The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-09-02
AFTER w pAYs'ENGAGEMEN7
THE SITUATION SHOWS NO
GREAT CHANGE.
CASUALTY LISTS ARE LARGE
ESTIMATED THAT EACH SIDE
LOST At LEAST TEN THOU
SAND SOLDIERS.

st. Petersburg, Sept. with the
knowledge that the Russian and the
locked in a death struggle, h tension
in st. Petersburg is strained to the ut
most. 1t is believed that the fight
cannot stop short of the crushing de-
feat of one side or the other.
All reports so far are favorable to
the Russians, though the suspension OF
news for many hours has been exceed
ingly trying and has given rise to sew
eral rumors, somewhat tempering the
earlier enthusiasm.
It is said officially that the report
that the railway and the telegraph
have been cut north of Liaoyang is I'M
true.
The highest military authorities
think that the most critical stage of
the battle has not yet been reached,
and they believe that the fight may
continue for some time before either
side acknowledges defeat. This is an
important consideration by the light
OF which to interpret any immediate
news.
It is thought, in view of the numbers
engaged, the desperateness of the as
saults, and the length of the line,
about seven miles, that the loss in
killed and wounded during the two
days cannot fall short of 10000 on each
side. Both sides are straining every
nerve, realizing that the fortunes OF
war for a whole year are in the scale,
and neither side is in the mood or the
position to spare men in the effort to
achieve a victory.
The battle of Liaoyang will probably
rank as one of the great %sanguinary
battles of history. 1t is estimated by
the general staff that the Japanese
armies engaged number seventeen di-
visions of $4,000 each, or, allowing for
i~neficients, about 100000 Each
division has thirty-six guns, and there
are two independent artillery brigades
of 100 guns each, making a total Of
about 800 guns. The estimates of
Russian correspondents range at from
600 tc 1000 guns on either side.
Russians Capture Men and Guns.
In the preliminary fighting of Mon
day the Russians captured 200 prison
ers, who have already arrived at Har-
bin, and report persists that they cap
tured 46 Japanese guns yesterday.
General Kuropatkin's effective
forces are variously estimated at from
100000 to zoe, 900.
The Japanese on Wednesday morn
ing attacked three sides of the Russian
position. One of the Associated Press
correspondents also mentions a Japa-
nese movement to the northeast of
Iiaoyang, showing that the Japanese
undoubtedly trying to work
around ~kuropatkin's e
One of the surprising phases of the
situation is the endurance of the men.
They have been engaged desperately
for two days after severe fighting un-
der unfavorable conditions every day
since Aug. "a.
The Japanese are using balloons to
discover the Russian guns and
trenches. One of the Russian CORE
spondents points out that the japanese
sent up q balloon shortly after day
light to the southeast of Liaoyang.
The Japanese are reported to be
using mortars to drop shells in the
Russian positions. These are prob
ably the high angle fire howitzers
which were reported in action earlier
In the week.
1t is plain. however, that the Japa-
nese are no longer enjoying the
superiority in artillery which stood
them in such good stead in the earlier
months of the war. 1t was then hill
fighting, and the Japanese mountain
batteries, in which the Russians were
deficient, told with deadly effect. Now
the contest is in a comparatively open
country, where both the Russian field
guns and the Russian cavalry can
come into more effective use.
Toxic, Sept. 1.-The battle of Lao
yang is progressing without appre
ciable result. Official Japanese dis
patches sent out late Wednesday say
that neither contestant has realized
any visible results.