New-York tribune., 1904-09-04
A DAY OF DISASTER FOR THE RUSSIAN ARMS.

Japanese force with fronJ extending from
Yentai to the River Tsi-Tse.
A detachment under Major General OrloY
which vas guarding the GeutaI mines. advanced
q short distance. hut meeting the japanese SUI
perior IT. force and in Z strong pos LION. had .
Major General OTlor was wounded Lut tbs
GanSer OF the eaeny's mOve-.-ut vas avertad
oy MS return to the station at entail
The gallant regiments of The Iss SIbs-ian
S I'm Corps cane up and General S-a&elberg
Checked the attaching Japanese In this Feht
tne brave commander % the ID Siberian Fegf-
nent. Colonel Oze-sky, was severely wounded.
At o'clock iE the evening there was luu
IN the lighting all along the line. and The only
nring heard was the boom of guns at Lao
Yang. According 10 q telephone report the gar
rison at Lao Yang repulsed the second Japan
ese attack.
regiments the west front were ordered to
attack After fierce fight il was scovered
that the enemy opposing the two regiments wers
more than two divisions strong
The losses TO the Russian army have not been
ascertained exactly but. according to the latest
account they exceed three thousand il killed
or wounded
At $40 p. m The first Japanese shell feH in
LAO Yang, and was followed bv q hail OF nrO-
ieCtiles. which swept the railway station nd the
suburb Of the town itself Fortunately the sta
ton was empty. all the rolling stock having
been removed The first persons wounded were
seven subjects OF charity. doctor. several Chi
nese and cOmmissariat nOn-commissioned OIL
BY o'clock in the evening several fires bae
been caused by the bOmbardment, and the
booming Of the guns followed our train as &
carried of the wounded
The Russian casualties TT the fighting OF Au-
gust 81 and September 1 are stated to amount
TO 1000. The enemy lost double or treble that
number.
japanese prisoners appear to be worn out
The battle of Liao-Yang. which began with q
Japanese advance on August 81. the Gay Of ths
christening of the Czarevitch and concluded on
Saturday. September 5. with the retreat oe
General Kuropatkin. is believed to have been
the longest and the bIoodiest OF history. Nu-
merous incidents in the fighting upset ths
theory evolved from experiences in the Boer
War that a u.odeEa b~t,la mast necessarily bs
fought at long range.
Both sides repeatedly came to hand TO hand
encounters in bayonet charges. and the men
Of both sides were often so near each other
that they could distinguish features and hear
words of command. In one instance they were
separated only by the width Of the railroad and
threw stones at each other The mad heroism
of the Japanese and the stubborn tenacity OF
the Russians have hardly been paraTIeied any
where save in some OF the desperate encounters
of the Civil War.
Correspondents say that several OF the bsz-
onet attacks made by the japanese in the battles
have been forced by the lack Of ammunition. OF
which modern arms entail such extravaganza
expenditure. The japanese came on with empty
guns and with hopes Of finishing the attack with
cold steel. but il vas proved at their own cost
that such attacks cannot be driven home in thu
face Of the fire OF breechIoading guns.
The Russian artillerymer suffered terribly n
the prolonged fighting south Of the Tai-Tss
River One battery lost forty men killed An
the remainder were wounded. but when fresh
battery was brought up into position the sur
vtvors protested with tears at being removed.
begging to be allowed 20 die beside their guns
The work OF the Red Cross. which through
the war has been most devoted on both sides.
has proved almost rs dangerous 10 nurses and
doctors as the work 0: the oombatants. Many
bearers and their assistants have been killed
or wounded in attending to injured under FIRE.
\ sister of mercy was killed and a surgeon
wounded in the final assaults on Liao-Taug.
Telegraph operators and correspondents also
have suffered severely. Two correspondents Of
The Associated Press have been shot and one
has been decorated for bravery.
During the ten days fighting the condition OF
the soldiers OF both armies has been pitisble,
Many of the japanese prisoners were starving
and almost naked when ce1tured. which speaks
volumes for japanese endurance. 1t is won
derful that the conn,issary arrangements made
it possible to continue 70 supply tha men dur
ing such a continuous battle.
The Russians were better fed, being uearcr
their own base, but the terrible strain Of ths
continuous fighting caused come OF them to fau
asleep in the midst OF the cannonade and even
on the firing IIre.