The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-09-09
A GREAT BATTLE
Being Fought Between the Japs and
Russians at Liao. Yang.
BOTH SIDES HAVE LARGE ARMIES
And the Struggle Will be to a
Flnish and May End the
War Between The
Countries

War Betwe The
Countries.
a dispatch en- Tuesday from the
Associated Press says heaviest battle
OF the war Is raging today around
Liao- Yang. Following the rear guard
action which Kuropatkin has fought
In his retirement from Anping and
Anshanshan, he has either elected or
been forced to give battle and is meet
Ing the attack Of the combine armies
or KurOki, NodZu and Oku.
Dispatches from The battlefield show
that at dawn the japanese opened a
terrific artillery fire, directed manly
against the Russian center and right
After four hours IF CALLING shrapnel
hre the cannonading slackened and at
O'Clock the Japanese general ad-
vance began. An Associated Press
dispatch sent from Liao- Yang at 6 40
that evening shows that the battle
was increasing in intensity, the Japa.
nese pressing forward until at one
point their advance developed into
a hand-hght, the Russians repelling
them With the bayo1et
he associated Press dispatches and
thF Russian official reports indicate
that the Russians occupy seml-cir.
Gle OF about nine miles in length, PRO
tecting Lao Yang, the center and
right OF this line receiving the brunt
of the fighting up to last advices. So
far reports do not indicate the trend
OF uhe action, but reports 10 tine Rus
sian war Office say the battle will eX-
tend over several days.
The combined forces engaged are es
timated at between 300, 600 and 40O,-
400 Of all arms.
TEH:nI;i!C AHTiIIEHT FIRE.
A dispatch from Lao Yang says
from five o'clock Tuesday morning up
to nine O'Clock there has been an
1ncessant shower of shrapnel The
sound Of cannonadng is coming from
the south, where the Japanese evil
dently have numerous guns. Deadly
shell are burning everywhere, their
white smoak being distinctly traceable
against the dark foliage on the noun
tain sides.
The Japanese are searching the
whole country side with their fire, Sc
,ecting certain squares Of territory on
which for few moments .ney mass
q hail of shot and shell from all their
guns. They then pass to another
square, thus working the wi ole field,
with mathematical precision, from
;y,--o-4sto a>ie, hel en- i
Russian mont has been systematically
searched in the first four hours of the
canncnading.
Then commenced the general Japan.
ese advance along the whole line. at
this hour, ten O'Clock, the Japanes
artillery fire has somewhat slackend,
but their infantry is steadily pushing
forwad: The Russians have been
holding their ground gallantly ana
their losses are small considering the
terrible nature OF the japanese tire.
GHOsTI.Y HEAPS OF DEAD.
Tuesday night the japanese search
lights showed ghastly heaps of dead,
like magic lantern pictures. The Jap
anese soon were reinforced the attack
ed furlously, but again were repulsed.
The NOvi krai soberly asserts that the
Japanese troops were forced forward
by their own shrapncl fire, the guns
having been placed behind them TO
prevent retreat.
The Zarodoutni presented to tie
Japanese high stone wall of Chinese
constructed and the fact that one de-
tachment succeeded in scaling it is ac-
counted marvellous.
Daylight found the belligerents in
that quarter engaged in an artillery
duel. General Gorbat0Wsky personally
directed the Russian fire, although he
had been six days and six nights with
out sleep. He suffered considerably
from the Japanese artillery, and Cen
eral GorbatowSky ordered the men
into the damaged trenches. The next
glimpse the Russians had Of the Jap
anese was at 10 O'Clock. August 9th,
when the battery on the mules was
seen in Mo Tien. The Russians opened
fire on this battery and dispersed it.
At noon OF the - two Japanese col
umns were observed, one bt hind Su-
gar Head hill and the other near the
railroad bridge, but they retired when
the Russian artillery made an attack
on them.
TIE BATTLE GOES ON.
The second days battle commenced
Iu udWu VII w hCillcSIdy llc NUS
SLAMS made repeated bayonet advance
on The road directly suth Of Lilac
Yang, where the Japanese approached
from Sanquaiship at Tao, Smelling the
positions in the Russian lines until 4
in the afternoon, when the engage
ment which was general throughout
the south and southwest narrowed t(
the main lines. The Japants, ad
vance on the southeast was by way o.
the Feng Wang Chepg road.
Immediately in front Of Chiaofan
tun the japanese Stubbornly attempt
ed to occupy a round-topped hill
which was literally shaved by Russian
shells, making repeated attempts tht
entire day where apparently it wa
impossible for anything TO live. Th,
cannonading continued from this poin
to the vicinity Of Wangpaotai unit
Wednesday evening without apparent
advantage to either side. The Japa
nese dropped shells within two q
three miles OF the railroad station ant
in the plain OF Wentshu mountain
which Is the most important eminenc,
around Liao Yang, but the Japanes,
abandoned aggression there on &C
count Of the resistance they met.
1t Is plain that the Japanese ar,
no longer enjOying the superiority II