The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-08-02
A DOOMED CITY.
vivid Description OF the HoD'bnrdme"'
Of Rusirhuk Death In tho S'ree"
and Behind the Batteries
flight OF the Terrified
InhnbIInnIh.


Suddenly from one Of the Russian
batteries flash was seen in the centle
of globe of graylsh white smoke, ana I
shell sped screaming over kustchuK U
explode on the slope Of the hill crowned
by Fort Hanamdji, 1t was the sigma
for the bombardment. Immediately
! after it seemed as if every Russian gun
was fired simultaneously, for the earti
fairly trembed with The roar OF the
artillery and the shells flew over lhe
doomed city with an awful ana lhuc'
scribable sound. ,.touo
Although the Roumanian shore above,
below. and in front Of Giurgevo was
entire " obscured by the smoke from tlle
Russian guns, the Turkish balterleS,
promptIy opened an answering ire, anu
coon nothing could be seen on the river
banks but dense rolling volumes VI
smoke, through which, almost every Two
seconds flashes would dart like lightning
,hrm,gb storm clouds. Boom, boom, went
the Turkish guns, with an uninterrupted
regularity, although the RUSSIAN SheIls
were ialllnB III anu "i'"'
with fatal precision. ,
Tnis extraordinary artillery duel was
maintained at a range OF not more IMAM
2 GOO wards. The guns on both sides
being heavy pieces, the fire was direct
and the trajectory of the missiles very
fiat Consequently every object hit in
Rrstchuk was rent and torn by pene-
tration or demolished by the explosion
that followed. The effects OF the Turk
i,h fire could only be observed at inter
walls, when the smoke would clear a
little; but it is evident that considerable
damage was inflicted on TIE Russian
batteries.
The terribly effective character of the
Russian fire can scarcely be described
The gunners seem to have directed every
shot at Rustchuk without regard to the
buildings liable to be injured. Shell after
shell came crashing through the roofs
Of the houses and burying themselves
in the floors, where they exploded, de
moishing the walls The mosques
seemed to be selected as particular tar
gets at times, tor two, three, and offer
more shells would fall on aud arounc
Them tearing pinnacle and dome will
fearful effect.
Not even the hospitals were spared by
this awful rain of shells. Several o
these buildings happened to be quite ex
posed, and, although surmOunted by flag
indicating their character, they were in
volved in the storm and their inmates ii
many cases were killed in their beds
This has caused the utmost indignation
among the Turks, and the authorize
have requested the foreign consuls t.
testify to the occurrence, so that the port'
may make formal protest against wha
it deems to be uncivilized warfare.
Although the flags of England anc
other European powers were displayed
over their respective cOnsulates, the Rus
sian fire did not spare these buildings
The guns were aimed at Rustchuk anC
everything animate and inanimate within
its limits. Shells have no neutrality ant
do not discriminate between consulates
mosques and hospitals.
The unfortunate inhabitants OF Rust
chuk suffered terribly during the bonn
bardment. Hid away in deep recesses
or sheltered behind thick walls, the Rus
sian shells found and destroyed them. As
they darted through the streets TOWARD
places of greater security their bodie'
were scattered in fragments by the ex
plosion of thes7 terrible missiles. Wo
men flying from their burning or ruined
homes were killed as they ran. Little
children, ella, ped in the arms of their ter
rifcd parents. were struck dead by the
fatal fragments. The scene was one o.
unqualified horror throughout.
such of the people az could muster up
courage to fly from their hooks of shelter
have hurried away to the interior. The
ruin Of the town is almost complete
the Qualifications are practically intact
and not much dsmaged,-Rstchuk Cor
". y UFrdM.