New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-02
WAR SCENES AND TOPICS.
ON TO THE BALKAN.

Military writers have described Bulgaria as
a vast fortress, the Danube being the wet ditch, the
gentle slol The balkan to the river beng the gacs
nd the mountain range the rampant. The RusS'ahs
have crossed the ditch and the glacs now lies IN 'front.' O
them Midway between the ditch ard the rampant is a
line NJ fine strong ODDS which serve the double purpose
of advance toss of tie mouutn barrier and points n
qppi OF tie for;resscs the Danube Narna lies directly
south of Ccrnavod; Shuua the center OF this second
line OF defense is south OF sstria; OSman Bazar and
Pravad are wretched villages west and east OF Shumla
and finally Tiruova at the left of the ii e. is midway
ctwecn the Balkan aud ~isOya where the Russians have
,.srd the Danube. The roads from Rustchuk AID SIS
iowa meet Il few mics north Of TlInova. THIS Is The
auc en capital of Bulgaria. IL lies in mountain basin
, thousand feet ia depth, followed out by the river
Jantia and surrounded by forest Of hnden chestnut
aud fruit trees tou-uc of land nearly cuts the D'sn
I'm half aud on each side well rs on The plateau the
hon are built At the extremity of this tongue Is an
ancient castc built elevated rock and connected
" bIidee With the town. The Turks have a'wns
mated Tlrnova. aud the town is now ~ ruins It's position
Il naturally a very strong one but the artificial deenses
are insignificant. There three roads leading across
tie mountains from Tlrnova. Two OF these arr barely
more than birdie pas The other is by the lofty pass OF
Gabrova 10 Kcsaulik and leads over Roman cauSe"av
1T for artillery. until the crest reached TIE mountains
at this Gabfova pass about five thousand feet high
This is one Of the three defes IN he Balkan which mill
tary critics rcgrd practical for an advancing army
THE RUSSIAN ARMY tOhIS.
The strength of the Russian army has been
Systematically exaggerated. Yesterdays dispatches
stated that the Fourth Corps entering ROumana by
WAY of Bolgrad This corps has evidently been covering
Odessa and the Crirnca and has been relieved by the
new leyIcs There are now nine corps on the Dnube IN
eadness for the invasion OF the Dohruia aud Bulgaria.
and their effective strength is about $4,000 m"n On
the extreme right Is the Ninth Corps with headquarters
at satina resting the scy at Kjova. and sup
porting the Roumanian troops at Kaaiat and Turuu-
seycrom Tie Tenth and Twelfth tOfps coDcen-
ateG between the River Aluta aud Simnitza, aud por
op of the force has crossed the Danube The Eghtl
Corps occupies the nights Sis0v Two divisions Of
the Eleventh Cops at Oltcuiza and ktarash, and
the other division probably the one that crossed the
Danube at Hirsova The Thirteenth and Fourteenth
Corps are In the Dobruda the s. venh forms the
IRENE right, with the Fourth IN reserve.
THE RUSSIAN COMMANDERS.
The commanders Of tie Russian corps on the Dan
ube are vete ans IN the service Nh. MacGahan says
that Lieut. Gen Gdnetsky, commanding tue Seventh
Corrs had "a regiment IN the siege OF Kars, whose
defence WAS 50 yalianuy conducted by Gen. Fen
wick williams Licut.-Gen. Prince Worouzoh' Tenth
Corus was wounded III tho defence Of seyastopol'
Lieut. Gen. Radetsky, Eighth CorIs, has seen long
and hard service IN the Caucasus; and the
same is true Of IeutGen Prince sehakoskoy, Eleventh
Corps Lieut. Gen. KrudeEer, ninth Corps, has seen no
war service Iieut.-Gen. Vinnoisky, Twelfth Corps
served in 1854 on the Danube LeutGen Hahn, Thir-
tecnfn CORDS commanded regiment In seyastapol dur
ing the great siege. Lcut.-Gcn. Zimmerman, fsur-
cnt Corps ac ed aide the chief OF the stan OF the
OF seyastapOl in the same eyentful period. and
af ,ward saw long service in the Caucasus Lout-Geh
Zotor commanding Fourth Corps. has also been long III
the Caucasus.