Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-31
They We're Victorious the First
Day of the Great Battle of
Lao Yang
RACED FROM DAWN TILL DARK.
japanese Charged Calamity and Des.
perately Trying to Break the
Center.
MOVEMENT MET AND RePULSED,
Battle Was Divided Into Two Periods
Casualties We're Not Unusually
Heavy.
FrFTY-FoURTHYEAR

Heavy
ST Petersburg, Aug 81, q p, nh,
SUCCESS crowped The Russian arms the
first day Of the great battle OF Lao
Yang and the utmost confidence pre-
walls here that the issue Of the fight
win be complete victory for Gen.
Huropatldn From dawn until dark
yesterday the battle ragged, first in the
center and left and then on the right of
the Russian line. rhe japanese charged
CALAMITY and desperately IN an effort
to break the center and then in the
afternoon came a movement against
the opposite flank This attack WAS
delivered from the west but Gen. Kuro-
patkin had evidently Anticipated just
what happened, for he not only met
and repulsed IT, but actually was able
by superior force to overlap and en-
yelop the Japanese, Last night both
omies byouacked in their positions
30 attempt was made by Lieut. Gen.
Sakharon In his report to estimate the
japanese losses, except to say that they
were extremely heavy and the Rus
sian losses We're only Appropriated at
5000. No Russian general officers fell
Gen Kuropatkn's forces occupied po-
sitions forming a seml-circle about Lao
Yang, the tanks resting on the Taitz
river, east and west OF the city.
The battle divided Itself into two
periods. After a preliminary lombard
mcnt Of the Russian lines on the right
and center the Japanese Infantry ad-
yanced 10 the attack, charging the Rus
sian center Although repeatedly cheek
ed they came on with bulldog tenacity
hurting themselves against the Russian
POSITIONS with the bayonet. There were
many bloody hand-to-hand encounters.
By noon the japanese actually succeed
ed i'm occupying a portion of the Rus
sian trenches, Then Gen. Kuropathn
sent forward the reserves delivering a
series Of counter-attacks. recapturing
the lost positions and drove back the
japanese all along the line.
The attack on the center having fall
ed. the second half Of the fight began
at o'clock In the afternoon when the
japanese tried TO turn and roll up the
Russian right. Here also they failed
but only after a desperate struggle
which was continued until o'clock al
flight. Reserves despatched in time by
Gen. Kuropatkiu at last succeeded not
only IN checking the Japanese but IN
enyeloping and driving them back in
confusion,
During the progress OF ;he battle Gen,
Kuropatkin encouraged his men on the
aghtiuI line by sending out the news
of the repulse OF the attack upon Port
Arthur Aug 20,
The japanese flank movement from
the west began Monday from Chandla-
pudzi. three miles southeast Of Shake,
which is II miles northwest Of LAO
Yang.
one OF the striking features Of the
battle was the splendid work of the
Russian artinerY in which arm the
japanese have heretofore exceIled. In
dispatch filed last night by one OF
the Associated Press Russian CORE
spondents he says that o report was
current at Lao Yang that 46 Japanese
guns were captured during the day.
There is great rejoicing in ST.. Peters
burg over the news ON the bulletin
boards. The dispatches posted there
are surrounded by eager crowds The
officials Of the war office, although they
have not yet received adyices In re-
gard to today events, are in high spr"
lie. The japanese, who have been con-
tiuully advancing for a week, are now
said 10 be utterly exhausted after yes
terday's hard and unsuccessful nghting,
and no doubt exists here that IL the
offers Gen Kuropatkln win
not fail to follow up the advantage he
has achieved
The entire absence Of news from the
Battlefield OF Lao Yang up to noon 90
day Is not explained by any advices
from either ST. Petersburg or Toxic.
II is now midnight iu Manchuria. but
mo- word has been received OF events
occurring hast night when il was an
bounced that the fierce battle that
ragged an Yesterday ceased at o'clock
aud both armies had bivouacked The
only urmlse 10 be drawn from this
absence Of both press dispatches and
official reports IL that the telegraph
line has been cut north OF Lao Yang
Cen sakharoh Yesterday reported that
q large Japanese force was advancing
lorthward along the Tatz river west
IF the roir)ad Such a movement il
accomplished, would interpose this
force between Liao Yang, the Russian
base and Mukden, and would cut Ku-
.opatkn's communication north Add
ID probability IS given this surmise by
he fact that yesterday the Associated
Press received almost hourly dis