, 1877-12-30
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

parently why they couid not take the hostile
earthworks loug ago. The we're 50 peaceful
now that could scarcels realize that PlernA
had actually ceased to be ill object OF curiosity
and dread; and the night after the surrender
often rose up in my bed to listen, as heretofore,
for the sound Ut the rife In tile trenches on tho
hill east OF P]eyna-
Where tho Gravitza chaussee crosses the ele-
yation. tue Turkish redoubts we're weakest,
asld here the Russian artillery fire had been
chiefly concentrated. The front and rear OF tnc
earthworks were pIowcd up by shells, and In
truth there was scarcely square yard which
siles, varying from three to six inches IN
diamater, lar unexpIotlet upon the sur
face Of the earth. Que advantage in using
such ammunition is, that 1t can be carted home
agau anu used In the next war In previous
telegram / saiL that these redoubts were but
tered to pieccs; nut now discover that this
was curious error Of vision. The works were
practically uninjurcd. and the fresh Theel-
tracks leading towards P1evnn showed that the
artillery and ammunition Wagons had not been
removed until the night before the sortie- /
few recent shell marks were visible ou the out
side OF the parapets and tragerses, but they
were OF trinng Importance, So fur IS the earth
works are concerned, the Russian artillery aiu-
munition
HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY WASTED,
aud, from an inspection OF the trenches, do
not believe that the garrison has suffered mora
than their drfenses. Neither do believe that
any artillery could have accomplished MORE
The fact is that shells against eartIlworks are
useless at Il greater DISTANCE than 500 or 6UU
yards, and then tho guns cunuot DC worked ou
account Of the encmy'5 sharpshooters. The
Turkish soldiers in tho rc1oubts had bomb
proof aboles in the back wall Of the pits, which
were covered with timber aud earth, SO Us to
be splinter~proof. The roofs were lower than
the parapcts in frout and, therefore, prac-
tically secure against lire from beforci
but all the Turkish trenches wcrc endladea
Iss..j tst{ {nrSur ia
yet tho defenders could not bc shelled out OF
them. 50 little did the Moslen.s care for the
artillery that they utilized the holes caused hY
the shells IS lutrines. This question OF the To-
efficacy Of artillery hre aga,nss sart',worss is
campaign with the ordinary opinions concerning
this branch Of the service, nnd my lnfercnces
are founded entirely upon practical observations
1t Nikopo!, Lova*z, aud Piesna alter the 1all Of
those places. The Russian batteries, too, firing
upon this part OF the Turkish line, had the sup
posed advantage Of a plun@ing IRE
was very much surprised tofnd the Turkish
lines Of fortiicAtiuus
rs far Us the quantity OF earthwor!z concerned.
The rc:lollbts are much smaller than believed
them 10 be, their sides varying from l2O feet
to 340 feet III length The rcvetmeuts consist
Of gabions strongly but roughly ulade, anu the
lines Of tllc interior slopes are Jagged instead OF
straight. The Turks arc especially fond OF
that their carthworks are nearly filled
up with them. These are built very AiSh and
thick. The parapets arc generally ten feet
in height, and the bitches about the same
depth. The still clay sot enables the engineers
to construct the scarps and exterior slopes 50
steep as to be impractlcable tor climbing
Around the couutersrarp Of the bitches there
are danq1s<ttes for infantry. All the gun plat
forms are OF clay, the guns being tired through
generally the former. These. embrasu1es
we're unlnjur red By the Russian artillery
There arc no double lines OF infantry
trenches,-in fact, no interior lines Of any
sort; neither are there trenches Tn the hill
are simply connected by . single curtain OF
trenches. There arr no lines Of lntrenchments
for the reserves; Indeed, there were apparently
no reserves. When saw this technically weak
line could not but admire the efficiency Of the
weapons with which 1t mad been defended ard
the stubborn tenacity Ut tue men who could
hold b0I1tt, & 3niust such blows rs had been delivered
The Allies have double and treble lines around
Pleyna. Their works arc much better cOn-
structcd than those oil the Turks, so far Us fuish
is concerned; but for safety I would
RATHER TRUST MYSELF IN THE LATTER
although it must be borne III mind that the
Turks mad to prepare for an OVERWHELMING ~ .
tilery fire. whereas the Allies had ony an occo-
sional shot to guard agalust.
When I arrived at tine top Of the Grayitza
ridge, where the Roumanians had been besieg~
ing the Turkish rcdoupt, WAS strongly i'm
pressed by two thfngs-frst, the enormous
amount OF unnecessary digging done By the
Roumauians, and, secondly, the small size Of
approaches Of the Roumanians is only l20 feet
In length: the other towards the opposing
Grayitza redoubt, GOO feet distant, Is $50 feet
long. 1t would hardly appear possible to put
even the tanqnetfe III the ditch, to defend It
against general assault, especially When wc
consider the fact that both the faces were
swept by fanking fire from other trenches of
the besiegers. The Roumanians haveaoproachcd
The work Us though it had been regularly
bastioneu fort OF the first class. Their trencnes,
however, we're well constructed aud very capa-
.ious, and perhaps they intended to use tho
siege as 4 trimming for their sappers. The last
trench is within twenty-five feet Of tue Turkish
From the bottom Ut this trench
NO shafts were sunk about fifteen feet III
lcpth, auu from the bottom two galleries had
>ecn pushed under the Turkish parapct, and
he ullucs were nearly ready when the Mos1e1us
their positions. But
THE aTHANGEsT PART
i the history OF this siege Is tue fact that the
Turks had ulso mined the Gravitza redoubt op-
'osite, and besurc leaving their earthwork they
Iad fired the mining fuse The Kouuanla,1s,
discovering their departure, entered their
Ltches, found the gallery, and seacned the fuse
q time to queueh 1t before it had burnt to .h.:
Explosive charge, SO that carh wis prepared TO
ow the other up without knowing, apparently,
hat counter operations were in progress. The
ortidcations on the Dpancs and krishine ridges
re merely duplicates ot those already le5crib-
d. and therefore it Is unnecessary to speak Ut
hem III detail.
As stood on the GravitZa ridge, long lines
I soldiers were struggling back to thrir camps.
hence they had proceeded the day before in
ursuit OF Osman. The artillery and ammuul-
Gu wagons were also painfully tolling up tho
i'll to the positions they occupied before being
urricd forward to the westward Of Plevna, and
unEs around PleVna we're assuming their geu~
'al appearance. At noou salute 0f 120 guns
III. ~ ' N~'
At noon to-day
THE EMPEROR
rived at the rcLouut defcnufng the approach
P1cvna b; the Gragitza cfuuxsee accompanied
= his tetnuc and tile foreign attaches. The
rand Duke was awaiting his Majesty, who WAS
in his carriage by the Priacc Of
KS the Emperor approached the
rand Duke Nicholas, he waved ills cap in the
amer. The Grand Duke advanced aud .
lutcd, when his Majesty kissed him. and hung
und hi5 neck the grand cordUu OF tile Order
st. George He then decorated Gems. Todie-
n, Miriatlnski, Nepokoitschftskf. aud Lcyirzki
th different grades of the same Order. Yes
rday also he gave Prince Charles OF Roumania
e Order OF st. Andrew, a distinction hereto
re- coaiincd to Royal peraouagcs- a
ter which the whole party rode iuto flcvia,
King the less frcuueutcd streets, lest some
5assln might fire upon the Emperor. 1na
TALL house. surrounded br high stone wall. :
ach WAS served, after which there vas a sud-
II hush, and Osnan Pasha was carried into