The Irish standard., 1905-03-11
RUSSIANS EvACUATE Shake
RIVER LINE WITH JAPS
IN CLOSE PURSUIT.
FALL OF MUKDEN is
MOMENTARiLY EXPECTED
st. Petersburg Officials Brand Reports
of Disaster as False-Profess Sat-
isfaction at Situation - Capital
Breathlessly Awaits News.

treating the Russians set fire to great
heaps of supplies which burned throug-
out the night. The fall of Mukden ap-
pears imminent. The japanese are
pushing the Russians hard on the east.
Russians in Retreat.
Toxic, March 9. - The following dis
patch was received from the headquar-
tiers of the japanese armies in Man.
churia Wednesday,: Our force which
has been engaging superior force of
the enemy in the neighborhod OF Ma
chuntan (southeast of Mukden), dis
lodged the enemy from his position at
eight o'clock Thursday morning and is
now pursuing him northward."
Rumors of Disasters Declared False.
st. Petersburg, March 8. - Late
Wednesday afternoon the general staff,
although declining to give details, in
sists that the rumors of disaster to Gen.
Kuropatkin are false, declaring that the
issue is not yet decided Neither do the
officials confirm the report that Gen.
Rennenkampff is in imminent danger of
being surrounded. On the contrary they
profess satisfaction at the situation.
According to private information the
fighting Wednesday along the whole
front was much less severe and at points
complete calm prevailed.
Communications Not Interrupted.
St. Petersburg, March 9.-The current
rumors that Gen. kuropatkins lines Of
communication have been cut are de-
MED here on high authority. A cipher
dispatch from Kuropatkin to Emperor
Nicholas, containing a report of the
days operations, was received shortly
after noon Friday and was immediate
ly transmitted to Tsarskoe-Selo. Its
contents are unknown except that
Kuropatkin at nightfall still held Muk-
den. 1t is reported from high source
that the position of the Russian left is
critical. Compelled by the failure of
Gems. Oku and Nogi to crush the Rus
sian right Tuesday, Field Marshal Oya-
ma again transferred the weight to his
right, and Gen. Kurolli succeeded in
driving in wedge between Gen. Line
vitch's main army and Gen. Rennen-
kampff's corps, which is the extreme
left. The latter is declared to be in
grave danger of being cut off or sur
rounded.
Unwelco1ne Rumors Ahoat.
With the fate of the gigantic struggle
between Gen. Kuropatkina and Field Mar
shall Oyama probably already decided
St. Petersburg is waiting brealhless for
news from the seat OF war. There
We're ugly rumors circulating in the
|streets that the day was lost and that
the Russian army was in full and dis
orderly retreat with only the gallant
rear guard fighting off the victorious
japanese. Public interest is at high
er pitch than at any time during the
var. From different motives every
|c.ass is most eager to learn the result
of the battle. Groups surrounded the
bulletin boards and the evening edi-
tons of the newspapers were snatched
from the hands of the newsboys.
Japs Nearing Mukden.
Gen. Kurolsi's Headquarters in the
Field. March Z, via Fusan, Delayed
in transmission. - The tenth day OF
the Japanese attack finds the bat
tie progressing favorably. Its lone
duration was expected and it will
probably continue several days
more before it is concluded. The
japanese forces have reached nearly to
Mukden. within two miles of the rail.
way, and are bombarding strongly. The
Russians are everywhere making des-
perate resistance, frequently trying Of
fensive operations and arranging every
defensive device of modern warfare
The fighting resembles siege more
than field battle. The past two nights
there has been hard fighting in front and
east of Witosan The infantry were
closely engaged while the Russian bat
teries shelled the trenches and star
shells were used to illuminate the bat
tletield. Hand grenades are employed
freely in close fighting. Monday night
the Russians attempted to break the
japanese line by crossing the river west
Of Witosan, but they were repulsed
Judging by the long professions of am
balances travelling northward the Rus.
SLAMS have many wounded.
Japs Extending Their Forces.
Mukden, March 9. - The chief OBJ.
jects of the bloody, titanic combat wesi
of Mukden Tuesday were the villages
of Ushuntun, seven miles west of Muk.
den station, and Tatchekiao, where the
results practically were draw, but q
further turning movement has devel-
oped. The Japanese are extending their
forces still further toward Tie pass. Al
dawn, after night broken by irregular
musketry fire and cannonading, the
fight began at Ushuntun and Tatche
kiao, both of which are large villages
nesting in the groves of tamarinds, now
bare of leaves. The houses are con.
structed with thick walls and the vii
lagos are surrounded by high clay ram
parts converting them into fortified
tons impervious to rife bullets. 1t wa
most difficult to approach these villages
and each house had to be taken singly
by hand-to-hand combats. The Rus
SLAMS, who held Ushuntun for a night
were forced to withdraw at dawn tn
next day by a fearful fire of shrapnel anG
shimose Shells under which the village
seethed as if in a caldran. But rein
forced by the brigades of rifiemen anG
reserves the Russians again advanced tt
the attack.
Under the eyes of Gen. Kaulbars, who