The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1904-10-21
SHAkHb RIVER BATTLE
Greatest Fight i'm History of
the World is Waging.
Manchuria Is Overrun by the CON.
tending Armies Thousands
Dead Upon the Field.

AS the official veil is being lifted from
the tragedy along Shakhe river in Man.
churia, the world is appraised OF battle
iar more herce than any that was ever
Waged IN the history OF the universe.
from the iragmentOry mass of informa-
tloh contained IN the press dispatches il
ls possible only to conclude that the
russians costly withdrawal and retreat
from Llaoyang is being duplicated upon
an even grander scale, after more des
perate hghtlng and heavier loss.
General huropatkin's story leaves the
russians still tenaciously holding the
north bank OF the Shakhe river, but the
general belief is that this is only the
nnale Of the greatest military drama of
history and the Russian army as q
whole Is retiring toward Mukden. hay
ing suffered, at the most conservative
estimate, loss of more than 30 600
All the wounded are being carried to
darDln, further north. The village of
Shakhe has been the scene of many furi-
GUS attacks and counter attacks. dur.
ing the various days of the engagement,
all the reserves of both armies being
brought into action. The village has
changed hands six times during the
progress of the battle, the Japanese at
last holding their positions against the
most murderOus and savage assaults
known In modern warfare, the fighting
beng by hand to hand encounters.
For fourteen days this great battle
has waged, almost without intermission.
and the number of men engaged is al.
most beyond comprehension, il being
estimated that the entire Russian Man.
churlan army, save only the defenders
OF Port Arthur, is pitted against a
Japanese army of equal size, the best
equipped and the best trained of any
army IN the world. 1t is estimated that
each army contained in the neiphbor-
hood OF 225, 900 men when the battle Of
Shake river commenced, making 45O, 900
men actually engaged. Of that number
it is estimated that each side has suffered
a loss of at least 10000 men. the plains
for miles around Shakhe being strewn
with bodies, Russian and Japanese law
ing side by side as they fell in the des-
perate encounters. Ten thousand Rus
sian dead were left on one field.
For seven days the position of the op-
posing forces continually changed, first
one and then the other assuming the
offensive, but during that time neither
had achieved a signal success. The
japanese army ID divided into three
great departments under Generals Oku,
Nodzu and Kuroki. AS this ia being
written the result of the battle can not
be autboritively determined, but all in
dications point to great japanese vic
tory. 1t must close soon, however, be-
cause it will be an utter impossibility
Tor either army to stand the severe fight
ing much longer, as the strain ia great
and the slaughter great.
In st. Petersburg the gloom is ap-
parent and the Russian officials consider
that General Kuropatkin has suffered
defeat that he can never retrieve. In
Toxic, the japanese, to whom the great
victory, if it is really won, is Of para
mount Importance, seem to be shocked
by the terrible slaughter of their enemies
The Japanese people are receiving the
news from the field of battle calmly and
there can be heard no shouts in the
streets. Few flags are displayed and
the deepest sorrow is felt for those who
fell in the japanese ranks.