The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-03-02
LONE TREE HILL TIE KEY.
Eighty Thousand Men Engaged In
Desperate Struggle Near Mukden.

hukABtu
Desperate Struggle Near Mukden.
LONDON. March 2. A Sachetun
Manchur,a) dispatch says that the
Japanese last night opened tremen-
dous fire with field and siege guns
against Position Qone Tree hill
Columns Of white smoke enyelop the
hill on two sides.
Poutllom hill is position Of vital
Importance, judging from the fact that
the japanese since the Russians cap
tured II In October last have made
great many attempts to obtain posses
sion Of II.
II is believed that al present 100000
men are engaged in the operations near
.Mukden. the battle line extending
about 100 miles The fighting is grow
ing in intensity. and the outcome Is
anxiously awaited here because OF the
effect It's result must have on the con
tinuance of the wara
The artillery fighting continues along
the whole front of about 100 miles.
The eastern detachment near Kondayu
has repulsed the Japanese attack. The
Japanese have also been driven in from
Tunsilai pass and from the vicinity of
Gauto pass.
At the bridge over the Shakhe river
a furious struggle continues small
wood near by has continually changed
hands. but Is now. definitely occupied
by the Japanese. 1t is rumored that
division of Japanese on the extreme
right is marching north and has reach
ed Kalama.
Every one seems to appreciate that
the outcowe of the great battle now
on between Kurokl and Kuropatkin is
likely TO end the war The attack be-
ing made by Kuropatkin on the Japa-
nese left arouses but little enthusiasm.
Defeat in this move must result in his
etreating all along the line. 1t is as
! serted in less pesslmistic quarters,
however, that IL the Russian army can
stand firm they have a good position
TO defend.
Although 1t Is not admitted at the
war office. the general impression in
military circles is that General Kuro-
patkin may be forced to withdraw.
Not only is General Kuroki threaten
ing his communications, but the re-
doubts have been to great extent
outfianked by the japanese.
dispatch from Russian army head
quarters at Huan mountain says that
after an ali night battle the Russian
forces which seized the railroad bridge
across the Shakhe river retired after
having destroyed the japanese FORTH
cations at the farther end of the bridge
and thrown the Japanese forces there
into CONSERVATION. The japanese losses
were heavy.
The redoubts at Poutiloff and Novgo-
rod hills and even the hills themselves,
keys to the position of the Russian cen.
ter, appear to be crumbllng away un-
der the impact of terrible eleven inch
shells such as leveled the Notifications
of Port Arthur and rendered the for
tress itself untenabe No troops will
be able to retain the position long il
the bombardment continues.
The advance of the right wing seems
for the moment to have come TO a
standstill.
For three days Putiloff and Noygorod
hills have been subjected to a terrific
bombardment with eleven inch shells
charged with Shimose powder. From
| "a dfstahra thn hills ioolr Ike vnipo nppS
spouting fame and great clouds of
smoke, hail of earth and stones fall
ing far beyond their bases. The Rus
sian siege batteries are answering en-
ergetically, but their fire is compare
lively Intellectual.
All is quiet on the right flank at this
time. II being reported that General
Nogi Is operating against the left flank