New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-02
RUSSIAN FORCES FEW.
Fire Thousand Engaged-4nother
account of the Battle.

ST. Petersburg May 2.-The first japanese
army, under General Kuroki. consisting Of the
Guards and the ID and 18th Divisions. accord
ing to official and private advices from the
front. crossed the Yalu yesterday. about thirty
miles above the mouth of the river
Kiuen-tse, where the river bends abruptly TO
the eastward
For three days less than five thousand Rus
slams, under Generals Sassulitch. Mistchenko
and Kashtalinsky. have been strung along the
Manchurian side of the river. and have been
harassing and impeding the crossing of the
japanese successfully. despite their hopeless
inferiority in men and guns
On Friday the japanese who had occupied
the heights near Litzaven and Khussan. above
Antung. were dislodged and driven back 10 the
river, with considerable loss. They were COM
PEELED to dismount their pontoon bridge in order
TO save il from destruction.
GUNBOATs TAKE PART IN ACTION.
On Saturday a gunboat fotilla at the mouth
of the river and all the field guns posted on the
Corean bank opened a bombardment and scat
tered the Russian positions on the Manchurian
side. The bonbardment was maintained inter
mittently for seven hours. twenty-four field
guns and twelve 4.1-inch guns participating,
and two thousand shells being fired. The
Russian reports pay tribute to the fine masked
positions of these guns.
In two days fighting the Russians lost TWO
officers and five men killed and six officers and
thirty-six men wounded.
On the morning of May it became apparent
that the bombardment OF Saturday was a pre-
liminary the crossing Of Sunday, when the
japanese opened again with their batteries
pouring intense fire into the Russian lines,
which caused great losses.
The Russians had no intention Of trying to
prevent the japanese crossing, their sole object
being TO retard and embarrass as much as pos
sibe the movement. With comparatively in
significant force this having been accomplished.
General Sassutch menaced by the overwhelm-
ing force of the japanese, retired in perfect
order TO his second position, a short distance
away. which the japanese Immediately attacked
and where fighting is in progress.
IMPORTANCE OF BATTLE MINIMIZED.
The report from Toxic stating that the Rus
SLAMS were contesting the passage OF the river
with force 10000 strong leads the author
titles here to believe that it was gir1n out for
the purpose Of making the crossing appear 10
be great Japanese victory, whereas they
certain that it cannot possibly warrant such
"A denomina ton.
The Russians believe that II will require an
other week to get General Kurokrs army
completely across and ready to advance On
the Picking road.
The fact that the Russians have retreated 10
positions back of Turenchen, where there is
more fighting. shows that they have built in
trenchments which the Japanese are under
the necessity OF taking before they push
on. Consequently continuous fighting and Skin
mishing viii take place, the plan OF the Rus
slams being TO hank the TANKS of the enemy
and annoy and worry the force the utter
most.
Nothing really decisive. however is expected
until the japanese advance encounters the Rus
sian position in the mountain passes
Feng- Wang -Cheng. II is even considered pos
sibe that the Japanese may be bile TO turn the
Russian position there but all this is provided
for in General Kuropatkin's plans