River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-08-04
BATTLE RACES
NEAR HA|CHENG
FORCE OF 5000 RETREATING
RUSSIANS IN GREAT PERIL.
oKU'S TROOPS BEGIN ATTACK
Heavy Fight Reported at Port Arthur
-Rumored Fall of the City
Denied-Squadron Returns
to Vladivostok.

London, Aug. 1.-The correspondent
of the Daily Mail at Newchwang, in a
dispatch dated July 81 says that there
has been heavy fighting for two days
in the marshes south of Haicheng dur
ing the gradual retreat from Tatche-
kiao of 5000 Russians forming the
rear guard, and that the peril of this
force increases daily. Delayed reports,
sent from Haicheng Friday, state that
the army under Gen. Olzu attacked the
right flank of the position early in the
morning, the infantry advancing along
the railroad under the cover of furi-
Gus artillery fire for four hours, when
their movement was stopped by the
Russian reply.
North of Haicheng the opposing
armies are so close that the soldiers in
the Japanese trenches on the hills can
be seen plainly from the Russian
camp. Apparently both sides are only
awaiting some development which will
precipitate the big battle of the cam
paign, and the attack on Haicheng
may be the signal for the conflict.
All news from Port Arthur indicates
that the Japanese have begun their
final attack on the fortress. Three
days of heavy fighting are reported by
refugees who left the city last Thurs
day, and, while Toxic denies that the
port actually has fallen, the serious
nature of the operations are conceded.
Situation Is Critical.
st. Petersburg, Aug. 1.-Although
public attention has been distracted
from the events of the war during the
past week, first because of the fear of
international complications, and, Sec
ond, because of the ASSASSINATION of
Minister of the Interior Won Plehve,
the situation at the front is regarded
as critical. The enveloping movement
of the three Japanese armies of Gems.
Kuroki, Nodzu and Oku around Gen.
Kuropatkin's position appears to be
almost complete, and the extended line
of the Japanese seems to be the only
drawback to concerted action. 1t is
realized here that the Russian general
must now either fight or withdraw the
whole army northward. He is being
closely pressed at Haicheng.
Heavy Losses at Port Arthur.
London, Aug. IA dispatch from
Toxic says: "The general staff an
nounced this evening that five Japan
csc officers had been killed and Il
wounded in the fighting which has
been going on around Port Arthur
since last Tuesday. The losses in men
are not given This is the first an
nouncement of it's kind since the be-
ginning of the siege of the fortress,
and it indicates that there has been
serious ighting."
Kuropatkin Forced to Act.
ST. Petersburg, Aug. There are
strong indications that Gen. Kuropat-
kin will be forced into taking action
owing to the enveloping tactics of the
enemy, who again are approaching
Molten pass in two divisions. The
Japanese army never had been count
ed upon in this conjunction.
japanese Losses 1,O43.
Toxic, Aug. 1.-The Japanese casu-
alties at the battle of Tatchekiao were
IL officers and 1876 men killed and At
officers and 848 men wounded, total
of 1,043 killed or wounded.
Returned to Vladivostok.
Frankfort, Germany, Aug. 1.-The
Toxic correspondent of the Zeitung
says that the Vladivostok squadron
has returned to Vladivostok.