The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-12-30
A Military Opinion Regarding the
Fortifcations of Plevna.
THE HILL OF SKELETONS"
ROunanian Advance Posts COun.
ternined by the Turks.
from tho London Times.I

and the village OF Radicnevo "a CHASTITY scene
was presented Hundreds of Russian skeletons lay
slistenng on the hill sides they had fallen dur
Ing tho assault Of September. The bones were gen.
orally completely bare. Those nearest the Turkish
earthwork had been covered with few inches OF
EARTH which had been washed OF by tho first
shower, and now they lay as naked as the others
The Moslem outpost pits were among these
skeletons, many OF them being not more than
yard distant Notwithstanding the infectious
ncshborhood Of these horrible human rciics
not shovelfu of earth had been thrown over them.
Singular as II may SEEM many OF these skeletons mad
distinct expressions both in the attitude IL which
they had fallen and In the position OF The aeshiess
laws. ASH sat on my morse and gazed upou the nor
rblc spectacle | could distinguish those who had
fallen without suffering from those who had died IN
agony, and the effect was such as snail never forget
The Russian soldiers who marched into Plevna in the
rear OF 0sman's snllying force passed among these
remains their unburicd comrades but there was no
disposition manifested TO lnaict any punishment upon
the men who coud treat the bones OF brave enemies
in such heartess manner.
PEACEFUL NOW.
have devoted this day q careful inspection OF
the Turkish POSITIONS with their Notifications. As
rode up the Hill of Skeletons found fatigue par
ties at work buryng the bones OF their fallen COM
rades. Some OF The graves were so shallow that n
year will the human relies ploughed up
again when the land is cultivated. No attempt was
made collect them, being buried wnere they had
fallen. | shall never forget the strange sensations
caused by riding those deserted lines, whence
so many deadly missiles had flown and which had
SO carefully avoided approaching during my previous
rides around Plevna The untenanted trenches, then
SO dangerous were nothing but harmless bitches,
with living being near them save a few Russian or
Roumanan soldiers wandering curiousy about and
wondering apparently why they could not take the hos
tie carthworgs long ago. They wore so peaceful now
thai could scarcely realize that Plevna had actually
ceased to object Of curiosity and Dread the
night aiier surrender often rose up my bed
10 lsteu as heretofore for the sound oil the rife In
the trenches ON the hill cast OF Pieyna.
ARTILLERY WORTHLESS
Where the GravtZa chulsses crosses the elevation
the TurEish redoubts weakest and here tho Rus
san artillery tire had been chiefly concentrated The
rsnt and OF the earthworks were poushea up by
shells, and in truth there was scarcely square
yard which had not been struck. Thousands OF such
missiles, varying rom ,nree 10 sS inches
OF the earth. SO lar the earthworks
concerned the RUSSIAN artillery ammunition has been
absolutely wasted aud from inspection OF the
trenches | do not believe that the garrison has SUI
tered more than Their de!ences Neither do believe
That any artillery could Lave accomplished more. The
Tact Is that shells asaus earthworks are useless ut
greater distance than five or SIX hundred yards, and
Then the guns cannot be worked on account OF the
tnemy's sharpshooLers. The turkish soldiers in the
redoubts had uombprool aDodes IN The back wall OF
tho pts, which were covered with timber
aud earth be splinter proof The
roofs lower than the parapets IN front, and
therefore practically secure against lire from
before; but all the Turkish trenches were enniaded
IRON QUO OF allied batteries and yet the
aeenacrs could not be shelied them.
did the Mosiens Tor the artillery that they util
zrd holes caused by the shells as latrines Tnis
uu.son OF the nccacy OF artillery nre against earth
works is noDby 81 mine. entered upon
campaign with the ordinary opinions concerning
this branch OF the service, aud my differences are
founded entirely upon practical observations al
Nikopol, Lovatz ana PeyLa alter the tall OF those
pIacos. fne Russian batteries. too, nrng upon tbis
4 ItrI IA fhn al VA
WEAKNESS OF THE TURKISH LINES.
was very IA ucn surprised ind the turkish lines
OF iortdcations SO weak ~ Tar as the quantity OF
carthwork concerned. The Tedouuts are much
smaller than believed them TO be, their sides vary
ing 10 feet 10 .4O ieot IN length. The revet
inen;s consist Of gaOions strongly but roughly
made, aud the lines OF the interior slopes
are jagged instead OF straight. Tue Turks
are especially lond Of large and numerous
traverscs, much so that their earthworks are
nearly hcd up with them These are built very high
thick. The parapets are generally ten feet III
Lcigut and the bitches about the samc depth. The
sun clay sou euaDes the engineers construct
scafps and exterior slopes SO steep as 10 DO
impractIcable tor climbing. Around the countcrscarp
tie bitches there are oalquetles Tor infantry.
All The sun platforms are oi clay, the guns being
bred through cmbrasures rIveled with sablous or
sand bugs, generally The former. fnese emDrasures
were unujured by the Russian artillery. There
double lines OF infantry trenches--in tact, 10
interior lines OF any sort heather are there trcncnes
On the hill sides below the redoubts These redoubts
simply connected b. single curtain Of trenches.
mere al no lines OF ntrencLuients Tor the reserves;
inGeed there were apparently no reserves Whcn 4
saw this technically weak line could not but admire
the efficiency weapons with which 1t mad been
defended and The stubborn tenaclty oil taa men who
could hold IL against such assaults as have been de-
MINING AND couSrERsiSisG.
When | arrived ut the top OF tho uravitza ridge,
where the Roumanians had been oesleging the Turk
redoubt 1 was strongly Impressed by Two things
nrst the enormous amount OF unnecessary digging
done by the houmanians, aud second the small size
u the Lcsieged reaonDL The face toward the ap-
proacues OF the Rounafflans is only 10 eet
IN length; the. other Toward the opposing
Gfavtza rudOuDt, 90 feet Instant, is 100 feet
Y long. it would hardly appear possible TO pat
mcn enough on sucn a parapct, including even the
banquctte the ditcn 10 defend II against general
assault especially when we consiaer the Tact mat
both the faces were swept by anAing IRE from other
trenches OF tue Desiegers. he RouGanians have
approached tue work as though II had been a regu-
larry Fashioned tort OF the nrst cass Their trenches
however, were weh constructed ana very ca
pacious ana perhaps ihcy INTENDED 70 use thc sese
AS framing Tor their sappers. The Iast trench
- within twenty-five lect ol tue Turkish COUNTER
scarp From the bottom OF this trench TWO shafts
sunk about nitccn feet in dcptb, and from tho
bottom Two galleries hal Ueen pushed under the
1ufkish parapct aud the mines were nearly ready
Moscins evacuated their positions But
the strangcst part OF the history OF tins siege is
the TACT that the Turks had also mined Tie GfavItza
rcdouDt opposite, aud beore leaving their eartnwork
they had lred tho mining fuse. Tue kOumanlans,
discovering their departure catered their ditches,
bound the gallery aad reached tue iusu IN time to
qucnch IL before u mad burned to tue explosive
ruaryo 40 that each was prepared 10 blow the other
up without knowing, apparently that counter opera
tons were "a progress. Tue ioftsicalions Oh the
opanes and Krslnuc ridges arc merely duplicates OF
tnose already described. anu therefore y unncces
sary 10 speak Oh Them ~ detail
now ''THE nAES" NEWS.
At three l.. u. The day " Tie surrender rode
back into Pievna anu uulnckiy stumbled within The
Gordon OF seutineis guarding The prisoners. IL
easy enough 10 get inside, but on attempting 10 return
Was stopped as TURK, and nothing could inuuce The
ssn,rles 10 allow me 10 pass. ] found some Russian
officers VINO cndeayOrcd 10 extrcate nae, out the OBJ
aurntc scntncls said that was allowed
to leave rcvna that night. The officers ~ COM
nand Of tue guard could not be .oand aud ali the
others helpless. Tue priScLcrs were 50 denseiy
packed that | couldsnoI get through them 10 und
general officer aud, to add TO my annoyance, TIC
Grand Duke ana Prince Charles came through tue
town the other amld LOUD cheering, wnie
had to REMAIN penned W among the oslcns.
waited Until dark ana thcn past tlo guard ~ iul
rpccd, and escaped to ma myself III utterly I'M
known country, iul OF boics and precpices
was three hours in getting uAcN 10
Bog0t, expecting every moment 10 pe arrested
aud perhaps shot escaped Dlsh bazouk.
On wandered past the krIsntnc redoubt anu through
- -. -..-4 l.