The Bourbon news., 1904-09-13
.FR|GHTFUL DISASTER
A Column of Japs Blown Up by
a Russian Mine.
Japanese Rifles, Legs and Arms Went
Hurting Though the Air and the
HiIIsides Were StreWn With
the Dead.


battleships, four cruisers and several
torpedo boats, is the far east.
Chez Foo, Sept. "a Japanese col
umn, numbering approximately 700
men, while marching along at night
on a road in the valley between Long
Hill and Dawson Hill, met a fright
full disaster, through the explosion OF
an electric land mine on September
/. The mine was carefully laid by the
Russians three weeks ago. 1t covered
nearly a mile of available marching
space. The explosive was placed at
the bottom. Rocks were placed next,
and on top of these clay was packed
so carefully that the ground gave the
impression of not having been dis
turbed The indications of Japanese
activity in this vicinity put the Rus
slams on guard Near midnight the
outposts rushed in and reported that
the Japanese were approaching. The
Russians withheld their fire for some
time. Suddenly they threw a search
light up the valley. The Japanese
opened with a rife fire. The Russians
waited until apparently the whole
Japanese column was in the danger
zone. Then the mine was exploded.
The force of the explosion knocked
number of Russians down, and the
sight of Japanese rifles, water bottles,
legs and arms hurtling through the
lighted space made by a searchlight,
was an awful spectacle. Some rocks
landed inside the Russian lines. There
was one appalling moment, during
which the garrison itself was stunned,
then a death-like silence. The search
light coldly lighted up the road and
hillsides strewn with dead The follow
ing day the Russians buried the dead,
but, owing to their dismembered and
mutilated condition, the Russians
were unable accurately to estimate
the number of killed A few Japanese
escaped.
st. Petersburg, Sept. 9.-Besides the
formation of two fresh army corps.
as the first answer to the Japanese
success at Lao Yang, the Russian
army at the front will be reorganized,
probably in the form Of two armies,
in command of Gen. Linevitch and
Gen. Baron KaulbarS, respectively,
with Gen. Kuropatkin as commander
in-chief. Gen. Kaulbars will go cut
with the two army corps now organic.
ing in the government of Kazan, Odes-
sa, Wilma and Kief.
The work of burying the dead was
left to the Japanese, but the task was
almost impossible. The awful rains
have handicapped the work of crema-
ton, on which the Japanese relied, and
only in shallow trenches burials were
possible under the circumstances Not
only is this work one of the greatest
! difficulties, but it is almost valueless
from a sanitary point of view, the
storms undoing it soon after it is ac-
complished
Toxic, Sept. IAN approximation
of the Japanese casualties in the battle
of Lao Yang, based upon reports of
the chiefs of the medical corps of the
three Japanese armies, was concluded
! Sunday 1t covers the fighting from
| August 26, and shows that the killed
and wounded amount to 1883 men,
divided as follows:
In the right army, under the COM
r1and of Gen. Kuroki. 1856 men; in
the center army, under the command
of Gen. Nodzu. 1892 men, and in the
| left army, under the command of Gen.
Oku, 1851 men. These casualties in
clude 1876 officers killed and 464 officers
wounded. The fact that the army un-
| ofofD oc+
losses is accounted for by its assaults
upon the Russian defenses to the south
of Liao Yang.
Telegraphic report received here
Sunday from the headquarters of the
Manchurian army declare the Japanese
coal mines, and estimate the Russian
loss to the fall of Liao Yang at over
$4,000 men. The estimate of losses
does not include those suffered by the
Russians in the rear guard actions
fought after the evacuation of Lao
Yang.
Chefoo, Sept. ia Chinese officer
who left Port Arthur the night of Sep
tember 6, arrived here Sunday and re-
ports that Japanese troops to the num-
Der of 5000 control Louisa bay He
says the Japanese are making use of a
balloon, which he describes as a cigar
| shaped affair with car suspended,
and says that a FIAT foreigner, wear
ing a mustache," runs the balloon.
The Japanese entertainments line the
hills in every direction and reinforce
ments are constantly arriving from
Port Dalny. The Japanese hospitals at
Port Dalny are filed with wounded,
and transports are engaged in remov-
ing the wounded to Japan as fast as
possible
viceroy AIexieff Resigns.