- On applying voltage, at the start, do both caps start charging..
Both charge up, but at different rate. The one that gets charged up first flips the other transistor first.
- Resistor 2 and 4 are both connected to the Minus side of the capacitors yet connected to a positive + rail... huh? why?
Those capacitors see reverse polarities so the polarity marking is likely to indicate that they are larger electrolytics. They should be non-polarity capacitors.