The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-11-21
Erzeroum and Nars.

III wow VI Nv GtSotiiN Nhb nv ihA'o
slams took care to gather general in
formation regarding Armenia. The
following particulars are part of the
knowledge they acquired: Erzeroum
is at the junction of ali the chief roads
leading through the province, and
stands on the highway connecting the
basin of the Black Sea, and consequent
ly Europe, with the interior Of Asiatic
Turkey and Persia. From Erzeroum
there are roads to Arabian, Kars, Err
z~injan, Mush, Bitlis, and Van. The
Erzeroum plateau is about G,OOO
feet above the sea level. Winter be-
gins there toward the end of November,
and continues till March. The Winter
is cold, and there is much snow. The
average temperature is 90 Fahrenheit;
the lowest temperature is 3 below zero.
Early in March the snow begins to
melt. The inhabitants Of the vilayet
or district of ErZeroum are composed
for the most part of three races
Turks, Khurds and Armenians. The
Khurds (207, 049 mem, both inlanguage
and descent, are q distinct race, allied
neither to Turks nor Tartars. They
are ruled over by hereditary chiefs, and
and are nominally Mohammedans. The
Turks 1885, 900 men) are as weak and
%apathetic as their cOuntrymen in Eu-
rope. The Armenians (l57,5S3 mem
are oppressed by both Turks and
Khurds. Many of the race have emf
grated to Russian territory.
Erzeroum is a strongly fortified town,
with Il Fashioned enciente, II citadel,
and detached forts thanking the
approaches. The parapet of the fortress
is of earth. from % to 80 feet thick; the
ditch is II feet broad and from 90 to "a
feet deep. The citadel is of stone, in
the center of the town, and is used as a
magazine and arsenal. 1t is not on
sidered capable of making a prolonged
defense against modern artillery.
The fortifications of Kars have been
improved after each war between Rus
STA and Turkey. They now consist of
the old Notifications around the town
these are of little account, a citadel,
and twelve detached outworks of strong
profile, placed against well selected
sites round the town in a circle whose
radius is about 5000 yards Kars is, in
fact, an intrenched camp. 1t is divided
by the Kars river. Regarding the for
tifcations of the Kars entrenched camp,
from the point of view of attack and
defense, the following conclusions nave
been come to: The weak points may
be thus summed up: First, the stray
Cling nature of the d~efenses, caused by
their being cut in two by the deep
ravine through which the Kars river
flows, and the too great extension of the
line of defense. Second, the absence
of bitches to some of the work. Third,
the difficulty of repairing parapets,
owing to the lack of earth. Fourth,
the absence, in some of the works, of
thanking defenses for the bitches.
Fifth, the insuficiency of shell-proof &C.
commodation for men and stores. The
barracks can accommodate some 5000
men, and the magazines are not built
to hold more than 1000 tons of wheat,
which is barely four weeks allowance
for the garrison. Sixth, the absence of
water in most of the works, and the
difficulty of obtaining it from the Kars
river. Eighth, the insecurity of the
powder magazines from the enemy's
fire. To this it may be added that the
defense of Kars is rendered more diff
cult by the presence of about 10000
civilians, who in case of a blockade or
would have to be fed from the
garrison magazines. The strong points
Of Kars are: First, the favorable situa-
ton of the heights on which the works
are placed which command the sur
rounding country. Second, the mutual
support afforded by the works to one
another by artillery fire. Third, the
rocky soil, rendering siege and mining
a-ora1,a l;a.ak