The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-02
Scenes in LiaO-Yang
Described in Detail
War Correspondent Gives a Pen Picture of
the City Around Which the Greatest Bat
tie in History Took Place.

Liao-Yang, Manchuria. - Liao-Yang,
and at last-delightful. almost incredible
discovery-visible. unmistakable signs Of
warl
The station is full of trains and hustle
and soldiers and baggage. says Charles
z. Hunt, war correspondent. in the
London Express. 1t has only one
platform but many sets Of rails. and
on both sides the full stream Of the
traffic has overlooked its banks and
trickled out upon the plain in sidings.
At the single long platform a long Red
Cross train halts on it's way north.
A long, long, train Of neat hospital
wagons filled with wounded Calm
faced nurses pass by the communication
gangways from carriage TO carriage,
ana young doctors. grave Sad earnest
OF manner, are seen in consultation.
out upon the platform q cluster OF SOL
diers from one OF the trains halted
on its way 10 the lighting line. are peer
ing over one anOther's shoulders in an
ar OF intense personal interest. at
little group Of wounded officers who are
being photographed
Strange cargOes.
War, And yet. for all IT, wounds. this
train Of victims hardly striIes the note
Its well-Ordered look. its sunblinds and
filters. the even lines and regular inter
walls with which in each wagon ward the
Two tiers OF stretcher beds are set the
white pillows and the folded linen. the
gray neatness OF the nurses with their
Red Cross brassards and their quiet
kind eyes, the cool comfort OF the
striped cotton hospital clothes in the
blazing sunshine. the smooth set of the
well-laid bandages-all this suggests not
the horrid barbarity Of war. but the lux
ury and refinement Of a highly-organ-
lied society With the sun blazing down
upon the cheerfully gossiping vOyagers.
/ am reminded-thOugh sunshine is for
eign enough 70 the idea-of the luxurious
trainloads Of gaily expectant people go
ing down 10 Ascot.
But there Is no Cup Day air about the
trains standing on the other rails wait
ing their turns to 90 south. The open
trucks laden with guns, the big horse
wagons, the trucks Of ammunition carts.
the trucks filled with pOntoons and other
engineering appliances. the heavily
above all. the cars and cars and cars
covered box cars-whOse cargOes are the
square-1awed. shOrt-nosed sturdy ST.
berian sOldiers-these tell OF war On
the further side OF the lines there is a
row Of booths like a fair where the
Chinaman is making his speedy fortune
by selling all sorts OF rubbishy food and
other wares to the passing soldiers.
City in Manchuria.
Outside Of tire railway station, away
70 the right. a distinct mountain marks
the beginning OF the series Of the hills
which lie between Liao-Yang and the
fighting 70 the south. On the west no
mountains. but a fiat. alluviaI plain.
every visible square inch of It cultivated
like nursery garden, stretches smooth
~ away 10 the horizon. beyond which
the broad Lao stretches its impossible
barrier
To the northward, again no noun
tains-only the long Lao Valley through
which q low embankment, like a single
upturned furrOw. holds up the railway
line above the mudS. and the floods of
the sOOn-cOming rainy season. Little
culverts innumerable intersect II, and
here and there considerable bridg IS
where WatercOurses and rivers coming
from the hills TO the eastward make
their way across the valley to the Lao.