The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-05-12
.SMOLENSKI WEPT
AT VELESTINO
A Thrilling Story Of the Great Bat
tic 10 Defense Of vOlo.
VICTORY TURNED 70 DEFEAT
The creeks HAD Them Whipped khen d
Shameful and Mysterious order
20 Retreat Mas Given.

New York, May 1.-THE Journal pub.
llHh"s cai lcgrlm from stephen
crnn". who saw the battle Of vcleatlno.
whore General SmGcnah hurled back
Edh"m Pasha Mr. Crane says:
"Vcl""tiilo has proved that tho Greek
soldiers, whra we'll led, can cope sue
ressfully with the Turks. even though
ounumbcrcd This battle has proved
them great fighters, long fighters and
aiayrrf. ~ bo sure. the army retreat.
ri from Vclcstlno. but It waH no fault
.o' tho army. The cDmmand,r blt his
Fingers and CURSED when the order came
10 retreat. lilo was nt that time per.
fc1tiy confident Of success. For three
days he had bcon holding the Turks
back ana inflicting upon them heavy
l,ss-s,
Th"n came the order to fall back. due
10 rtvcrsos Or something In other
plao,i Gu1rral SmolcnAh know II
course his retreat would be nj the sac.
rifoc " Nolo. and ha ragged. But Or
dors must be- ois,ycd. hence the occu-
patton Of the Turks frs, of Velealino
and later ot Nolo In uhr middle OF the
!ntpxication u victory caIne the orders
20 fail back why? only arrived at
noon of the second day, The roll OF
muskvtry wiA tremendous. From a
distance u was like tearing n cloth ::
nearer II sounded like rain on roof
and clos" W It was just hong crash
after crash. II was a beautiful sound
beautiful as ever dreamed 1t was
moN Impressive than thc roar Of Nj
agara aud inner than thunder or ava
lanchr. because Il had the wonder OF
human tragedy ln II. II was the most
beautiful Hound OF my experience. bar
ring no symphony, The crash OF Il
Sas ideal.
The slaughter of the Turks Was cnor-
NOUS Tho nrp Of the Greeks was 80
Acrcc that the Turkish soldiers while
charging shielded their eyes with their
tands Eight ch0Igys the Turkish sol-
dirrs made ON Saturday. and they we're
! pulsed each time Thr desperate
Turkish cavalry even attacked their en-
cmy on steep. rocky hill, The in.
sane. wicked squadroas were pracl-
caiy annihnatcd. Soattrcd fragments
sid slowly back. leaving the plain
black with wounded and dead men and
hor-s.s From distance II was like
u game. Therc was no blood. no ex-
preston. no horror TO be seen. An the
assaults Of the Turks this day resulted
diaasIruusly 10 them. The Greek troops
fought with steadincss OF salaried
bookkccpors. never tired. never com
pie rlng. II was magnificent exhibit
tion. The Greeks fought all the time
with the artillery lre On them, even
In a musko,ry lull. but nobody minded
anything. The Turks We're In great
ana fought according q the
prccepts Of their religion. But the
Greeks were never daunted and whip
psd them we'll Sometimes Il was fight
Ing among the gaunt hills, sometimes
lighting on the green plains. but al
ways the Greeks held their position.
Whom night came shells burst In fury,
lighting the darkness. by the red
flashes saw the wounded taken to-
Vols There was very little outcry
among them They were mostly silent
In the gray early morning the musket-
ry fire began again.
II ratified from hill TO hill, batteries
awoke and the whole play was resumed,
The Turkish guns were superior To-
those ot the Greeks, who had mostly
mountain howitzcrs.
/ watched FOR long time the blue
clpd Greek infantry marching into po
sltlor across a small plain. While II
watched the Turks changed their at
tack from the Greek right ON the plain
TO the Greek left on the rocky hill.
Thcn the lighting became obscured
from view. The Greeks lay in trenches,
nattened against the dirt, firing
carefully, while the Turks loumed close
before them. Every ridge was fringed
with smoke. l saw soldiers In the
trenches ease on and take u drink rrom
their canteens, twist their cartridge
belts TO put the empty links behind
them, or turn around to say something
to comradc. They then went at IL
again | noticed one lieutenant stand
ing up in the rear OF a. trench rolling
a cigarette his lips wide apart. In
This careless attitude a shot Went
through his neck. His servant came
from the trench and knclt weeping
over the body, regardless Of the bat
tie. The men had TO drag him In by
the legs,
The reserves coming up, passed n
wayslde shrine. The men paused to-
cross themselves and pray. a sheh
struck the shrine and demolished II.
The men in the rear of the column
were obliged to pray to the spot where
the shrine had been.
News came that the Turks had tried
TO turn the flank AMI failed.
The Turks formed ON the right and
moved slowly acros. the plain and the
battery opened ON them. l saw troops
to the rear to prevent possi-
BILE flank attack in the direction of Vo-
10. The fghtlng on the plain TO the
right began. Masses of Turkish troops
like shadows slowly moved forward to-
ward the Greek trenches. indicated on
gray lines of smoke. Shots began 20
rake the trenches ON the hill and to also
rake the battery to the rear. l hoped
the Greeks on the plain would hurry