The Bourbon news., 1904-09-02
BIG BAT TIES FOUGHT.
Nearly Half a Million Men in
the Engagement.
Result Of the Fights Unknown-Re-
ports Credit the Japanese With
Having 1,2oo Guns in the
Vicinity Of Lao Yang.


ly Tuesday morning, ragged throughout
the day with increasing intensity, but
up to this hour no further official de-
tails beyond the two brief kilograms
given out in the afternoon have been
received by the war Office
Every confidence is expressed in
Gen. Kuropatkin's ability to meet the
Japanese assault on ground of his
own choosing. but the city is hungry
awaiting news of the progress of the
fight.
The Japanese forces engaged in this
battle can only be estimated here, but
they are believed to number 100000
men. Gen. Kuropatkin is known to
have six army corps, besides lat
squadrons of cavalry in which great
confidence is reposed, bringing up the
Russian total to about the same num-
Der that the Japanese have. How the
armies compare with regard to artil-
1ery is not definitely known, though
throughout the war the Japanese have
shown great preference for this arm
and skill in its use.
Reports from the front credit the
Japanese with having about 1900
guns and many mountain batteries and
it is known that they recently shipped
"a heavy guns to Yinkow Four of
these guns already have been men,
toned in these dispatches as being in
action.
Gen. Kuropatlxin, in addition to his
field batteries, has number of very
heavy guns emplaced at important po-
sitions at Lao, where the Russians
have been strongly fortifying for some
time
Lao Yang, Aug 31-A Russian cor
respondent supplies the following: 3
The historical moment has arrived
and the battle of Lao Yang is in pro-
gress.
at was not 6 o'clock Tuesday morn
ing when the first gun was fired, but
soon afterwards hundreds of cannon
were laundering along our southern
and eastern fronts. The center of our
position is located near the famous
tower of Lao Yang, about seven miles
to the southeast The fighting there
was of the most desperate character,
but is now going on near at the tanks.
The kissing of shells is distinctly audi
BILE, and from the city it is easy to see
the shells bursting"
Lao Yang, Sept. 1.-The second
days battle commenced at dawn We'd
nesday The Russians made repeated
loayonet advances on the road directly
south of Lao Yang, where the Japan
csc approached from SanQuaiship and
Tao. shelling the positions in the Rus
sian lines until in the afternoon,
when the engagement, which was gen.
eral throughout the south and south
east, narrowed to the main line. The
Japanese advance on the southeast was
by way of the Feng-Wang- -Cheng road.
Immediately in front of Chiaofantun
the Japanese stubbornly attempted to
occupy round topped hill, which was
literally shaved by the Russian shells,
making repeated attempts the entire
day, where apparently it was impos-
sble for anything to live. The cam
nonading continued from this point to
the vicinity of Wangpaotai until We'd
nesday evening without apparent ad-
vantage to either side. The Japanese
dropped shells within two or three
miles of the railroad station and in
the plain of Wentzhu mountain, which
is the most important eminence around
Liao Yang, but the Japanese abandon
ed aggression there on account of the
resistance they met. There was can
non fire Tuesday night and this is ex-
pected nightly.
St. Petersburg. Sept. With the
knowledge that the Russian and Jap
anese armies about Liao Yang are
locked in a death struggle the tension
in ST. Petersburg Wednesday night
was strained to the utmost. 1t is be-
lieved here that the fight can not stop
short of the crushing defeat of one
side or the other.
1t is stated officially that the re-
port that the railway and telegraph
have been cut north of Lao Yang is
untrue.
The battle of Lao Yang will proba-
bly, rank as one Of the great sanguan
airy battles of history. 1t is estimated
by the general staff that the Japanese
armies engaged number II divisions of
$4,000 men EACH or, allowing for in
efficients, about 24O, 900 men. Each di-
vision has 36 guns, and there are two
Independent artillery brigades OF 100
guns each, making total of about 500
guns. The estimates of Russian CORE
Spondents range al from 500 to 1000
guns per side.
In the preliminary fighting of Mon
day the Russians captured 200 prison
ers, who have already arrived at Har-
bin, and report persists that they cap
tured over 40 Japanese guns Monday,
Gen. Kuropatkin's effective forces
are variously estimated at from 170,-
600 to 200, 900 men.
Russia Buys Two Steamers.