The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-13

centerei along the south road where
for two hours there was a heavy ar
tillery fire and a vast amount of am
munition was expended The valley
in front and under the Russian guns
ferno of shrieking and moaning
shrapnel, while beyond the Russian
shells burst continuously at the head
of the Japanese advance.
During the day the Russian rifle fire
was indescribablY furious The Rus
sian trenches for a distance of several
miles threw out all day long a contin-
uouS hail of lead, accompanied by I'M
ceasing flashes of fire. In spite of its
continued ferocity this rifle fire was
comparatively Intellectual. the Rus
slams often firing without sight of the
enemy. This hail of Russian rifles
bullets did not cease before 10 o'clock
at night. 1t is estimated that 1000
Russians shells were thrown into the
valley beyond the south road, where
the only evidence of the presence CT
the Japanese was red cross camp.
At nightfall General Stakelberg' s
corps had lost 900 men.
During the night of the 31st the
Russians deemed the position of the
enemy to be so threatening that they
made preparations to fall back.
On the morning September 1, all
the non-combatants were ordered to
leave Lao Yang and the Russian com
missary of police sent an order to the
Chinese MAGISTRATE of the city that
all Chinese must leave Lao Yang with
in two days. The Japanese We're seen
to be in possession of the Russian po-
sitions at Shushan and it was learned
on the morning of September 2, that
General Stakelberg had withdrown
during the night.
Panic in Lao Yang.
The Chinese at Lao Yang became
alarmed and they began secretly to
make Japanese flags. There was much
confusion throughout the city. The
proprietors of foreign shops made
frantic efforts to sell their stocks on
the streets at ridiculousl low prices
to any one who would pay cash, or
endeavored to have their property
loaded on railroad cars. The flight of
Japanese shells over the railroad sta
ton stampeded them, however, and
they fled in disorder, glad to get away
with their lives.
The foreign military attaches who
were in Lao Yang were taken north
under escort.
The correspondent noticed on this
morning, an unbroken line of ammu-
milton wagons, batteries of artillery
and Russian troops, using the rail-
road bridge to get out of Lao Yang
to the north.
1t has become known that General
Kuroki was making a dash around
the Russians left for the railroad at
a point fifteen miles north of here. He
crossed the TaitSe river on the night
of August 80 and took the splendid
Russian defenses at Pensihu with very
| little effort. He continued to advance
steadily and turned the Russian let.
His army covered fifteen miles in
quick time. The effect of its move
ments was to force the Russians to
| leave Lao Yang and retire in the di-
rection of the coal mines east of Yen
| tai. He threatened to cut General XII
ropatkin's army of seven corps in two.
First Shell Scatters Them.
The correspondent of the Asso-
| ciated Press was eating lunch at the
| railroad station at noon when the
| first Japanese shell struck the for
eign settlement. Within fifteen min
utes time all the troops his attend
ants and merchants and other people
| i'm the vicinity had cleared out and
| Japanese shells continued TO fall in
| the settlement Chinese, under the
| direction of Russian officers were
| making hurried efforts to remove the
| stores and ammunition from the rail-
road sheds. The Japanese shells
| came from Shushan and a Russian
| shrapnel fire was soon turned on
| the battery there.
The fighting around Lao Yang be-
cr9Io of wi a
| shells were thrown in from the en-
| tire Japanese line.
General Kuroki severed his con-
nection with the Japanese center
| army and left the Anping road I'M
| protected. His army was in front of
| the last Russian position in the coal
| mining district of Yentai. The i'm
| portance and effect of Kurokis dash
| to the rear of the Russian army was
| particularly noticeable this morning.
| Near Yentai the Russians had lost
| an important hill position only to
| gain it again and lose it a second
time. This greatly discouraged the
Russian soldiers. 1t is declared that
the immediate precipitous retreat of
the entire Russian army at Lao
Yang was prevented by the re-taking
of this HILL which lies to the east
of Yentai. The Russians. however,
anese were again soon in possession.
General Kuroki's attack at Yentat
was soon relaxed, however, and Cen
eral Mischenllo and his command was
withdrawn from the Russian defenses
of Yentai and sent over to the west
side of the railroad to make a DEM
onstration and to aid in covering the
retreat of the main army.
Flight of Russians North.
The cannonading came to an end
when the sun went down. Throughout
the night of September End it broke
out again fitfully but the periods were
of short duration. The morning OF
September 3rd showed that General
kuroki had not attained his object,
but the victory of the Japanese over
the Russians appeared to be complete,
Russian troops and refugees from
Lao Yang in rickshaws were pouring
north along the railroad and along
the main highway on the way to Muk-
Il a nd