The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-01
Casualties of the Two Armies About
 Equal. FIERCE ONSLAUGHTS
 ARE BRAVELY MET Artillery Supremacy No OLong- CT With the Men of
 the MikadO. Telegraph Lines Are Still in Condition for Service, Bat Nothing Comes as to the Progress of the De- cisive Engagement in Mnnchurin.

St. Petersburg, Aug. 31.-(2 a. m.)-- With the knowledge that the Russian and Japanese armies about Liaoyans are locked in a death struggle, the ten sion in StPetersburg tonight is strained to the utmost. It is believed here thai the fight cannot stop short of the crushing defeat of one side or the other.
 All reports so far are favorable to the Russians, though the suspension of all news for many hours has been exceedingly trying. and has given rise te several rumors somewhat temperihg the earlier enthusiasm
 It is stated officially. however. that the report that the railway and the telegraph have been cut north of Liao@ yang is untrue. A member of the general stan said to the Associated Press at midnight:
 The Wires Are Open
 T can assure you that up to this hour communication with Liaoyang has not been interrupted. General Kuropatkfn has taken particular precautions against any attempt to cut the rail- wey. While 1t is always possible that small raiding party might slip through the Russian patrols or that hired Chinese bandits might cut the telegraph, 1t Is fair supposition, in
  been done"
 The highest military authorities here consider that the most critical stage of the battle has not yet been reached. and they believe that the fight may continue for some time before either side acknowledges defeat. This is ali important consideration by the light of which to interpret any immediate news.
 It is thought here that in view of the numbers engaged. the desperate ness of the assaults and the length of Inc lihe, about seven mtes. tho losses In the tw, days lighting cannot fall short of 10.0oe on each side.
 Years Work In Balance.
 Both sides are straining every nerve, realizing that the fortunes of war for a whole year are in the scale. and neither side is in the mood or the posi- ton to spare men in the effort to achieve a final victory.
 It is estimated that the Japanese army engaged number seventeen divis- Ions of 15.000 men each. or. allowing for ineficients. about 24O,O0O men Each division has thirtysix guns and there are two independent artillery brigades of 100 guns each. mixing total of about 500 guns. The esti- mates of Russian correspondents range at from 500 to 1000 guns per side
 In the preliminary fighting of Mon day. the Russians captured two hun dred prisoners. who have already ar rived at Harbin. and report persists that they captured over forty Japa- neJe guns yesterday.
 General Kuropatkin's effective forces are variously estimated at from ITO, 900 to 100000 men.
 The Japanese Wednesday morning attacked three sides of the Russian uo- sition.
 Strike at Russian Rear
 One of the Associated Press corre- spondents also mentions d Japanese movement to the northeast of Liao- yang. showing that the Japanese were undoubtedly trying to work around Karopatkin's rear.
 One of the surprising phases of the , situation is the endurance of the men. TfSy have been engaged desperately for two days after more or less severe fEhtine under Nnfavorable conditions every day since August 24. It would seem that human endurance could not persist much longer without respite of some sort
 The Japanese are using balloons to locate the Russians guns and trenches One of the Russian correspondents of the Associated Press points out that the Japanese sent up balloon shortly after daylight to the southeast of Liao- yang.
 Artillery More Even.
 The Japanese are reported to be us- ing mortars to drop shells in the Rus sian positions. These are probably the high angle fire howitzers. which were reported in action earlier in the week IL Is plain. however. that the Japanese are no longer enjoying the superiority in artillery which stood them in such good stead in the earlier months of the war
 IL was this fighting. and that of the Japanese mountain batteries, in which arms the Russians were deficient which told with deadly effect. Now the contest is in a comparatively onen country, where both Russian field guns and Russian cavalry can come to more effective use.