The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-01
More Than 100000 Men Are Battling for Supfem-
 acy in ManchurIa
FIGHTING LINE EXTENDS
 MORE THAN SEVEN MILES
Jspanese Are Using Balloons to Locate the Russian Guns and Trenches. laps Are Meeting stuh-
 born Resistance.

st Petersburg, September l-(S a. m,'- With the knowledge that the Aussiah anu Jananesa armies about Liao Yang are ,ocxad in a death struggle the tension In st. Petersburg tonight is strained to the utmost.
 It is believed here that the fight can not stop short of the crushing oeleae oi one side or the other.
 All reports so far are favorable to the Russians, though the suspension or all news for many hours has been exceed ingly trying and has given rise to sew eral rumors, somewhat temperng the earlier enthusiasm.
 It is stated officially, however, that the report that the railway and the telegraph have been cut north of Liao Yang, Is nn- true A member of the general stan said to the Associated Press at midnight;
 "I can assure you that up to this hour communication with Liao Yang has not been interrupted. General Kuropatkin has taken particular precaution against any attempt to cut the railway. While 1t Is always possible that a small raid ing party might slip through the Rus sian patrols, or that hired Chinese ban dits might cut the telegraph, 1t is fair supposition in view of all the facts that this has not been dcne.F
 Critical Stage Is Reached.
 The highest military authorities here consider 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 acknowl- edges defdat. This Is an important con- sideration by the light of which to in- terpret any immediate news
 It IS thought here that In view of the numbers engaged, the desperateness of the assaults and the length of the line. about seven miles lo-g, the losses in the two days fighting cannot fall short of 10000 on each side. Both sides are strain ing every nerve, realizing that the for tunes 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 final victory.
 Over 100000 Men Engaged.
 The battle of Liao Yang will probably rank as one of the greatest sanguinary battles of history. It is estimated by the g general staff that the Japanese armies en- gagged number seventeen divisions of 15O men each, or, allowing for inefficients, about 240,000 men. Each division has 36 guns, and there are two independent ar tillery brigades of 100 guns each, making total of about 800 guns. The estimates of Russian correspondents range at from 500 to 1000 guns per side.
 In the preliminary fighting of Monday the Russians captured 200 prisoners, who have already arrived at Harbin, and re- 1 rort persists that they captured over forty Japanese guns yesterday. General Kuropatkins effective forces are variously estimated at from 10000 to 100000 men.
 Attack Made on Three Sides. The Japanese on Wednesday morning attacked three sides of the Russian posi- ton. One of the Associated Press corre- spondents also mentions a Japanese move r4ent to the northeast of Lao Yang, showing that the Japanese were undoubt- edfy trying to work around Kuropatkin's rear.
 One of the surprising phases of the sit uation Is the endurance of the men. They have been engaged desperately for two days after more or less severe fighting under unfavorable conditions every day since August 24 It would seem that hu- man endurance could not persist much longer without respite of some sort.
 The Japanese are asing balloons to To- cate the Russian guns and trenches. One of the Russian correspondents of the As- sociated Press points out that the Jap anese sent up q balloon shortly after day. light to the southeast of Lao Yang.
 laps Are Using Balloons.
 The Japanese are reported to be using mor1lrs to drop shells In the Russian positions. These are probably the high angle fire howitzers which were report ed in action earlier in the week.
 It Is plain. however, that the Japanese are no longer enjoying the superiority in artillery which stood them In such good stead in the earlier months of the war It was then hill fighting, and the Jap anese mountain batteries, In which arms the Russians were deficient, told with deadly effect. Now the contest is in comparatively open country where both Russian field guns and Russian cavalry can come to more effective use