Arizona republican., 1904-09-09
A RECORD OF THE PAST.
A Description of Day and Night Be-
 fore Liao Yang.


 General Kuroki's headquarters in the field, August 30, via Fusan, Korea, Sept. S.-The artillery battle which murdered before Lao Yang today from early morning until darkness and hid foe from foe, was certainly one of the most stupendous and spectacular of history. The combined armies of the Japanese, with the exception of a part of the force under General Kuroki, concentrated their batteries against the Russian lines under General Ku- ropatkin, and several hundred guns, probably not less than SoO upon each side, were worked necessarily for F hours. Even after nightfall and in driving storm of wind and rain that then swept over the field of battle the conflict did not cease entirely for Rus sian shells are tonight bursting over the hills before the Japanese positions.
 Not alone the number of guns in ac- tion. but their unceasing and rapid fire, made the conflict of today remark able. For several hours the cannonad- ing averaged sixty shots a minute and the rate seldom fell below twenty shots a minute. From a high moun- tain almost over the nearest Russian batteries the foreign attaches and newspaper correspondents with Gener- al kurokis army had a view of the fighting which probably never will be surpassed.
 Liao Yang, a small Chinese walled city, with gray ragoda towering from is center, stands on the south- ern bank of the TaitSe river. The ob- servers noted the yellow roofs of the military store from the outskirts. From the city the river sweeps in a broad curve to the southeast road and then takes turn to the north. To the northwest of Liao Yang there extends d great plain, while to the east ands south, are range upon rlnge of noun tainS through which the Japanese armies advanced to the theater of one Of the decisive battles of this strug- gle.
 Some of the Russian guns were align ed in an almost unbroken horses hoe around the plain to the south and east of tiao Yang; others were posted about five miles from the city; still other detached batteries were facing to the west from the group of hills on the extreme Russian right, while an- other range of hills behind the city, facing the east bank of the river, fur nished positions for the Russian bat teries protecting the railroad and the rear of the army.
 The Japenese guns in the mountains formed an arch twenty miles or more in length. The foregoing description roughly outlines the artillery positions of the two armies and the schemes of defense and attack. While the land scape, viewed from the elevation where the correspondents and foreign al taches had taken their positions, ap- peared to be modelled on broad lines. III reality the country is irregular with many hills and ravines and much roll ing plain, all of which affected the strategic disposition of the contending forces.
 Looking down upon so vast a. scene of operations, with so many batteries participating. it was often impossible to discern in detail the positions of what units were opposed to each other. In some places the Russian guns appeared 10 be arranged in tiers. two or three batteries being placed one above the other The whole Russian front was bordered with twinkIing lights, this being the flashes from the guns. Much of the artillery was in SkllIIully covered positions and abSO- lutely smokeless powder was u-ed. Clusters of white shrapnel smoke broke out around some Japanese positions in the mountains and then drifted slowly away, showing often two or three bat terios upon either side pitted against one another.
 The mountains and the edge of the plain were constantly dotted with sud den flashes of white smoke from ex- ploding shells and the sound that came to the ears of the observers was as a continuous rumble of thunder varied by successions of sharp peals as two or three batteries united and fired to- gcther. Throughout the day the posi- tions of the opposing forces were but little changed and at nightfaIl the hon ors appeared to be even.
 The Japanese infantry, which mass