The New York herald., 1877-07-02
A Whole Province Ruined to Pre-
vent the Russians Obtain
ing Supplies.~~
THE BATTLE NEAR SISTOVA.
The Russians Still Crossing the River and
Fighting for Roothold
AUSTRIA WILL LOOK ON.
Another Fight in Russian
Asia.
[BY CABLE TO THE HERALD

[BY CABLE TO THE HEnALD1
LONDON, July 2, 1877.
The HERALD correspondent in Vienna tel
sgraphs that trustworthy information has
peen received from Turkish sources that
he Turks are devastating large portion of
Bulgaria for the purpose of preventing the
Russians from provisioning their army
The harvest has been carried of, the fruit
trees have been felled and the torch has
been applied to the large grass plains
Everything that could be Of any use to on
invading army has been removed or de-
'troyed, and tn, people are left in utter
aestitution. The utmost CONSERVATION pre-
vails among the unfortunate people, who
see no prospect before them but famine and
pestilence added to the horrors of war.
BATAK oUTR1vALLED.
Bulgaria has been peculiarly unfortunate
of late, and it seems that if the province is
to be freed from the rule of the Turk it
Aust pass through terrible ordeal. The
terrible massacres of last year, which
startled the world by their atrocity, seemed
to fill the cup of Bulgarian atliction,
but other horrors are in store for
them. The people are industrious and
thrifty, and the province is one of
the most fertile in the Empire. The
devastation of such densely peopled coun-
try, after its resources had been drained al
most to the utmost to support the large
Turkish army which has been quartered
there since the Servian war, is one of those
terrible and cruel measures which are die
tated rather by spirit of merciless hate
than by military necessities.
NIcopo1ls EVACUATED
The Turks have evacuated Nicopolis
Barely third part of the houses in Giur-
gevo are left standing.
GREEK FIRE.
Cylinders filed with an inextinguishable
compound have been fred between Rust
chuk and Giurgevo. There seems to be an
intention to attack Schumla from the SOUTH
east
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MEASURE
This measure clearly indicates the inten-
ton of the Turks to abandon the line of the
Danube, holding on to Rustchuk and
Silistria as long as possible, and to fall back
TO the Balkans. They see clearly their in
ability to stem the tide of Russian
invasion and that one or two de-
cisive battles must place Bulgaria at
the mercy of the Gear. They know
that the Bulgarian population will flock
en- masse to the Russian standard, and this
is their revenge. They look on the Czars
proclamation as an Indictment to Bulgarian
insurrection, and anticipate rising as soon
as the Russians advance from the river The
Bulgarians might as we'll die fighting like
men for their liberty as perish miserably Of
hunger in their homes
KILLING MORE CHRISTIANS
A murderous eme,ae has broken out at
Rustchuk against the Christian population.
MAssAcREs IN THE DoBRUDscEA.
Travellers who have arrived in Constan-
tinople state that on news being received at
Kustendji that the Russians were approach
ing the Circassians fred some neighboring
villages and massacred their inhabitants.
Kustendji is depopulated. The British
Runboat Cockatrioe saved several families
ENGLAND STILL PROTESTING.
A despatch dated from Constantinople
states that Minister Layard has reassured
the Porte relative to the pacific intentions
of Servia. Mr.. Layard has complained Of
The non-exccution of promised amnesty to
Bulgarians and other grievances, par
ticularly outrages of the Zeibeks, encamped
near Pera.
,~rnENcHMEN APPHAL TO THEIR GOVERNMENT.
yhe French residents of Pera have in.
ned the French Embassy that theii
Eives and daughters ore being insulted and
THAT they intend to defend themselves by
force of arms against further attacks, and
had summoned other armed Frenchmen te
their assistance
DEFENDER OF TURKEY.
A special to the Observer denies these re-
norts. and asserts that they originate i the