In some respects the strategical situ ation of the armies in central Manchu ria is now similar to what it was six or eight weeks before the brittle of LLioyang. Tiding and Mukden , the Eussian positions , now correspond to Liaoyang , Haicheng and Tatchekiao then. The Liao valley and the Mongo lian frontier lie to the west of the Russians , as before , while to the east are the same mountain ranges witli the Japanese forcing one after the other the passes that command the most im- portant roads. We still have the great weight of Ok'iTs and Nodzu's armies grimly astride the railroad , preventing any possible expedition to "the relief of Port Arthur , " and at the same time ready to ( leal the sledge-hammer blows that will force the Russians still farther northward when the time comes. We still have Kuroki in touch with the Russians on the east and do- Ing the most important work over the mountain trails. During the week General Kuropat- lin has reported in repeated dispatch es the progress of a part of Kuroki's force along the roads from Bcntsia- putze to Fu-llng and to the Fushun niines , which lie respectively ten and thirty miles oast of Mukden. Kaotou Pass , where there was a skirmish , fieems to be on one of these roads , wkile an official Russian dispatch from Harbin reports a fight on the south "bank of the Hun River on the road leading to Fu-lhig. The Japanese are said to have bad two divisions here , rather a. large number of men , and to have been repulsed. Farther east on the road running northward from Sai- matse , the Japanese advanced to an attack on Da Pass. An official tele gram given out at Tokio tells of the Japanese capture of Tieling , which may be one of the passes just men tioned , or some other , as it clearly cannot be the City of Tieling north of Mukden. How far and how fast these move ments will progress cannot be told , as that depends on factors of weather , transport and men , concerning which we are but poorly Informed. We may 'V ' expect , however , in due time to see , Mukden abandoned without hard fight ing , much as Haiclieng was abandon ed when the Russians were concen trating on Liaoyar.g. If this is not the case it will probably be because Kuropatkin sees hope of retaining for a while longer his control of the im portant Fushun coal mines. The opening of the circum-Baikal railroad during the week will mean much for Russia , as her re-enforce ments can now be sent forward to the full capacity of the Trans-Siberian / Railroad , and not merely to the capaci- ty of the steamers and ice-breakers -across the lake. If we had any solid facts to go on the news from Port Arthur would probably be vastly more interesting and important than that from the ar mies farther north. But we have still nothing but rumors gathered at Che- loo from refugees from Port Arthur and Dalny. The accounts agree that another general assault has been be gun , with Japanese successes at sev eral points , and we are also told that Port Arthur is in desperate straits for lood , for water and for coal. But what weight to give to the reports we -do not know. For some reason the Japanese gov ernment has thus far declined to pub lish any account of the fighting at the southern tip of the Liaotung peninsu la. ' So what is happening must be pieced out from the story of Lieuten ant Radziwill. who reached Chefoo with dispatches from Stoessel , and from "reliable Chinese , " who , In mill- HARVEST OF DEATH. .Attacks on Port Arthur Are Marked by Terrible Slaughter. Twelve thousand fresh Japanese troops have arrived to re-enforce Gen. Nogi In his siege of Port Arthur. A new bat tery of field artillery has also been turn- e < l on the city , according to official re ports received in St. Petersburg. Since the last terrific assault , in which the Japanese lost heavily , there has been an ominous silence. V'ieeroy Alexieff , in a message to the Czar , declares the food -supply of the garrison good , the defend ers in excellent spirits , but that the wat- to the com er supply is causing concern manders. Terrible havoc is beingwrought by land mines. Both sides , under cover of darkness , are undermining the fortifica tions. Quantities of shiniose , the deadly Japanese explosive , have killed many Russians. The losses of the besiegers , however , are terrible. Thousands of dead bodies have impregnated the very airtrSth death. Due to this , the health ' of the entire garrison is menaced. , \ It is also understood in official quar ters that fresh Japanese re-euforcements are continually arriving outside the be- aieged city. Despondency in St. Petersburg regard ing the situation iu Port Arthur is be coming more pronounced daily. Grounds for this feeling of pessimism have been added to in the past few days by the en- lit Ttire absence of news from Gen. Stoessel. 'Heretofore ' the Russian commander has been able to get some word through by means of vessels to Chefoo , but it is now stated the Japanese blockade is perfect n . nnd all junks or other vessels owning out of Port Arthur , or attempting to enter ? I ! the port , are seait to Dalny. Indications point to a hard winter -campaign 4n northern Korea. SCENE OP PANIC IN PORT ARTHUR. tary matters , are the most unreliable people on earth. There is no one so afraid of powder and ball as the China man. When he sees or hears an out post skirmish it seems to him like the last desperate general assault , and when he reaches Chefoo he reports of "hails of shot , " "cyclones of shell. " and 'earthquaking mines. " In the latter part of August the Japs took four outlying forts in front of Rihluug and Klkwang. They immedi ately set out to strengthen these places , and made them into most re spectable fortifications. When the next general assault starts , these forts will try to silence the guns of their Russian opposites before the infantry come into operation. If the new Japa nese forts can obtain a preponderance over Ribluug and Kikwang those places may possibly fall to general as sault. But the whole operations at Port Arthur up to the present date merely confirm the old lesson that de fenses adequately manned by resolute troops cannot be taken by frontal at tack. The Japanese are desperately brave ; they are especially good on the offense. They started at Port Arthur flushed with victory. They considered the place as holy and and went at it like crusaders. But they have come nowhere near storming it. Strong forts containing good men cannot be storm ed. ed.The The fall of Port Arthur is evident ly one of tho vital links in the Japa nese chain of strategy. Time and again have the Japenese movements been evidently thrown out by the per sistent and unexpectedly successful de fense of the Russian fortress. In their intended calendar of war the fall of Port Arthur was set for a date some months back probably in June. Then from this June fall they educed a long train of Consequences , such as the destruction or capture of the Rus sian fleet , which would allow part of the Japanese fleet to go home , repair , take on new guns in place of those worn out by constant firing , rest up its men , while the remaining ships sealed up Vladivostok. Meanwhile Nogi and his 80,000 men would be released for other work perhaps at Vladivostok. Kuroki and I War News in Brief. Port Arthur's fate is said to hinge on a single fort that the Japs are trying to capture. The people of Japan plan sacrifices at home to enable the nation to prosecute a long war. Oyama's cavalry has entered the Pu valley , which leads to the railroad north of Mukden. The Japanese have landed many troops in Korea for anadvance toward Vladivostok. Port Arthur's plight grows worse , the city being absolutely cut off from the rest of the world. Fresh troops are being added to the Japanese garrison at Bentsiaputsze , now the headquarters of the army. A mysterious foreign cruiser was sighted off San Francisco and is supposed to be the Korea , u Russian raider. Marshal Oyama is bonding all his en ergies to a flanking move of vast pro portions around the east side of Muk den. den.Ta Ta Pass was taken by the Japanese after a slight engagement The island ers are advancing an Tieling along the Uao river , according to a report from Harbin. At Mukden it is believed that the Jip- nnose will not make a frontal attack upon that city , but will seek to engage the Russians north or northeafct of there. The line of 'the Japanese army at Muk den is sixty miles long , stretching from a point near Fushun on the east to a point just south of Mukden and near" the Hun river on the west. Major General Orloff , who was blamed for the Russian defeat at Liaoyang , will be detached from the Manchnrian army by order o Ren. Kuropatkin. He may be retired SHmmarily or given a new com mand in Russia. © NPUAB NT3IAPUTZE NTAI . . Q\ PENN3UHI 0 LIAO YANG OPAUCHYWNG KOUROPATK1N PORT ARTHUR JARANE3C. EZ3 FORTS - RUSSIAN - - - - -EE3 PASS - The wide sweep of the Japanese cast- ward turning movement is Indicated in the map. Using the Taitse Illver as a means of transit , Oyama Is dispatching troops to Slanchan , thirty miles northeast of Liao- Yang. The appearance of Japanese near Kaolau Pass also is significant , nnd might he taken as a design to cross the Hun at the Fushun ford. At Port Arthur the line of Investment is drawing closer. The lo cation of Fort Kouropatkln , which is re ported captured , is pointed out. Almost directly eastward and westward are Rlh- lung and Antseshan forts , the loss of either one of which would be a serious hlow to General Stoessel. Oku obviously tarried long waiting for Port Arthur to fall. And by their tar rying they wasted much valuable time and probably inflicted a less severe whipping on Kuropatkin than would have been possible earlier. Stoessel remains a great big spoke in the Japa nese wheel. "JAPS" TAKE DA PASS. Important Point Forty-five Miles from Mukden Captured. The Japanese at last have begun the offensive. They have captured Da Pass and are pressing on Gen. Kuropatkin's left flank. It is believed the Russians abandoned Da Pass without serious re sistance. Several other passes of the Da range east of Bentsiaputze , twenty miles southeast of Mukden , are also in the hands of Japanese. Kuropatkin evidently is drawing in liis forces to the loss mountainous coun try northwest , where he may decide to give battle. Meanwhile sharp fighting if ; regarded as imminent southeast of Mukden , whence the Japanese are ex pected to deliver their main attack , the ' flank movement from the west being of secondary importance. Da Pass , or Ta Pass , meaning Great Pass , is situated about forty-five miles southeast of Mukden and about the same distance northeast of Liaqyang. It is about twenty-five miles south of the Hun river. The Japanese attacked Da Pass , which was occupied by the troops of Gens. Mishtchenko and Samson-ofJ , Sept. 24 , but , according to dispatches from Harbin , were repulsed twice. Czar to Reorganize Army. The Czar , spurred by repeated defeats at the hands of the Japanese arms on land and sea , hag decided to reorganize the Russian army. Gen. Grippenberg has been assigned to command the sec ond division of the Manchurian army , and is placed on equal footing with Gen. J Kuropatkin. Seven hundred thousand" men may soon be ready to. take th ag gressive against the Japanese. It is be-- lieved tliat Grand Duke Nicholas will be made Commander-in-chief of the Russian armies in tha lax Eas * JUDGE PARKER'S LETTER. Attacks Imperialism and Advocate ! Tariff Reform. Arraignment of imperialism and ex ecutive power based on individual caprice , demand for tariff reform on prudent lines so as not to work revo lution in existing conditions , unequiv ocal declaration in favor of Filipino independence , the urging of the im mediate curtailment of expenditures and a return to economical administra tion , and promise of a sweeping Inves tigation of all departments of the gov ernment in the event of parry success these are the distinctive features of Alton Brooks Parker's formal letter accepting the Democratic nomination for the presidency. Judge Parker digresses from the is sues he regards as standing forth pre eminent in the public mind to answer Rooscveltiau epigram and interroga tion with judicially constructed state ments on a few of the other issues in volved in the campaign. Characteriz ing the service pension order of the President as a usurpation of legisla tive power , he quotes from Mr. Roose velt's letter of acceptance , and accepts the challenge contained therein by de claring that if elected be will revoke the order. He. adds , however , that , having done so , he will contribute his effort toward the enactment of an age pension law by Congress. The lan guage of the President's letter , Judge Parker says , suggests the suspicion that the order was made to create an Issue. The duty of proceeding with due dil igence In the work of constructing the Panama canal is imperative , Judge Parker declares , but he says the meth ods by which the executive acquired the canal route and rights are a source of regret to many. Another matter discussed briefly is American shipping , forty years of de cadence being deplored , and the rec ord of the Democratic party being pointed to as giving assurance that the work of restoration can be more wisely intrusted to It. The remedy , it is declared , does not lie in subsidies wrung from the taxpayers. Attention Is directed also to the officers and men of the army and navy , both , it being declared , having suffered from the In jection of personal and political in fluence. In a paragraph devote I to foreign relations , Judge Parker says the new conditions call for a management of foreign affairs the more circumspect In that the recent "American inva sion" of markets in all parts of the world has excited the serious appre hension of all the great industrial peo ples. It is essential , he believes , to adhere strictly to the traditional pol icy regarding friendship and entang ling alliances , which means the "cul tivation of peace Instead of the glorifi cation of man , and the minding of our own business in lieu of spectacular In termeddling with the affairs of other nations. " SIXTY-TV/O DIE IN WRECK. Mistake of Engineer on Southern Rail way Causes Great Loss of I/ife. Sixty-two persons were killed and 120 Injured ( many of whom will die ) In a head on collision on the Southern Railway nineteen mines east of Knox- ville , Tenn > , at 10:18 : Saturday morn ing. ing.The The engineer of the west bound train , so investigation shows , was di rectly responsible for the disaster. Ha deliberately disobeyed orders. Why , will never be known , for he was crushed to death beneath his engine and his fireman suffered a like fate. The crash came on n sliarp curve , between high banks. The west bound train was a heavy one , it carrying the sleepers from the east for Knoxvllle , Chattanooga , aud other Southern cities. The east bound train was light er , consisting of day coaches and chair cars. It was going thirty miles an hour , the other forty. The heavy train crashed into the lighter one with the force of a giant missile hurled from a catapult. And , by the irony of fate , the engineer and the fireman of the train at fault were the only ones on that train to lose their lives , while fifty-three travelers were killed on the train that had the right of way. Expert railroad men who have seen scores of wrecks unite In saying that never have the } ' seen such an Inexpres sibly thorough smashup. The two en gines and their tenders were simply a mass of scrap iron , from which vom ited fire , smoke and steam. The light coaches of the local train were literally knocked into splinters. Roofs were smashed like crumpled envelopes , two cars had both sides torn out , floors were driven up and forced through the ceilings , catching and crushing men , women , and children as if in a vise. News of Minor Note. In a quarrel over a polo race Sergt. Boyle shot and killed Private Allen of the Port Robinson , Colo. , cavalry troop. President Hyde of the Bath iron works announced that the battleship [ Georgia would be launched Tuesday , Oct. 11. After shooting Maddie McGill , his woman companion , twice in the head and wounding Claude Gardinen , John Isaacs , n Colored man , drank carbolic acid and .ied in New York. In a deal involving more than $1,000- 000 the Dupout Powder Company of Wilmington , Del. , has taken the property of the Chattanooga Powder Company of Chattanooga. Erik Lars Didrik Edhelm , general manager of a London company , was killed instantly in Larchmout , N. Y. , by a train. It is believed he committed suicide , but no motive is apparent. The steamer Longfellow of Wilming ton , Del. , bound from Philadelphia to Yarmouth , N. S. , with a load of dyna mite , sank off shore opposite Highland Light , Mass. The crew was Cincinnati Post. GURNEY MAY BE PUNISHED. British Embassy to Be Suppliedvvitli j the Facts in the Cuae. ! It seems that Hugh Gurney , third secretary of the British embassy at Washington , who was fined 25 for driv ing his automobile too fast and § 25 more : for contempt of court by Judge P-helps of Ijee , Mass. , and who raised a row with tho judge over a question of privi lege , caone out second best after all. Gur ney pleaded official exemption from ar rest for the violation of a Massachusetts law , but 'he ' is not to esoape scot free if Gov. Bates can prevent it. The State Department , in transmitting Gov. Bates' apology to the British legation for the arrest of Mr. Gurney. will present a statement of facts nnd testimony to show that Gurney violated the plain law of Massachusetts. j Judge Pholps exhibited ignorance of . international law , but the opinion seems j to prevail that Mr. Guruey betrayed a lack of common sense , a lack of good breeding and , worst of all , a lack of dip lomacy. A man who does not know when to be complaisant and yielding and when to be tenacious of his dignity and privileges , especially when he has been guilty of disorderly conduct , will hardly shine as < a star of the first magnitude in the diplomatic sky. This is the view taken of the case in London , where it was made known at once that the government at Washington would make any reparation that was de- j sired , .but where the only feeling was I that Mr. Gurney had made 'himself ' ridic ulous. The Westminster Gazette thinks that as Mr. Gurney had violated the law he should have peaceably waived his privilege and paid his fine. If this is the general feeling it is likely that Mr. Gur ney will be conveniently dropped from the diplomatic service of 'his ' country. BIG GAINS MADE BY COLLEGES. Students Are Flockinsr to University Towns in Increased Numbers. Matriculation days at the universities are bringing students into the college towns in larger numbers than ever be fore , and reports from nearly all the larger institutions indicate that the en rollment this year will break all records. The entrance time has not expired as yet at most of the universities and the students will continue to arrive until the hour for first lectures , but estimates from registrars and deans give the fol lowing comparative table of attendance : 190i-1905 1903-190-1 ( estimated ) , ( actual ) . Harvard 4,700 4,328 Yale 3,400 3,142 Michigan 4,150 3,957 Chicago 3,420 3,119 Northwestern 4,050 3,831 Iowa 1GOO 1,393 Wisconsin 2,600 2,379 California 2,470 2,433 At the University of Michigan the greatest increase this year is in the en gineering department , which has 125 more students than registered for instruc tion last y ar. Wisconsin will have the largest freshman class in the history of the institution , and the total attendance in all departments will run above 3,000. The figures given in the table are for the academic department. An average increase of 20 per cent in all departments is reported from the Uni versity of Iowa. The University of Chi cago figures for 1903 include students registered in the summer schools. NEW WARSHIP AFLOAT. The Connecticut , Most Powerful Type in Navy , Is Launched. As the bands on the severalwarships at the New York navy yard played "The Star-Spangled Banner , " a new United States battleship slid down the ways into the water at 11:16 a. m. Thursday and Miss Alice Welles , granddaughter of President Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy , broke a bottle of champagne over the vessel's prow , naming it Connecticut. The launching was without hitch of any kind and was entirely successful. Many thousands of people witnessed the launching of this , the first battleship built in a government yard since the ill-fated Maine ; large crowds gathering at the navy yard and at various points on the Manhattan and Brooklyn sides of the East river. More than 30,000 invitations were is sued and few wer not used. Streamers and bunting were displayed in profusion everywhere around the navy yard , par ticularly on the scaffolding surrounding the enormous hirll of the new battleship. The bow w-as tastefully draped with a large American flag. Engineer W. F. Kimball and Fireman William Chapman were killed and thirty others injured in a collision between a passenger train and a freight on the Maine Central railroad near Lswiston , Me. SOME NOTABLE RAILWAY WRECKS. Following are some of the most nota ble railways wrecks this year : Jan. 5 Rock Island , at Willard , Kan , ; 17 killed , 37 hurt. Feb. 8 Canadian Pacific , near Land Point , Ont ; 14 killed , 30 hurt. Feb. 24 Chicago Great Western , Ryersville , Iowa ; 7 killed , 15 hurt. March 7 Alabama Great Southern , Kewanee , Miss. ; 5 killed , S hurt April 29 St. Louis , Iron Mountain and Southern , at Kiminswick , Mo. ; 8 killed , 40 injured. June 2 Missouri Pacific , near Mar tin City , Kan. ; 9 killed , 30 hurt ' July 3 Wabash , Litchfield , III. , Chi cago and St. Louis limited ; deaths 19 , injured 50. July 10 Erie , at Mid vale , N. J. ; 10 killed , 4G2 injured. July 12 Chicago and Eastern Illi nois , at Gleinvood , 111. ; 22 killed , 44 injured. Aug. 7 Missouri Pacific. Steel's Hol low , Colo. ; 90 killed. Aug. 31 On Grand Trunk , Rich mond , Quebec , 9 killed , 23 hurt Sept. S On Seaboard Air Line , near Monroe , N. C. ; 4 killed , 35 hurt The Populists of Idaho have nominat ed a State ticket headed by T. W. Bartley of Moscow. Francis B. Harrison. Democratic nomi nee for Lieutenant Governor of New- York , gives § 50,000 to the campaign fund. Owing to pressing business in Wash ington Secretary of the Treasury Sha-yr has canceled his Wisconsin and Illinois speaking engagements. Charles A. Towne is slated by Tam many for the place in Congress now held by W. R. Hearst , who is reported as not a candidate for renomination. Wiluam E. Curtis writes of the polit ical situation in Colorado , which really is a campaign to win a popular verdict on Gov. Pcabody's strike policy. The Montana labor and Populist con ventions indorsed the Democratic State ticket , Gov. Toole promising not to ac cept an election for United States Sen ator. ator.David David B. Hill , former Senator Wil liam P. Whyte and Senator Daniel of Virginiawill accompany Henry Gass- away Davis on his speaking tour of West Virginia. Roosevelt must decide the controversy over the proposed change in the imported cigar stamps , which has become a polit ical dilemma , with the labor union ele ment playing a prominent p-art Former Mayor A. A. Ames of Minne apolis , indicted for alleged corruption , was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Cougress in the Fifth District primaries , and drew heavy Dem ocratic support , but was defeated by Loren Fletcher. The alleged "letter" from President Roosevelt to Michael Donnelly on the meat strike proves to be a farce instead of a forgery. It originally appeared in the New York Evening Post with a pre face which explained that snch a letter might have been sent by the President. Alton B. Parker , in his letter accept ing the Democratic nomination for the presidency , criticises the Republican par ty on its stand in connection with the tariff , the acquisition of the Panama strip , government expenditures , the pos tal frauds aud reciprocity. He says the determination of the procedure against trusts lies with the judiciary and not the executive branch of the government. President Roosevelt brands as false statements made by the Democrai/c can didate for Governor of North Carolina on the President's attitude toward Confed erate veterans , Southern people in gen eral and negroes. President Roosevelt has received a let ter from Gen. Luke E. Wright in which the Governor General of the Philippines says that the talk of independence and the agitation resulting from the presi dential campaign are demoralizing the Filipinos. Old papers for sale at this office *