The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-09-02
JAPS TAKE
LIAOY
Kuropatkin Abandons City
with Entire Army.
ROAD TO MUKDEN CUT
OutfIanked and Hemmed Russian
General May Be Forced to
Surrender.
ROAD TO MUKDEN CUT

LONDON, Sept. "A special from
Liaoyong says that General Kuropat-
kin, under pressure of a japanese gen
eral advance, has abandoned his posi-
ton on the left bank of the Taitse riy-
er, thus throwing the city of Liaoyang
open TO the japanese, who haye en-
tered and taken possession of 1t.
BY withdrawing to this position the
Russian army avoids the danger of be-
ing divided by the river
General Kuroki's army crossed in
force TO the right bank of the Taitse
river, and it therefore became neces-
sary for the Russians to be in poe-
tion to repel Il blow in that direction.
The withdrawal of the Russians to
the right bank of the river involved,
of course, the abandonment Of Lao
yang, which is situated on the left
bank. The Japanese took immediate
advantage Of this to occupy the city,
but the sternest part of the lighting is
still before them unless General Kuro-
patkin again falls back to the north
ward. 1t is thought, however, that he
will decide to fight to finish in his
new position.
The determined pursuit by the Jap.
anese of the Russian outposts when
General Kuropatkin gave the order TO
withdraw was probably due to their
anxiety to keep the Russians south
of LiaOyang until General Kuroki
should be able to strike from the
northeast.
A Mukden dispatch says that the
train service between Mukden and
Liaoyang is interrupted and that the
roads are impossible.
According to a dispatch from LAO
yang, General Kuroki made his first
attempt to cross the Taitse river late
In the evening under cover of heavy
bombardment OF the extreme Russian
left. The Japanese artillery. which
had been firing uninterruptedly for
fourteen hours that day, ceased about 8
O'Clock and then suddenly reopened
about IL to conceal Kurokis prepara-
tions for crossing the river. These
preparations necessitated the estab-
lishment of pOntoon bridge, as the
river was not fordable lower than
Sakankankwantun, and the pontoons
must have been foated down the
stream
The efforts of the Japanese to cross
the river were not successful at first,
and General Kuroki therefore ordered
portion of his army to ford it at
Sakankankwantun
General Kuropatkin was unable to
prevent the passage of the river owing
TO the distance from Liaoyang, about
twenty miles, but for the same reason
the japanese were unable to bring the
forces which gained the right bank i'm
medistely into action.
KurOpatkin heard of the passage Of
the Taitse at Sakankankwantun after
9 O'Clock in the evening and immediate
ly gave orders for his men to fadl back
on the outer positions. This move is
explained by the desire to collect a
strong force with which to repel a
hahhihE AhON liOli lAE hOi
east.
The japanese repeated the attempt
to throw pontoons across the Taitse
near Liaoyang during the night, again
under cover of bombardment, and
this attempt was successful. Severe
fighting may therefore be expected i'm
mediately northeast Of the city.
The action of the Japanese command
er In throwing a force acress the river
IN the face of strong enemy is con-
sidered to be extremely rash, and the
position of this force, isolated from
the main Japanese army by a deep
river, may easily become desperate.
The fighting at Liaoyang has beaten
all records for the desperate valor of
the assailants and the invincible stub
bornness of the defenders. The whole
history Of warfare tells Of ne such
bombardments, no such carnage and
no such persistency. Day after day
the fight has been resumed at day
break and kept up with scarce a mo-
ment's intermisson until after night
fall