers rallied and once more dashed forward, and while many fell in the charge the troops gained their objectives and managed to hold them, A Commanding Position, 'The fighting lasted for about three hours and when it slackened in intensity the city' soldier in possession of five new strategic heights, was Kuan-Yin Mountain) "from which commanding position the enemy soldiers have been working much havoc, and hindering the easy, movement of the city troops. The Kuan-Yin temple which is situated he base of the mountain also.
the hands of Marshal Lu's troops. In the recesses of the temple was found a small munition factory. A number of mechanics and some bullet: into the hands of the victorious troops. The new hills captured also give the city soldiers control of the path leading to the arsenal in which believed is stored considerable quantities of ammunition and other war material.
This will be a tremendous during the intense fighting of the past 95 days since the city has been besieged large quantities of ammunition have been used and the reserve stock drawn on heavily. A bullet factory has recently been opened in the old Law Academy where 400 bullets turned out daily and this aided by to-day's captures will assist mater-laily in the defence of the city.
The casualties are not yet fully Known, but some 20 wounded have been carried to the Red Croxs and are now being treated by the foreign surgeons there.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.