The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-15

from regarding the battle as lost. The
first army to retire from the fortified
positions east and southeast Of Mukden
was the Third army, which fell back to
positions similarly fortified in advance
on the north bank of the Hun river.
The burning of the abandoned stores,
provisions and forage disclosed the Rus
sian retirement, and the japanese fOI-
lowed closely. A confusion in orders
and retirement in impenetrable dark
ness across the country were responsible
for the failure of some organizations to
occupy the positions to which they mad
been assigned, and a. remarkable dust
storm the following day made it impos-
sible to verify the alignment and fill
the breaches, which the Japanese, how
ever, were lucky enough to find and
SkiIlful enough to turn to their adVan-
tage.
The Russian. positions now formed a
boot, the toe at Madyapu and the heel
on the Hun river at FuShun, about five
miles wide and to meet the apparent
danger that the Japanese might plug
the top of the boot Kuropatl1in sent
thither forty battalions from the COM
mand of General Miloff which were rem
dered available by the shortening of the
line. The Russians began to slowly
force the Japanese back at this critical
point, but the japanese in turn We're
reinforced on their extreme right, and
General KuropatI1in, seeing all appar-
emily going well at the other positions
and determining to stake all on a de-
cisive bow, collected the remainder of
the strategetic reserves strengthened by
several other units and led them per-
sonally. on March 9, to the north front
and threw them on the flank of the jap
aneSe, who were attacking SantaitSe
and endeaVoring to cut the railway.
sian side. The Japanese then retired,
abandoning a battery of eight guns,
success apparently growing the Rus
sian arms.
Order to Retreat Given.
At this moment two sets of reports
were received. the first that a column
of Japanese was moving further north
that the Japanese on the Hun river
had taken advantage of the storm
which was blowing the dust in the
Russians faces. and of the breaches
in the positions on the Hun. to thrust
a column through at Flu pass and
Kyouzan, on the insteD of the boot.
Here the fords were defended by only
three companies of the Barnual regi-
ment and a company of the Irkutusk
regiment, which were forced to retire
before Japanese cavalry and four
mountain guns
With the entire Russian strategic
reserves already engaged. it became
impossible to meet the danger in those
two sources which was imminent and
critical and at O'Clock in the even
ing the order to retire to Tie pass was
given. Through the narrow bootleg
passage, scarcely five miles wide. a
densely packed mass of transports
pressed nOrthWard, coming under the
fire of a small squadron of Japanese
cavalry and four mountain guns which
earlier in the battle had managed to
dart across the Russian line of COM
and conceal themselves in
the mountains to the eastward.
The forces of General Tserpitzky
began an orderly retirement from the
boot toe, and during March 10 Kuro-|
patkin successfully held at bay the
Japanese who were trying to reach
the railroad
The night of March 9 Mukden sta
ton presented a remarkable scene
Shortly after O. o'clock came the order
to complete the evacuation OF the sta
ton and city, with directions that
of trains northward must
be completed by o'clock in the
The enormous task was
in nine hours, including the
hasty embarkatiOnr of the wounded,
who crowded the station platform and
occupied the hospitals. Many had al
ready left in the morning, when the
private trains of kurODatkln, kaul-
bars Sakharoff, Bilderling and Zabe-
At $40 D. m. the first string of eight
trains was dispatched and a call was
sent to Tie pass for thirteen locomo-
tives.
without interrupting the northward
movement of trains was a delicate
piece of train diSpatching, but the
overworked railroad staff accom-
plished it successfully. At 3 a. M the
second string was started northward
and at GAS a. m. the last train of the
third string of sixteen departed All
the trains had fifty-two to hfty-five
cars.
Three trains contained the ammuni-
ton of the part of artillery which had
been dispatched the evening before, in
ffty-four cars; another train carried
and one was loaded with Red Cross
supplies, one with engineers depot |
supplies, three with commissariat
freight and the remainder with
The last train out was the service
train, with all the employees of the
property and station papers.
The skill, exertionS and devotion of
this little band of civilians rendered
service, the importance of which can-i
not be Overestimated for the future of
the Russian army. 5 1t saved thousands |
of wounded soldiers. an immense !
amount of ammunition and millions /
Of dollars worth of property and cash. !
It must be rem mbered that I'VE |
miles north of Mukden an unceasing |
fight was in progress. Trains carrier
had been bombarded with shlmose
shells and the railroad was twice |
damage. The trains travelled I'M
lighted and without whistling, under
eight minutes Roadway.
All about, fires biazed in gigantic /
ring, burning straw. coal. wood, corn |
and biscuit. Occasionally boxes OF car !
tridges exploded with a disagreeable, |
dry rattle, or rockets rose and burst in |
clusters of stars The flames had plen-
ty of material. as there were over $500
carloads of corn and biscuits, and over |
223, GOO cubic feet of coal, straw and mil |
let This was only the reserve com I
missariat and other stores that were de-
stroyed. The wounded crowded the sta
ton. filled every vacant place in the |
cars and the brake beams. buffers and /
roofs were occupied, while others were
hanging to the step.
The last train pulled out as General