, 1877-12-26
infantry firing along the Brestovaec

considerable infantry firing along the Brestovaec
front.
The dams on the Tutchenftza and GrAritza
Creeks havo been closed, and no water now
reaches Flcvna from any side except tho Vid,
whcre tho rivers course h within sAnuo of the
allied ptcketlin~. Tho dams WIlt close the
mills upon which Osman depends for flour.
Dcsertcrs stato that 0sman pasha tells hss
men not 10 bo tlntaar, A. be has auhtcrranean
passage ready to enable them to make their
cscapo when tho piacc can be held no longer.
The roads are generally IN good condition, and
the troops around rlcsna arc veil 1.uttcd.
DEC. t.-The first day OF winter was ushereii
In by dense fog, followed about II by heavy
shower Of raEn. During the early part Of the
day there mas very little firing. but at 8 this
who'e line, and continued lnccs.antly Tor .
short time, during which tltno several thousands
nt shells wcre thrown Into tho Turkish lines. It
was the heaviest artillery fro since tho COM
guns added to the fog hns rendered tho night
80 intensely tark that It Is utterly I'm
possible to SEQ anything, the men and
officers being obliged to carry lanterns
to-nfght would certainly produce n confusion TO
Which 10 description could do fustife, Turks
and Russians would soon become so hopclesslv
mixed up that there could be no firing without
cqual rtsk 10 ftfend and foe; and II the sfosIem.
devoted thcmselrcs 10 running. away instead Of
stopping to fight, It IL extremely probable that
the 1nrRor portion would steceed In escapfnr.
Should Osninn fasf,a attempt sortic. he would
IN gil probability abandon Ills artillery and train.
and, giving his men a. nauY days' rniious Al
they could conveniently carry. mako the A.
tempt tempt to save the greatest possible number Of
Tho Russfans hasc succeeded In bringing largo
nftAnttf1n4 Ef Atf}tfrfV amn1t05f10n fheiT Hrti
dcpots during the tfne WEATHER Of the last two
montha. II their cotnmtssartat supplies werc ~
we'll arranged a. tfle ammunition dcpote, there
maintain n .o ssss q fev"a fI ns to tho ena oi
Osinan rasha's stock. Of storcs. Tho Russian
eofdicrs havo excellent huts. for winter QUAR-
ters, the roofs hcing covered with sods, cement
q sspe the s e
tcrnroof, and the interiors orc we'll provided
with strnw. Each hut has fireplace and chin.
ne!, and, m tncfo "a plenty Of fuel In this part
OF bulgaria. the soldiers are comfortable enough
when not III tho trenches.
It Is exceedingly difficult for correspondent
to witch the sIeKa operations Around PlcvRa, ma
the petitions aEe 70 continually obscurcd bY
dense togs. To-day had q fruitlcss ride IN tho
rain to the Hfcatovec lthcs, ~ upon arrival tho
mist Ind become 10 thick that It was impossible
to sec ffty yards in front. These u,tsts and
showers Of rain follow The heavy satyoes OF ar
tiller1 10 regularly that It ls almost Impossible
Of the atmosphere cnused By the bombar1mcnt.
Forty wagon loads OF wounded arrived hero
last night from tho scene Of 0ourko's opera
tions southeast OF Orkhantc.
am writing, at 7tonisht, It has begun again IN
a dismal way, rendering the darkness still moro
fntcnsc, It such a thing is posa1hfo. Tho artlt-
1ery and rides arc quiet. and 4 gloomy silence
relHna supreme aruurd the rain -dreuched
trenches Of P1cvna.
DE. 2.-As tho fog disappeared and the night
became starlight tho artll1cry Of the whole line
opened at once With salvo, and tho firing con-
Intervals uncil tlaybrcak, when a general BON.
bartlmcnt began east Of tno Vld, and continued
for two hours. Tho sui shone bright and warm.
and tho atmosphere has been like a day In
cheYo 1ltil, and as this has been tho 1rst really
clear day around Pleyna since the rcstric-
tlons upou correspondents wero removed, was
ablu to obtain i very Interesting view OF tho
could SEQ that there wore about 5o0 ca.tla graz.
ing upon the hillsldcs, aud that there wcro nti-
mcrous objects. which. in tho dim light en-
ve!oping Canaan Pashas lines, we're naturally
them for tuch at irst, but, after several houfs'
careful watching, found they wcro tent tops ria
inr aboyn ridges and other inanimatc thingk
which never changed position. The atmos.
See thai the pasturaGo inside Osman's lines was
Tho Town OF P1evna ttsclt Is really but littla
injured when Tho number Of Ehe!ls fired into Il
Il taken into account. The Turkish lines around
plcyna resemble the rim of an irregular;shaped
basin, Will, the urav!tza Creek making docp In
dcnsatfons Ia tuo s!des OF It; cansequently when
tue atmosphere IL a. clnar as It was to-day, m
observer standing upon the Russian fortfhca-
ttons near Kad!chevo can aee ite whole interior
OF the Moslcul position. with all tho camps and
earthworks. Tie tnore / sec OF tho Ncyna
positions, tho less esteem Ostnan Pasha'a mill
tary science, ,anl the 0cneralshp Of the Kus.
famous. Had The Grand Duke cotnmanding-tn.
CHEF pursued tho proper strategy, 0srnan would
have remained behind his earlhworkst unknown
to fame, or have been compelled to risk IN at
army. When the war Is over aud European ox.
perts examine the theatre Of MAR In bulgaria,
aln fully convinced that their verdict Will cor
| rtspoud With tbp opinions aboYc expressed.
Idiscoycsed to-day for tho first time sotne In
terror lines Of r1c-trcuches and several doutts
built on the inside slope Of tho basin. Ali tho
Turkish camps aud butts arc III full ytcw. and Il
Is forclble commentary on artillery fire that
tonable. Between Radichpvo and Ilcyna tho
[ lines arc nnw Yery near together, and tho con-
| slant cracking OF rttcs ts heard during tho
greater part Of the day and night; but, Is both
amounts to nothing mora than vaste oi I'm.
munttiou. Tho canionadng continued to-day
| In single shots until 4, wheu It ceased for the
day. Tho Arat Tur rkiAh reduuht touta OK Flevna
replied to the Russian fro truul two guns. most
Of tho shells exploding. For three hours
watched the nriug from tho batteries and tho
trenches, aud neyer saw single man carried ia
tho rear on sha Russian sids. Tho Turkish re,
doubts lining the Tutchsultza rartns are
uuinjurcd-la fact, the five lying under
tho guns on tho Russian height Of Radieheva
arc tho only cues battered 70 PIECES. This |.
| noH tho weakest point OF the T4tklsh line, aud
/ would not be surprised to SEQ 1t broken and
carried very suot,, as the Russians aro driving !
reuan-shaped screa Vi tFsnchcs Into thls part ot
the enemy'a detenses.
Tbs ilea suggested itself to mo to-day that
| the forces Ut 0s,nAn Phslk arc much weaker in
numbers than Is generally supposed. Thirty
st1 Turks With age oti!c9r4, captured on s!' the
of tLcsn wero barefooted; and ~ sb<
poor fellows stood In the cotd, c1aunny
mud, could not but wonder rhere those
good boots which had been supplied to
uverJ man, and which wero telegrapheI about
from tho Turkish sldo to London Journal had
gone. Very few OF them had oscrcoata. i |.
sheer cruelty 10 keep bravo man In ths hcld ii
this season OF the year without covering fol
their feet, and with nothing but = thin, ragged