The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-10-28
the CAPTURE OF sHAkHE.
Village Held by Each Side Five Times,
Rut | asst hX .lanS.

st. Petersburg, Oct. 10, 3:45 a. mr.
The official veil was lifted from the
tragedy around Shakhe, but the ac7
counts leave much uncertainty. OUT
of the fragmentary mass Of informa7
ton it Is possible to conclude that the
costly withdrawal from Lao Yang is
being duplicated upon even grander
scale after more desperate fighting ana
heavier losses Kuropatkin's story
leaves the Russians still tenaciously
holding the north bank Of the Shakhe
river, but general belief Is that this
is only the desperate finale of one of
the greatest military dramas of hiss
tory and that the Russian army as
whole is retiring towards Mukden, hav-
ing suffered loss of over $4,000.
Left Flank May Be Cut OH.
or the left flank, which was one OF
the most important points In the line
Of battle, absolutely nothing is heard
which leaves the inference that 1t is
not in a position to communicate with
the remainder Of the army. All the
wounded are being carried to Harbin.
| 1t Is understood the correspondents
have been ordered to Hardin. which I'M
dicates that the retreat will not even
stop at Tie pass. All hopes of the adj
vance to Port Arthur have been aban-
doned. The weather conditions are
even worse than during the retreat
from Lao Yang. Streams are bank
high and fords are impossible, but u 10
impossible to say how this will affect.
the final situation. 1t may prove Rus-
sian salvation by preventing a jap
anese pursuit. On the other hand, IL
the Russians are on the wrong side
the flooded rivers may only emphasize
the completeness of the disaster.
Seven days Of furious fighting must
have greatly depleted the ammunition
supply Of both armies. Officials ext
press confidence that Kuropatkin is
better off in this respect. but at last
accounts the Japanese were bomb ardi
ing as IL confident Of an inexhaustible
supply.
i Battling for tho Village.
: The official story OF the battle says
the Japanese made determined effort
! to break the Russian center Friday
night, but this, 1t seems, may be 9,
clerical or telegraphic error for Thurs
day. simultaneously the Japanese
launched heavy assault against the
village Of Shakhe, which had already
been the scene of SO many furious at
} tacks and counter attacks. The Rus
SLAMS were forced to evacuate the yil-
lage but heroically captured the posi-
y ton This brought reserves Of both
sides into action, but whether the
! whole of the reserves Of either side
), were engaged is not clear. In any
event the Russians were again and fn-
. ally driven out, making five times that
q Shakhe had changed hands in the
: course of the battle. The Russians then
d retiredto new position north OF
8 Shakhe.
: Mukden itself remains quiet, though
Il the sounds of battle are plainly heard
g to the southwark. The railway station
s is congested with trains of wounded
proceeding to Hardin. The hospital
facilities are completely overtaxed. Sis
& thousand wounded arrived at Mukder
: Saturday alone. z
Gloom at Russian Capital.
Although the official account of thu
battle does not present the disastrou:
picture that many in st. PETERSBURG
had resigned themselves to see, tn
general feeling is of deepest gloom. !
d the battle has not peen Russias Sedal
could hardly be worse. The result Wi
render the war and Its conduct NOR
t. unpopular than ever at home, while tn
greatest fears are expressed that tn
- Chinese population, If not the govern
:, ment, will be encouraged to Rbando
~ long doubtful neutrality and openl
q. side with the victorious Japanese. Froi
le the military point of view the moi
bitter disappointment is in the knowl
edge that reversals seal the fate (
the heroic defenders of Port Arthu
who are now without hope of succe
from the outside world.
"A remarkable feature throughout
~ the sympathy with Kuropatkin. Vice
roy Alexieff Is charged with respons
bility for interfering with Kuropatd
Pity rather than criticism is awarde
lei the general, but 1t is felt that the mil
ST tary prestige of Russia has SO suffere
of at his hands that 1T Is Impossible !
TOT can ever be given q chance to. retire,
the disaster.