Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-01
A DEATH S7RU6GLE.
Tension at ST. Petersburg Strained
Almost to Breaking Point.

st. Petersburg. Sept Il \. NJ
With the knowledge 'lh't 'he russian
and Jan,n..s.. armies about Lao Yang
are locked in u death struggle the ten
sion in ST. Petersburg, tonight, ls
strained To the utmost. 1t IS believed
here that thr flint cannot stop short
OF the crushing Il, icat OF one side or
the other
All renorts 50 far are favorable to
the Russians. though the suspension
OF all news for many hours has been
exceedingly trying ana has given rise
to several rumnrs. somewhat temper
ing the earlier enthusiasm.
Ii is stated officially, however, that
the Icpcrt that the railway and the
teIegr; ph have been cut north of Liao
Yang is untrue y member of the gen.
cral staff said to The Associated Press
ut midnight:
Il can assure YOU that up to this
hour communication With Lao Yang
has not been Interrupted. Gen. kuro-
patkin has taken particular rr"caution
against any attempt to cut tie rail-
way. While il is always possible that
Il small raidIm2 party might slip
through tn. Russian patrols or that
hired Chinese bandits might cut the
| telegraph. il is Il fair superstition. III
view of all the facts, that this has not
been done"
The highest military authorities her.
consider that the most critical stag
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 al
important consideration by the light Of
which to interpret any immediate
news.
1t is thought here. that in view OF
the numbers engaged, the desperate
ness Of the assaults ANA the length OF
the line about seven miles, the losses
in the two days fighting cannot fai
short of ten thousand on each side.
Both sides are straining every nerve
rcnlizing that the fortunes OF war 70!
a whole year are in the scale. ant
neither side is in til" mood OF the posi-
| ton to spare men i'll the effort t
achieve a final victory.
The battle Of Lao Yang will probably
rank as one of the greatest SanguinHrI
| battles of history. 1t is estimated by
| the general staff that the JipancSt
| armies engaged number II divisions o.
| $1,000 men each, or. allowing fn~ in
pfficients, about 1000 men. Each di
vision has &c guns and there are tive
| independent artillery hrigades Of one
| hundred guns each, making Il total %
about SEQ guns. The estimates of {
Russian correspondent range at from
| 500 to a 1000 guns per side.
In the preliminary fi%hting of Mon
day. tie Russians captured 200 prison
crs. who have already arrived at Har-
bin. and report persist that they cap
turcd over 40 Japanese guns, yestcr-
day.
Gen. Kuronatkin's effective forces ar,
estimated at from 10000 to 100000 men
The Japanese, Wednesday morning
We're attacking three sides of the Rus
sian position. one of The Associated
Press correspondents also mentions {
japanese movement to the northeast o.
Lao Yang, which was doubtless tryins
to work around Kuropatkin's rear.
ore IF the surprising phases of tho
Situa ton is the endurance of the mon
! Tney have been fighting desperat"ly
fer two days after more or less sever,
fighting under unfaVorablc condition:
every day since Aug. "a. 1t would seen
that human endurance could not perss
much longer without respite of some
sort
The japanese are using balloons to 10
! The Japanese are using balloons 70 10
, cate the Russian guns and trenches
, One of the Russian correspondents OF
/ The Associated Press points out thai
the Japanese sent up a balloon shortly
after daylight to the southeast of Lilac
Yang.
The Japanese are reported to be us.
| ing mortnrs to drop shells in the Rus.
sian positions. These are probably tn,
hiGh-angle fire howitzerS which were
reported in action earlier in the week.
1t is plain, however. that the japan.
csc are no longer enjoying the superior.
ity in artillery which stood them il
such good stead in, the earlier mouth.