New-York tribune., 1877-05-16

,;szs 24l "a ..1s.s ~ - e's'I.uai1
| selimo3. 80. K.rnabata A-aos2 -eel---l
As the traveller approaches il from the INTERIOR Rust
chuk presents novel and picturesque appearance "'n
its white chinncys mosques and minaretS rising from
forest of ft frees Beyond lies the Danube, two miles
wide with islands and sand bars 10 retdrd ITS current
and deract from the grandeur OF other pafts ol c
river. The has a population OF ab""t "o'ooo Hnu
an extensive trade carried with Vienna IN coth'
indigo corn, and wine. II is the most important turkish
town i'm n manufacturing sense the Danube IL CON
tains nine mosques and several Greek ana Armenian
churches. synagogues and baths ana Is inc seat VI
Greek archbishop. II has been the scene oi severn" o
gagements between Russia aud Turkey curing tue ce-
turv In 1910 it was besicgcd for several weeks
and finally surrendered to tie Russians Aiter
its evacuation. in 1912, the Russians Ourheu
IT, but IL was soon rebuilt and what IL now
the town o. Giurgcyo, the other side OF tie Dahupc'
was constructed ortiic bridge head In Is-9 Tue
treaty Of Adranope compelled the Turks 20 rae tuc''
works TO the ground they rebuilt again III Is17
at the opring Of the Danubiau campaign Ihe kus5i'S
then occupied Giugcvo ana the Turks Iuslchuh several
months passing in which both armies at'epteu 20 h""o
passage until ut last the Turks made iooiHou on one
OF the islands and eventually captured GuIse'o' inc
Russian, retiring Bucharest THIS was e last Scilo"'
opeul.d conflict Of that campaign Tho forthcatioh5
of the town nave been improved during the past ie"
and an attempt by the Russians now to cross the
river could be powerfully resisted. correspondent OF
The Loud0a Nc,cS, who passed down the river on April
% writes that for distance Of three miles along the
margin of the strcam-from far above the town 10 ue
bluf far below 1.-THE ban, thickly studded with
rartbwork batteries some looking due across
the ri er some facing up stream, others
fronting down stream, so that the cannon
mounted behind the massive parapcts-Srdnting that
tLcy are thrrc-can sweep with front and h'h1hs hfe
the whole broad bosom The Danube 50 Thoroughly 'hEt
boat could not run the gauntlet OF their iron hail
,,t Tiyp is
that s thus protected. Behind the low bluff along the
bank an uuiula ng plateau, about two mics broad cA-
tends backward to continuous risire ground having
series of ko's upo.s surface on each Of these knobs
is an ntreuchcd work 50 lar as inc correspondents
coul see with hi, glass from tie river, the ridge above
is great ntrcncled camp with an elaborate e'F'h-
yor, r,loubf o each flank and another In the center
The foriiGcaon5 thus consist OF three lines all oi Wh'h
"are extremely formidable" The troops around Rust
chnE uuulegr, about 2OO0O men, some OF whom were
engaged in thc construction Of pontoon bridge VINE
nc, lvors were in progress OF construction every
whore.
sui.frl is a srongyfortifcd Turkish town, which has
been monument i the of the past hundred years
Il has pap Of about 10000, has several mosques
large Grcc, church and convent capaciouS "air"thH
and public baths. The chief trade Is in wool ana c''t".
It. very auc,ut city and in the vicinity are thc TO
mains Of fo.ta,itious which were erected during the
| Pyzantine Empire. In 97I the omucror routed the
Russian. under S,iatoslav. In 1873 IL was again be-
scgcI by thc uasian', and still again in 1873, Wien
they .uG red severe losses In 1910 II caritu!he"-tha
frs. and only time but ono in history In ISIS another
siege was Iaid and continued several months The Rus
ors at last rcr1ng IL 1922 however, it reduced,
and held as pledge for the payment OF an Indemnity by
Ia. Porte When troubles with Russia were app"f-
ent in 1890 the fortifcdtions were greatly s,rengi
encd 10y the addition of twelve detached forts, OF which
tic one on the hi commanding the town Is said 10 ne
on, of tine best military works OF The time. In April,
] lao, ytf1 a IfI--I
which was aftcrward increased t. 10000, ana segr
! begun which continued until the lat OF Juiy.
! bomblIdmcnt kept up for three weeks, midnight
attacks were made, 10000 men attempted to gain tie
town. but all without The Russians retired ad
rcrcatcd across, IL. river 1t Is recorded that 10000
shot AID she'll were thrown upon the town, while the
Russians lost 1900 men and had 10000 laid dp IN
! hospitals.
Valna lies Oh the northern side OF a small bay Of the
Black Sea- has good anchorage for ships OF small bur
dcn Is the terminus OF a railroad. and like Rustcuk snd
siistra has been "a frequent warlkc operations
TIE sea side defended 10y three powerful batteries, ald
n ships OF larc, size could approach tan for
b0mbardmcut purposes these de.enscs are considered
sufficient for the defense Of the harbOr On the land siGc
the city is completely inclCscd by WALL and at every
favorable place basnns have been thrown ont ard are
heavily armed few years ago they were in good or-
der. An English military traveller who visited the city
| in 1888 wrote: "Varna may be considered second
elias, fortress, capable ot making protrIccd d'fcse
aud OF the best Oi tie very few harbos on
the western Of Black it is position a. the
utmost importance" II is very old town, is Oh Tie Site
Of ancient OGeisu5 which founded by the Nile u'
was captured by Bugarians in the seventh century;
Sultan Amurah IL in 14li defeated the king Poland
there IN battle; in 1910 the Dnicpcr Cossacks took the
town and rescued several thousand Christians from Iur-
isu bondage; resisted Russian attack in 1883; IN
ls29 1t surrendered 10 the Russian, after three months
siege and in 1-5f, when occupied by Turkey and the
| . ,arF Ff..f H - AH1a4