Show advance is costing russia untold number of men japanese are fighting until they are annihilated the dawn of the tenth day of this desperate struggle reports from russian sources give a more hopeful view of the situation of general army that commander has and holds the town of the possession of which for several days was first one and then the other ot the contending armies reports from the left russian wing the safety of which has caused much anxiety are no later than the night of october they had been fighting fortio days for the possession of tuman pass an important strategic point but up to the point of sending the last dispatch the japanese were still in possession of the pass in order that this column may be able to rejoin the main russian army it Is necessary that general kuropatkin should hold the bridges over the hun river and the position he now occupies on the river there is no indication di that the end of the great bat tie is at hand estimates of the losses show a wide divergence but are as a rule lower than those given in sundays dispatches st petersburg oct 17 a m news from the front tonight is moro reassuring from the russian standpoint the situation is still regarded legar ded as being critical but general kuropatkin Is apparently having the center and right strengthened general left has been heard from penetrated JAPANESE LINES the associated press has tho first connected report of the tour days fight in front of and Sait choun passes resulting in the final withdraw al of the strong russian column which had been sent to turn the japanese right though general seems to have actually penetrated a considerable distance inside the japan lines SUMMARY OF SITUATION the report of the operations ot the russian left still three days old and since that time no news has been received from this column the situation at this date may bo described as follows RUSSIAN CENTER ADVANCED general kuropatkin has slightly ad danced his center re occupying shak he south ot the river direct y behind him at a distance ot nine miles HUH river and across tha bridges spanning this stream the russians must retire in cabe they retreat on mukden general kuropatkin must continue to firmly hold bis center and right flank in order to prevent tha japanese getting possession of the hun river bridges the left column has not returned to mukden and whether it is again advancing after its withdrawal is not known NO AID FOR PORT ARTHUR it is no longer a question of russian sedan although all hope ot relieving port arthur must be apparently patently ly abandoned little hope is expressed that ku ro will be able to continua to advance the four days tight of the eastern column was of the same desperate character that marked the operations ot the center and right wing A heavy russian column under such leaders as ivanoff and worked havoc with heavily entrenched japanese positions on the heights finally on october came the order to withdraw here the story of the operations of the eastern wing 0 the western army ends WILL GO TO THE FRONT general griepenberg Grip who has arrived at st petersburg will go to the front tea days hence to assume the of the second manchurian Manc hurlan irmy RUSSIANS CAPTURE GUNS AND PRISONERS mukden oct 17 p m the russian forces at 11 this morning penetrated the japanese center and t is reported captured eleven or twelve guns and prisoners east of iha railway at another point during the day the siberian regiments took U guns JAPS RETIRE THIS TIME the russian operations today hava been quite successful the japanese altera terrifically stubborn resistance were compelled to retire along their whole line filled with the japanese dead in one noteworthy large trench there were counted GOO corpses of tho japanese in spite of their losses the japanese were undaunted they have brought up guns and have left no unturned to maintain tha mastery ot the situation every step he russians nave pushed forward today has been in the face of a resistance that has cost the russians dearly the japanese seem to be willing to fight untimely are tomorrow will behe tenth day of the battle of the russian flankin cothan on the lett oct 14 by coari CT via mukden oct 17 on oo 00 when tho japanese advance guard appeared before Satt choun pass ita eastern detachment a corresponding position before tuman pass during the night the russian signal corps intercepted a japanese flashlight showing the japanese artillery waa to shell russian positions where batteries were posted at th therefore shifted their positions during the night and in the morning the japanese furi the ground october catli the russian fight lag la consisted of our regiments or the east siberian rifle on the right flank and tao third army corps on the left BEGAN EARLY the battle bagna at on the morning allta the bat tario on the flank opened up an three japanese batteries to the right Salt choun pass Is a double pass the main defense being to the left over topped by high rocky mountains while to the right are rocky ridges general Gerngross os corps was assigned to capture the passes by frontal attack and the remainder of the russian troops were to turn the japanese position and take them on the flaak and rear the russian right advance was commanded by its chief of division while general Kendra lovitch who was continually with the troops at the front tho left RUSSIAN BATTERIES POUND POSITION the first assault was set for noon and th russian batteries pounded tho japanese position searching out their divisions wherever possible the russian artillery was rapidly followed up by the infantry advance the cannon firo being continued first on one and then on another of the eminences which were seamed witha japanese trenches from base to summit ADVANCE HUGGED THE GROUND the rattle of volley was deafening the japanese fought desperately their positions were so steep that the attacking russians could make no headway in face of the murderous fire fire of the japanese while advance companies lay down hugging the ground till evening and repulsing the japanese advances from the trenches the main body stopped fighting until evening when it was renewed vigorously BAYONETS ANU CLUBS when the fight was renewed the russians scrambled forwards the thirty fourth regiment was the first to reach tho trenches going with the bayonet at the japanese who fought with clubs rocks swords bayonets and revolvers vol vers it was an indescribable melee the russian reserves were ordered up to support the gallant thirty fourth in its uphill fight and aided by the thirty sixth tho russians carried two lines of trendier tren dies after which the men lay down dead tired in the japanese shelters till dawn then it was discovered that while the attacking forces were about on a level with the passes they were only halfway up the height which was commanded by the japanese positions in these circumstances the russians were forced to withdraw JAPS FAIL TO DISLODGE while this attack was going on the russian right also carried several heights by the japanese after a fierce resistance the japanese then resumed the offensive rushing forward in a great wave but falling to dislodge the russians from the position they had gained RUSSIAN ARTILLERY EFFECTIVE on the morning of october the russian batteries again signalled signal led the beginning of another days fighting one battery silenced some japanese guns then another battery opened on the russians but a concentrated volley smothered that fire then the russian infantry advanced to ane attack and the fight became general the left was heavily engaged pass was turned by detachments of the third thirty third and thirty second regiments more japanese batteries appeared on the one of these particularly annoying was located by captain michaelis whose guns getting the range literally blew it to pieces from the russian positions logs which farmed the protective works for the japanese guns could be seen thrown high in abo air by the exploding shells the whole day passed without making much headway and the russian troops were again forced to seek the shelter of the rocky slopes there to wait until nightfall a fresh assault was planned Pos siet oct 17 it is reported that 1700 japanese are at bensan and that korean troops aggregating occupied kanga aukon and benyan A detachment of cossacks Cob sacks was overpowered and disarmed by the aukon troops it Is reported that the japanese intend wintering ah seoul but defensive works are being constructed at bensan and also at kampin from which latter place the governor and other officials fled before it was pied by the japanese RUSSIAN BATTERIES ADVANCED the morning of october col martinott Martino tr chief of artillery inspected all russian batteries and then moved forward the japanese held with particular tenacity onto the left flank but a regiment was cent to his support and ho turned back the japanese toward noon several fresh japanese batteries appeared on the heights firing high explosives tho first siberian battery changing ground cams under their alro and lost 17 men in crossing an open space two hundred yards wide most of the russian guns however were hidden in defiles and suffered little loss the japanese shells falling short ono rich shot aad wounded tho awse ridden by the writer of this dispatch and also hi servant the russian batteries finally got the range of the japanese batteries and silenced them all JAPS EVACUATED after dinner a great baay chinese fugitives came into the russian lines reporting that the Japa neso were preparing to evacuate the villages of and igawa the russians then moved forward and at C in the afternoon occupied the passes as the japanese RUSSIA BUYING CRUISERS london oct IS the dally telegraphs BE petersburg correspondent gives credit to the report that rus bit la purchasing seven fast cruisers three each from chile and argentine and one from brazil st petersburg oct 18 a m the first list of casualties among of bleers in tho fighting below mukden shows killed 26 missing 6 JAPS MAY TRY TO REACH MUKDEN headquarters of general okus lett army in the field oct 15 3 p m via tien tsin oct 17 the russians last night retired along the eastern i line except on the extreme right where they made a strong stand at Liu station and in the chinese villages nearby unexpected RUSSIAN STAND early in the evening the japanese advanced but wera unable to drive the russians out tho japanese attempted to cut through along the railway in order to prevent a russian retreat this determined russian stand wag largely unexpected tho rest of the line having withdrawn RUSSIANS ADVANCED at the russians attacked the japanese line and after a hard fight lasting four hours were driven back with heavy loss the opposing forces spent the night within rifle range of each other and kept up a constant exchange of rifle fire the guns banged away all night throwing thousands of shells into both camps at dawn the russians again attacked and were again repulsed with heavy losses RUSSIANS PRESSED BACK this morning the japanese succeeded in advancing slowly pressing tho russians back the fighting is still in progress and the japanese have captured tho railway station the russians made a most determined stand at a village just cast of the railway and 14 miles south ol 01 mukden lamutis completes the line aimed forby the japanese last night the japanese took a village to the left of lamotle and this morning they took one to the right A deep wide river connects the tree villages with about forty guns to the northwest of lamutis the japanese made a direct attack the village to the right was taken by two companies of infantry who advanced under cover of the river bank an advance was then made to the east along the north bank of the river PROTECTED transportation behind the russian guns are lines of great baggage and ammunition trains and the determined resistance was for the purpose of protecting these until the retreat should be accomplished complis hed large numbers of infantry were seen retreating all day they were shelled by he japanese heavily the fighting along this line for the last forty eight hours was the heaviest of the entire battle the russians had a division and a half engaged and they were frequently exchanging the troops for fresher men they had over fifty guns the japanese had about the same force including the heavy guns captured at the battle of hill HEAVY casualties the losses during the six days fighting have been very heavy in front of a portion of the left army fifteen hundred dead were found in the first four days indicating that the casualties have been not less than the estimates of russian losses from tho six days fighting run from to the japanese casualties have not been estimated but it Is believed they will be much less than the russian it is believed the russians propose to offer resistance along the hun river outside of mukden the japanese probably will push forward with a view to fore ing an entrance to mukden as soon as possible during the first four days fighting the left army captured over two hundred prisoners itis reported that the right army took many than this number TURNED OVER COMMAND san francisco oct 17 at noon today major general arthur macarthur formally turned over the command of the military department of california to brigadier general francis moore and then went to his new offices in the grant building where hs will con his duties as commander of the division of the pacific comprising tho departments of california and the columbia WILL AGAIN COMB OUT OP THE TOMB esopus N Y oct 17 A party of new jersey democrats la expected here next wednesday when audgo parker will respond to an address no definite arrangements have been made but it la understood that adge will speak against alleged extravagance in governmental departments STARTLING revelations concerning DRUGS new york oct 17 in asking relief from a suspended sentence for a druff dork attorney battle said the clerk had given information about the persons responsible for nearly all the imitations of well known drug articles in the country if he keeps his word as I 1 believe he will said he one of the most startling announcements noun cements affecting drug stores in this city and country will be made in a few days the people concerned are some of the biggest most and responsible in the business lyons the clerk was released VERDICT AFFIRMED st paul oct tle the united states circuit court ot appeals has affirmed the verdict 0 guilty the fine and sentence of the united states district court of st louis in the case of john P dolan frank garratt and thomas E barrett indicted for naturalization frauds DECISION WAS REVERSED san francisco oct 17 in the case ot A W fox against J 0 B guan and T W draper the circuit court of appeals today reversed the decision of the court of oregon and gave judgment for gunn and draper the case was remanded to the lower court to be dealt with in accordance with this judgment pox brought the action to regain an interest in mining property of which he was justly deprived by gunn and draper tho interests in question are worth the mines were in josephine county oregon TRANSPORT IN quarantine san francisco oct 17 tho transport logan which has arrived from manila has been quarantined owing to the discovery of a case of smallpox small pox during the voyage tho transport brought cabin passengers including several army acers returning troops 25 military prisoners and six insane prisoners |