New Orleans Republican., 1877-05-05

SO close to Kars that the defense Of that
stronghold may be said to have begun.
The distance from klexandropol is only
twenty-five miles, over a comparatively
easy country. A hght is, however, very
probable on the road near the little village
of Dischamnsh and close to the crossing
of the river Kars. As it will be part of
the plan of the Turks to delaythe Russian
advance at every point, and SO gain time
for their own reinforcenents to come up,
some sharp fighting will take place before
the Russian batteries are established be-
fore Kars. But those who imagine that
the Turkish successes of 1855 of Kars
will be repeated in the present war forget
what modern rifed artillery can do against
the stoutest defenses of the town. Tihis,
being the Russian headquarters in the
Caucasus, distances will be measured
therefrom for the present. Following the
main roads these are as follows: From
Tif1is to Alexandropol, seventy miles; to
Akiltsikhe, ffty-five miles; to Orsurget,
ninety-ive miles; Alexandropol to Kars,
twenty-five miles; Kars to Erzeroum,
eighty-five miles; Erzeroum to Batoum,
ninety miles; Erzeroum to Trebizond, 100
miles; Trebizond to silva, 200 miles; silva
to Sinope, 200 miles.
THE CONTROL OF THE BLAcK SEA.
Turkey claims this advantage at pres
ent, and her monitors and other IRON
clads are cruising on the coasts of Asia
Minor and off the mouths OF the Danube,
rendering the forwarding of supplies by
sea difficult for the Russians. There are,
however, in all algebraic expressions GER
tain unknown quantities, and in that rep
resenting the relations of the belligerents
now, the Russian feet must be set down
as Z. It is unreasonable to suppose that
Russia, having ample time and means to
prepare for this war, could neglect to Sc
cure a powerful, though small, ironclad
feet for the protection of her coasts and
communications. Even the rumored ap-
pearance of Russian gunboats on the
Danube, at GalatZ, is q straw which indi-
Gates the direction of the wind in this re-
speet. The map of the Black Sea and the
Caucasus shows the several lines of COM
munication between the Russian and
ASatic ports and along the coasts. The
most important to the Russians at pres
ent would be those from Odessa to Sc
bastopol, Sinope and Trebizond, and
also those from the Sea of Azof to the
two last-named coast towns. Nicolaieff
and Taganrog, the first above Cherson
and the second in the northeastern corner
of the Sea of Azof, are the chief naval
depots of Russia, and both are well forti-
fed and iealously guarded from foreign
visitors. The following distances on the
Black sea routes will give useful informa-
tion to the reader: From Odessa to Sebas-
topol, 1870 miles; Sebastopol to Constan-
k;no,olo oAO. EookaDd;i OA0 aOd to Sin
Ope, 200 miles; Constantinople to Sinope,
$50, and to Erzeroum, 500 miles; Sinope
to Taganrog, on the Sea of Azof, 420
miles; Erzeroum to Taganrog, 500 miles
Erzeroum to Batoum, eighty miles. 1t
will be seen by these distances that coal
is an important munition of war, e.
pecially for the small, light draft monitors
of both nations. If Sebastopol becomes
the base of operations for the Russian
fleet an advantage in the matter of fuel
will be entirely on the side of the Rus
slams, for the Turkish ships will burn a
great deal of their supply coming from
and going to their depots on the Bos-
phorus and at Varna.
The following is from the New York
Grcphic of the same date:
DIARY OF THE WAR.
The indications of future movements to
be gathered from present operations in
the East continue substantially unchanged
to-day. On the Danube, Russia ant
Turkey are gradually drawing to
gether for q great struggle; in ASH
Minor they have already come TO blows
In beginning our daily record Of event
we must warn the readers of the Graphic
not to be misled by kilograms Of. impossi
BILE movements and terrible battles at tn
present stage of the war. We shall en-
deavor to sift the truth out of the contra
dictory dispatches, and give to our read
ers in a clear and succinet form, day b,
day, assisted by map, on which We shal
indicate the positions of the contendinl
forces at the date of issue, as nearly a
they can be ascertained.
| To-day finds the Russian army concen
trated on the north bank of the Danube
from Ismal to Braila, Ibrail or Brabilof
as it is named on various maps. TIL
Roumanian dispatches from Buchares
place the numbers of this army at abou
so, 600 men, with about 40, 900 more cross
ing the Pruth on Saturday last. This las
body was probably a single army corps 6
its full strength. We already know tbs
the eleventh corps of 50, 900 and the THU
ty-sixth division of 10000 were at Galai
and Isnail on Friday. By the preseI
date it is nearly certain that the new corr
must be at Barboschi, and that at lea
10000 men are within supporting di
tance Of each other around Galatz. i
the close of the present week we sha
probably be able to identify the differel
{ Russian corps and commanders in Rol
mania by comparing the Russian oftici
kilograms and the Roumanian repor
numbers passing given points. II
, indications now are that at least thrt
, strong Russian corps have concentrate
on Galatz, and that as many more are fc
: lowing, some via Kischenetf and some V
/ Odessa. So far the Russian advance,
, its rapidity and good order, shows that
i first-class administrator is at the head
, the Russian staff, and that all the subo
, dinate departments are in working conc
ton.
The Turks, on the other hand, exhif
| very plain symptoms of indecision
} their action. The exodus of women al
} children from Galatz and Rutschpk
: simultaneously announced in the saI
| dispatch, which promises 'forty batti
ions and 40, 900 Circassians" as reinforC
ments to tie Turkish army of the Danu
from Sohn, The estimate of the Russi
. papers is that ninety-seven Turkish b
= talions are now in the DobrudschR.
: the truth of this estimate there is no c.
S tainty, but it is more likely over than U
s der the mark. ReinfoTcements comi
= from Sofia show that the Turks have
Q ready been compelled to draw on their
g | Saruag frnnH the ranr "a the Hnanrast nla