The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-08-30
Schipka Pass.

n cIOuQCAl, OH VIZ WitnCoo OA tiiC
battle In Schipka Pass, telegraphs: On
the 25th, while riding backward from
Schipka through the night. passed
| fantry, hurrying forward. Their strength
ought to secure the safety of all the i'm
portant positions. The same correspond
ent telegraphs from Bucharest, on the
26th. Information follows me that fight.
ing at the Pass is still raging, having been
again renewed to-day; btt Radetzky con-
tinues to hold his own. 1t is now ques
ton of endurance. But adhere to my i'm
preston that Schipka Pass is safe, and un.
less Suleiman Pasha can run the column
through another pass he will wreck his
army by thus dashing it continually
against Schipka. The correspondent af.
firms that Schipka Pass consists merely
of a section OF the Balksns, lower than
the surrounding heights. There is no
PASS properly So called, but merely a
track over this lower section or ridge,
which Is extremely broken aid hilly. The
highest point of the road Is fanked on
either side by spur commanding it,
and also ridge behind the first of these
two spurs can rake the road leading to the
Russian positions. The spurs break off
abruptly and precipitously, affording no
access to the valleys north of the Balkans.
Their sole use to the Turks was the afford.
ing of positions from whence to flank the
central Schipka Ridge. 1t is possible also
for troops to descend from them, struggle
through the intervening glens, and, climb
ing the steep slopes of Schipka Ridge.
give hand to each other or reach the road
which runs along its summit. This done,
the Schipka position would, of course, be
turned, but the advantage would be of
little avail till the road had been opened
by carrying the fortified positions on it.
The road over Schipka Ridge constitutes,
for an army, the only practicable line of
communication in this section of the Bal
kans.
On the 21st, when the fighting began,
the Russians we're little over 5000
strong, with forty cannon. The Russians
on this day had mines in front of their
trenches, which were exploded as the
head of the Turkish assaulting parties
were massed above them. 1t is reported
that large number of Moslems were
blown into fragments. By the evening
of the 25d, the Turks had so worked
around on both the Russian fanks that
it seemed as though the claws of
the crab were about TO close behind
the Russians, and that the Turkish
column climbing the Russian ridge would
give hand to each other on the road in
the rear of the Russian position. AT this
supreme moment the two Russian Gener-
ais, expecting momentarily to be en-
vironed, sent telegram to the Cxar tell
ing him what they expected, how they
tried to prevent it, and how, please God,
when driven into their positions they
would hold these until reinforceiments
should arrive; at all events, they and their
men would hold their ground to the last
drop Of their blood.
At six o'clock there was a lull in the
fighting. of which the Russians could take
no advantage, since the reserves we're all
engaged. The men were beaten out with
heat, fatigue, hunger and thirst. There was
no water within the Russian lines, and the
men lay painting on the bare ridge, reckless
of the fact that It was swept by the Turkish
rifle fire. Others doggedly fought on down
among the rocks, but were forced to
give ground The cliffs resounded with
the triumphant Turkish shouts. 1t was
at this iuncture that reinforcements, un-
der Radetzky. arrived. Radetzky took
of these, with others who ar
rived subsequently,. which brought up the
about 13, 900. The road, even in the rear
of the Russian positions, along which the
had TO advance, was swept
by the Turkish fire, and the reinforce
ments suffered heavily.
The object of the battle of the 24th was
to clear the Turks from the well wooded
position which hanked the Russian posi-
tions on the road. The fighting was con-
fined to musketry, and continued all day
desperately. The Russians could make
little In preston by front attack on the
Turks. The correspondent says; Occasion
ally at some point the Russians would be
hurled clean back out of the woods altugeih-
er. | could mark the Turks following
them eagerly 10 its edge, lying down
while pouring out calling fire. The
troops charged with making this front at
tack merely succeeded in preventing the
Turkish efforts to work around to the Rus.
sian rear. 1t was therefore decided at
noon to deliver counter flank movement.
The two battalions executing this move
ment had to advance under tremend-
Gus fire from the Turkish mountain
guns. The fighting on the Turkish
front and flank lasted for full
hour, but at last the Turks were
seen Withdrawing their battery of noun
tain guns near the right flank, which was
a sure sign that danger menaced it if it
stayed longer. Their left battery followed
their example, which showed that the
Russians gained the ridge on the Turkish
left also. There remained but the central
peak of the Turkish position; that carried,
the ridge would be ours, and our right
flank would be set free from dangerous
pressures on it