The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-02-04
BATTLE in THE SNOW
PORT ARTHUR HEROES ADMINS.
TER CRUSHING BLOW.
Russians Began the Advance and
We're Allowed to Take Several
Positions Because Of Reluctance
OF Oyama to Send Hen Out In
Binding Storm.

Tokyo, Jan. 31.-The troops which
twice captured Port Arthur. once from
the Chinese and then again from the
Russians, have administered defeat
to Gen. Kuropatkin's army from which
it cannot possibly recover during the
winter. Field Marshal Oyama has
sent dispatch to imperial headquar-
ters indicating that the conquerors OF
Port Arthur were sent by him to meet
the enemy in the bloody battle just de-
cided, owing to their long practice un-
der arms and their tried ability to
withstand the hardships Of awful Man.
churian winter.
The result Of the struggle SO far has
proved the wisdom of his course. Ev-
cry dispatch received from the front
tells of winter horrors such as no other
battling army had to contend with.
Many inches of snow cover the coun-
trfy as far as the eye can see. The
ridges are snow filed. Avalanche on
avalanche has tumbled into the
trenches inflioting untold suffering
upon the soldiers therein.
More men have been incapacitated
by the ravages Of the cold than by
Russian bullets, and it is no uncommon
sight to meet whole groups Of Japan
csc soldiers Frustrated in the deep
snow, unable to move. benumbed with
cold. their hands and feet and faces
and the driving snow pill.
ing up over them like grave.
Binding Snowstorm Raging.
From the first hour Of the struggle
to the hour when the last telegram
reached here, binding snowstorm
has been bowling over the battlefield.
The descriptions received here make it
almost incredible that Gen. Kuropat-
kin should have decided to begin his
advance movement in the face Of such
conditions. but he doubtless figured
that his men would be more impervi-
Gus against the terrible cold and wind
than the Japanese. At times the
movements Of the regiments were 80
slow that they seemed to be rooted in
the snow, only swaying slightly for.
ward under tho pressure Of the bliz-
zard.
Field Marshal Oyama's dispatches
have convinced the military authori-
ties here that he was by no means anx-
ious to engage in battle and in fact
permitted the Russians to take several
positions in his vicinity to save the
troops from the unspeakable strain of
fighting in the storm.
But the Russian advance was made
with such energy and determination
by large bodies Of troops occupying
miles of ground that Oyama finally de-
cided to accept the cnhallenge.
a large portion of Gen. Nogi's army,
both his regulars and his reserves,
were placed in the vanguard. Among
them were thousands of veterans of the
China japanese war who, having done
service in Manchuria in the winter,
were able to make progress and use
their arms where the less seasoned
troopers would have been paralyzed.
Greater Than Port Arthur.
The victory gained over the Russian
right army is considered here even
greater feat than was .he capture of
Port Arthur, for while the battle ragged
there were no trenches to seek protec-
ton in and every shot of the enemy
was made more deadly by the indie
scribable cold.
Gen. Cku telegraphs that he is en-
gagged in executing an enveloping
movement around the Russian forces
which, by occupying the neighbor.
hood Of Pokotasi, are protecting the
Russian left. If he succeeds he will
have separated the Russian left army
from the center, leaving it at the mer-
cy Of the Japanese now crossing the
Hun river to the right shore, where
Field Marshal Oyama intepdss making
his victory complete.
Conservative estimates received from
correspondents at the front place our
losses at at least 5000 killed and
wounded, but all agree that the Rus
sian casualties were twice as many.
This fact leads the authorities here to
believe that Kuropatkin was under or
ders to win the battle, no matter at
what cost, and that he began his move
ment with disregard of human life
oven moro anna ling than that which