Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-08
RUSSIANS EVACUATE
LINE ALONG Shake

LIVE REON0 SHHh u c
Continued From Page One)
front and east of Witosan. The infan.
try was closely engaged while the
Russian batteries shelled the trenches
and search lights were used to nlu
inmate the battlefield.
! Use Hand Grenades.
| Hand grenades were employed free
ly in close fighting.
! Monday night the Russians attempt
ed 10 break the japanese line by cross
! ing the river west Of WitOsan but they
were repuised.
| II was quiet on this front today with
{ the exception of some artillery work.
/ This afternoon Red Cross flags were
raised in order that the wounded ~
! ing on the slopes and between the
hills might be collected.
Red Cross people were busy for sew
eral hours.
Take Opportunity to Stretch Limbs.
Soldiers from the trenches took ad-
vantage of the opportunity TO walk
about freely the first time in several
days.
Judging by the long professions Of
ambulances travelling nOrthwards the
Russians have many wounded.
During the first battle there was a
succession of snow and storms from
the north blowing constantly in the
face of the Japanese. The past three
days have been mild and sunny and
the nights sharp.
Struggle over Railroad.
Oku's Headquarters. March Ode
layedD -Oku's army continued the at
tack on the villages in the angle form
ed by the railway and the Hun river,
capturing two of them. The Rus
SLAMS are making a fierce resistance
and desperately attempting 10 hold the
railway until the main army retreats.
Both sides have brought into play
many heavy guns. The battle today
has been largely an artillery duel.
Keep Up II Front.
ST. Petersburg, March Slate this
afternoon the general staff, although
giving no details, insisted rumors of
disaster to KurOpatkin are false. and
declare the issue is not yet decided.
Neither do officials confirm the report
that Rennenkampff is in imminent dan
ger of being surrounded. On the con-
trary. they profess satisfaction at the
situation
According TO private information, the
fighting today along the whole front is
much less severe and at points COM
plete calm prevailed.
One More Russian Defeat.
St. Petersburg. March s, 2:15 a NJ
That the battle of Mukden will go
down in history with Liaoyang in the
long list of defeats is the almost uni
vcrsal belief in pessimistic St. Peters
burg. which has forgotten the meaning
of the word victory. The war office
does not admit that the issues of the
great battle, which already exceeds in
of operations and losses
that of Shakhe, has been decided.
Nothing from Kuropatkin later than
Monday has been given out, but adj
vices to St. Petersburg newspapers and
dispatches dated at 8 o'clock last night
indicate that the position of the Rus
sian army after a day of furious and
fighting. is desperate,
but not absolutely hopeless. some Rus
sian correspondents even predicting a
Russian victory soon, and one affirm
ing that the extreme Japanese left has
already begun to retire southwark.
Everything probably now depends on
reserve.
Russian Right IL Shattered.
While the Japanese hurled them
selves forward at every point yester-
day, their main energies were behind
the blow west and southwest in an at
tempt 10 enveIOp the Russian right and
drive 2 wedge through the line az Mad
zyapu, but Gen. Kuropatkin seems to
have been able successfully To change
front on the line of his shattered right.
ahgninE from the northwest 10 south
east, 10 protect the railroad TO Muk-
den and. at niEhtfall. it was reported
he was practically holding all his posi-
tons
Fleet starts ON Return.
Paris, March S.-A Temps dispatch
from Tananarivo. Island of Madagascar. 3
says the entire Russian fleet has left
the waters of Madagascar on its re-
turn 10 Jibutil French Somaliland