The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-07-04
The TurkoRassfsa war.
Prom the Coutirr-JouruoI,

Prom the Courier J ourual,
The Grand Duke Nicholas has at length
ordered some positive work, and while
the Russian batteries at Giurgevo were
Numbering away at itustchuk and reduce
ing that town 10 ruins, yesterday, the
Eighth corps crossed the Semnitza to SIS
tcvs, and = similar movement wac inaue-
urstrd from Turnu Msrgurelli to Nico.
polls. From these two points a number
OF rosds lead over the Balkans, passing
through Plevna. twenty miles south The
difficulties Of Abdul Kerim, the Com.
mander in-chief of the Turkish armies.
are apparent General Zimmerman is
moving down through the DObrudscha on
the qnadrllstersl. and thC advance OF the
Grand Duke Nicholas to the west Of the
ionr great fortEesses will necessitate a ju-
dS'inus division of the Turkish forces.
with a narrow chaEce of escaping annihi.
lation. The had quarters Of Abdul
kcrim arc At Shumla. the strongest point
OF the pusdrilateral, l3j miles sourh.cast
Of Rustchuk. The majority of the Turk.
lsh forces are cast of Ih0.localiiy Of the
Russian crossing, and largely distributed
in the four fortresses ofthe quadrilateral.
there being al Rus;chuk alone 10000
men. The point IN Zimmerman's Do
brudscha movement is apparent. The
Turks noS have two large armies to meet
which apparently have no intention OF
laying siege TO the Quadrlateral, as was
done with such disastrous results in 1853
4 There will he desperate struggle
south Of Nicopols, but the Russians have
been arranging their forces SO that as
sOon as one arm is over the river others
follow in succession, and the Turks will
be outnumbered. To meet the Russians
at Nicopolis and Sistova, Osman Pasha
will have to hurry his forces about Widin,
which will open another avenue TO the
Russians from Kalafat, opposite. As the
best roads over the Balkans run through
Western Bulgaria. it is probable that the
Russians will proceed in that direction il
victorious in Central Bulgaria. 1t 10 no.
ticeasle that the success of General Die
bitsch, in the campaign OF 1899, when
he reached Adrianople, in Romelia. and
dictated terms 20 the Sultan. was due to
the fact that he abandoned all attempts
to besiege the fortresses Of the qusdrilat>
eral and pushed on as rapidly as he could
over the Balkans, leaving the Turks be-
hind him. The Russians appear to be
following the came successful programme
to-day. The distance from the Danube
70 the Balkan passes varies from fifty TO
seventy miles, over q series Of plaiesux
covered with underground AID scanned
with smalP and rapid streams. Ofthe
thirty~three passes in the range only four
or five are practicable for artillery. Every
pass has been LEFT by nature in condition
TO be made almost impregnable, but the
Turks are said to have greatly neglected
this important work, and have devoted |
themselves to their third line Of defense
from Sssa to Kara Burnu, TO insure the |
safety of COnstsntinople.
The Russians have secured an accession |
to their force Of siege guns at Ksrs. and
are bsttering away with redoubled vigor
at the Turkish tesrthworks aud basalt
Sortresses. The Turkish garrison Of Kars
numbers $4,000 men, and theirxuns ass
The only, occurrence which viii expedite
the siege would be the rout Of Mukhtsr
Hasha's forces levin, and that is what
the Russians are trying 10 effect now,
Kars would then be completely isolated
from aid. and it would capitulate with
Erzeroum. In the meantime the Rus
slams have an ugly job at BatOum,
whose garrison has the constant aid Of
the Turkish iron-clsds lying off the shore.
Both belligereuts in Armenia are fighting
with logged zeal. the Turks, always good
hands at defending Notifications, showing
more than usual obstinacy, and avoiding
open-feld conflicts as much as possible
The interest now ccnters at levin. which
lie only thirty-fve miles from ErEeroum,
and the decisive battle OF the Asiatic cam
paign will undoubtedly take place in the
valley Of the Araxes, whittier re inforcc>
ments for both sides arc now hurrying.
Il Is also reported that Russian detach
ment has succeeded in getting in the rear
Of tho Turkish center.