Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-06-30

scene. ne great, muddy Danube
rolled sullenly on between the bellig-
erents, and scarcely reflected light
on either shore. Groups of citizens
and soldiers gathered in the streets.
and in scarcely audible tones discuss
ed the probable battle of the morrow.
Many of the moro tlmid inhabitants
fed during the day to the high ground
behind the city, but as night APP
preached they began to straggle back
to their deserted homes, hoping that
the hour Of danger would pass in the
darkness Of the night. The sun had
scarcely risen on Sunday morning ere
the anxious watchers discerned
through the river mist horsemen rid
ing furiously back and forth from
Glurgevo, as these horsemen were evil
dently carrying messages between the
batteries and the town. The suspense
among the people in Rustchuk became
painful, for the belief was general that
the day would witness some impor-
tant event Of the war. Suddenly from
one of the Russian batteries flash
was seen in the center of globe Of
grayish white smoke, and shell sped
screaming over Rustchuk to explode
on the slope Of the hill crowned by
Fort Hanamdii. 1t was the signal
for the bombardment, Immediately
after If seemed as it every Russian
gun was fired simultaneously, for the
earth fairly trembled with the roar Of
the artillery, and the shells flew over
the doomed city with an awful aud
INDISPENSABLE sound. Although the
Roumanian shore above, below, and
in front Of Glurgevo was entirely OBJ
scured by the smoke from the Russian
guns, the Turkish batteries promptly
opened an answering fire, and soon
nothing could be seen on the river
banks but dense rolling volumes of
smoke, through which, almost every
two seconds, flashes would dart like
flashes Of lightning through the storm
clouds. Boom, boom went the Turk
ish guns with an uninterrupted regu-
larity, although the Russian shells
We're falling in and around the works
with fatal precision This extraor-
dinary artillery duel was maintained
at a range OF not more than 5000
yards. 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 Rust
chuk was rent and torn by penetration
or demolished by the explosion that
followed. The effects Of the Turkish
fire could only be observed at inter
walls, when the smoke would clear
| little, but ii is evident that considera.
ble damage was inflicted on the Rus
sian 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 build
ings liable to be injured. Shell after
shell came crushing the roofs of the
houses and burying themselves in the
floors, where many exploded, demol-
ishing the walls. The mosques seemed
to BE selected as particular targets at
times, for two three and often more
shells would fall on and around them,
tearing pinnacle aud dome with fear
ful effect. Not even the hospitals are
spared by this awful rain of shells.
Several of these buildings happened
to be quite exposed, and, although
surmounted by flags indicating their
obornotor tha1, ,1rara ;p,,o1,,aJ =, 4bo
storm, and their inmates in many
eases were killed in their beds. This
has caused the utmost indignation
, among the Turks, and the authorities
have requested the foreign consuls to
, testify to the occurrence so that the
Porte may make a formal protest
against what it deems uncivilizec
; warfare. Although the flags of Eng
land and other European powers were
} displayed over their respective con
5 sulates, the Russian FIRE did not spare
, these buildings. The guus were
> aimed at Rustchuk, and everything
: animate and inanimate within it
a limits. Shells have no neutrality, d.
t mosques, and hospitals. The unfortu
5 nate inhabitants Of Rustchuk suffered
S terrible during the bombardment
: Hid away in deep recesses or shelter
k ed behing thick walls, or as the,
: darted through the streets towar,
: places of greater security, the Rus
/ sian shells found and destroyed them
: Their bodies were scattered in Frag
3 ments by the explosion of these ter
e rible missiles. Woman flying fror
n their burning or ruined homes wer
IS killed as they ran. Little children
e clasped in the arms of their terrific
!. parents, were struck dead by the fat
n al fragments. The scene was on
}, Of unqualified horror throughout. Th
o Russian fire continued during Nor
d day, and with still more terrible c
t. feet. Such of the people as coul
If muster up courage to fly from the