The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-09-01
SPITTED
THE JAPS
Bayonets Saved the Day for
Russia at LIaoyans
STOPPED FIVE ASSAULTS
Losses in the Two Days Fighting
Fully 10000 Men on
Each Side.
STOPPED FIVE ASSAULTS

LONDON, Sept. 1.-Adyices from
st. Petersburg say that the Russians
have effected an advance along the
railway to the southwark of Llaoyang
General Kuropatkin has repulsed all
the japanese attacks so far and will
| not abandon his position.
The position of the town renders ii
nearly impregnable, and General Kuro-
patkin has at his disposal troops equal
in numbers and morale to the Japa-
nese. They number 100000. The
force is made up of six Siberian and
two European army corps, with IA
squadrons of cavalry and 800 guns.
General Kuropatkin holds around
Liaoyang seventeen forts, heavily arm
ed with artillery The superiority of
General Kuropatkin's cavalry compen-
safes to a certain extent for the in
feriorlty of his artillery.
Three japanese armies are before
Liaoyang, and their artillery constant
ly pours shrapnel upon all the Russian
positions. A body of Russian cavalry
traversing an exposed route was cut
to pieces. 1t lost 500 men.
The Japanese have carried on the
fight with an energy approaching des-
peration, but the Russians are buoyed
up in the belief that a point has been
reached where there will be no more
retreating, and the japanese attacks
are met with shouts and hurrahs from
the trenches and the rifle pits.
Five times the Japanese hurled
themselves against the Russian line
but each time they were repulsed at
the point of the bayonet.
There were about 1000 guns in ac-
ton on each side, but Russia has more
guns emplaced than have the Japa-
nese
The losses cannot yet be computed,
but they have been great everywhere.
especially among the artillerymen In
the First Russian artillery brigade
every officer was either killed or
wounded, and some of the guns were
silenced absolutely owing to the death
of all the gun crews
With the knowledge that the Rus
sian and Japanese armies about Lao
yang are locked in a death struggle
it is believed at st, Petersburg that the
fight cannot stop short of the crushing
defeat of one side or the other.
All reports SO far are favorable to
the Russians. 1t is stated officially
that the report that the railway and
the telegraph have been cut north of |
Liaoyang is untrue.
1t is thought that, In view Of the |
engaged, the desperateness |
of the assaults and the length of the |
line, about seven miles, the losses in |
the two days fighting cannot fall |
short of 10000 on each side.
Both sides are straining every nerve,
realizing that the fortunes of war for
a whole year are in the scale and nei-
Their side is in the mood or the posi-
ton to spare men in the effort to
achieve final victory.
The battle of Liaoyang will probably
rank as one Of the great sanguinary
battles of history. 1t is estimated by
the general staff that the japanese
armies engaged number seventeen di-
visions of $4,000 men each, or, allow
ng for ineflicients, about 100000 men.
Each division has thirty-six guns, and
here are two independent artillery
origades of 100 guns each, making a
otal of about 800 guns. The esti-
mates range at from 600 to 1000 guns
)er side.
In the preliminary fighting of Mon
lay the Russians captured 200 pris-
'ners, who have already arrived at
Iarbin, and reports say that they
AVE captured over forty japanese
,uns.
General Kuropatkins effective forces
re variously estimated at from 170,-
100 TO 200. 600 men.