The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1904-09-08
FIERCE BATTLE
NOW RAGING
RUSSIAN FORCES SWEPT BACK
TO THE RIVER.
FIRES RAGING IN THE CITY
hundreds are Thought to Have Been
drowned. Heavy Artillery Duel
Was Not Discontinued for Mo-
rent. Death Traps Concealed,
Claimed Hundreds of Victims.

Tokio.-The united Manchurian
armies OF Japan have engaged in a
desperate attack upon Lao Yang,
where General Kuropatkin has con-
centrated every available Russian SOL
dier.
The japanese are attacking from
The south and from the east. The
right wing of the column attacking
from the south keeps in touch with
the left wing Of the column going in
The east, forming an immense circu-
ar triangular, the two fronts of which
7over an enormous range.
Following the preliminary successes
of the 29th, south of Lao Yang. Field
Marshal Marquis Oyama, the Com
mander of the japanese forces in the
held, promptly sent the united forces
forward, and at dawn on Aug. 80
desperate attack upon all the Russian
positions was made.
The japanese found the Russians
holding long chain of splendidly-
certified positions, with a tremendous
:orce of artillery. The japanese ar
iillery opened the way, but these pre-
lminary attacks generally failed to
given an opportunity for an open as
;ault. Victory at Liao-Yang means
The domination of Manchuria and pos
;ibly the end of the autumn cam
paign.
st. Petersburg. - The battle on Sep
'ember LIST was of the most desperate
character. 1t ragged continuously from
lawn until midnight, and the slaugh-
er must have been immense. At 6
n the evening after holding his outer
position all day in face of the most
desperate charges, General Kuropat-
Tin gave the order to retreat upon the
main works about the city. The jap
lnese assaults during the day had
been directed principally against tbs
Russian center, a little east of Maie-
ung Hill, near the railroad, and three
niles southwest of Liao-Y ang. Moth
ng approaching the severity. of the
infantry ard artillery fire here had
'een heretofore experienced in this
var. General Kondratsvitch s divis-
on bore the brunt and suffered most.
3ayonet charges succeeded each other
rapid succession, while the artillery
luel never ceased for moment No
attempt was made in the official ad-
rices to estimate the number of guns
he Japanese used, except that they
lad many hundreds. Each gun car
les $50 charges, and these must have
been expended, many, times, as sew
Tal hundred thousand shells were fir
ID between sunrise and sunset. Gen
ral Kuropatkin s order to fall back
IN the Notifications was probably due
% the receipt of information that the
Japanese had succeeded in crossing the
raitse River, northeast of Lho-Yang.
although Generals Rennenkampf'
md Mandariteff' divisions had been
especially placed in position in this
direction to checkmate such a move.
The japanese crossed at point
,alled Sankankankwantun, twenty
niles east and somewhat above Liao-
Yang, and marched in force directly
westward, with the evident object of
mtting the Russian line of communi-
cation with Mukden. Their exact
trength was not established, but di-
Vision was made out.
AS soon as the japanese found that
he Russians were retiring from their
Duter positions southwark they re-
;umed the attack there, although it
was then quite dark. Thus pressed,
he Russians arrested their movement
20 the rear, and again faced the Jap
,nese.
With the view of eventual retire
nent from their outer positions the
Russians had dug large number Of
pits, with stakes concealed in their
bottoms. The pits were artfully con-
.ealsd among the high Chinese corn.
When the Japanese charged after the
Russians they fell into the pits in hun-
areds and were engulfed and 'impaled
On the stakes and their lines were
thrown into confusion. When the
Russians faced about and returned to
their old positions they found these
death traps filled with dead and dy-
ing.
The rattle of musketry and boom
of cannon continued until midnight,
when, at last, silence brooded over
the bloody battle field, and the tired
soldiers lay down where they had
fought. while the worn-out surgeons
md angels Of mercy ministeged TO the