The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-05-03
RUSSIANS SAY TIT JAFE..re /. AZ.
Tll.LERY FIRE ClclMAT-D
THEIR SG:1s
FIGHTING STILL T.! TRr-n-3:
FIVE THOUSAND EJe~!At,> h.aE
TRYING TO iMPEEE J..pA-
NESE ADVANCE.

st. Petersburg, May 2.-The first
Japanese army under General Turoki,
consisting of the guards and tha Ser
and Twelfth divisions, ACCORDING to
Official and private advices from the
front. crossed the Yalu Sunday about
thirty miles above the mouth OF the
river, near Kiulientse, where the river
bends abruptly to the eastward. For
three days less than 5000 Russians,
under Generals Sassulitci. Iiste .e1ko
and k~ashtalinsky. have been along
the Manchurian SIDE Of the river an !;
have been harI Gss.cy and irlssai.Hs
the crossing of the Japanese very
successfully, despite their hopeless in
f%eriority in mel AMI guus.
On Friday the t~apa1ese, who had
| occupied the heights rear Litzavel
and Khussan, above Ant1ng, dis
lodged and driven bati< to the river
| with considerable loss. They We're
compelled to disraount their poatoon
bridge to save it from destruction.
Saturday a ganboat hotille at the
mouth of the river and all the fell
guns posted on the Korean ha~
opened a bombard1lent and ecatte~e'
the Russian positions OF the Maachu.
rian side. The bomhardaept was
maintained internationally for seven
hours, twenty-four field guns and
twelve AZ guns participating. and
over 1000 shells being fired. The
Russian reports pay tribute to the
fine masked positions of these guns.
In two days. fighting the Russians
lost 2 officers and 5 men killed and 6
officers and SO men wounded.
On the morning of May l 1t became
apparent that the bombardment of
Saturday vas a preliminary to the
crossing on Sunday, when the Japa-
nese opened again with their batteries,
pouring an intense fire into the Rus
sian lines, which caused great losses.
Would Only Retard Jap Advance.
The Russians had no intention of
trying to prevent the Japanese o
ing. their sole object being to retard
and embarrass as much as possible
the crossing with a comparatively in
significant force. This having been
accomplished, General Sassulitch,
menaced by the overwhelming force
of the Japanese, retired in perfect or
der to his second position, a short dis
lance away, which the Japanese imme-
uldtcly dICdChcu d0u WuSA0 ASullAS -
now in progress.
The report from Toxic that the Rus.
SLAMS were contesting the passage of
the river with a force 10000 strong,
leads the authorities here to believe
that it was put out for the purpose of
claiming the crossing a Japanese vic
tory, whereas they are satisfied that
it cannot possibly warrant such a
claim. The Russians believe 1t will
REQUIRE another week to get General
Kuroki's army completely across and
really to advance on the Picking road.
The fact that the Russians have re-
treated to positions back Of -o'-
cheng, where there is r'o"o egA+~~,
shows that they have butt ~e~t~e"cN,-
ments which the '7o>one-a az "~n"
the necessity cf ta'5ing before -"~-.
can rush on. C~or~euuertlv. co~-
Gus fighting and skicmishirg W. -
cur, the plan of the Russians boi~~ r
hang on b TANKS CT the lem" OIL
annoy and worry them to the ,'"e'-
most. Nothing really dac,si-o 30"
eve is expected until the J~a07-e8H
advance shall encounter the R'@o'a"
position in the mountain pae~a~ ~
Fenghuanchene. It is even "~~s''
cred possible that the Jananern roa~
be able to turn the Russian rc-'i"""
there, but all this is provided f. IL
General K%uropatkin's plans.