The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-24

The Advance OF the Turks from
MiIOuna Pass TO TyrnavO.

LONDON, April 23.-The London Mail
prints the following dispatches from G.. W.
Stevenes. its staff correspondent, who is at
tached TO the staff of the Turkish COM
mander: "The Turks have now succeeded
in forcing back the Greeks from their posi-
ton on the heights above Tyrnavo, and are
now preparing for the final advance on
Larissa. About o'clock Thursday after
noon the inhabitants of Tyrnavo could be
seen abandoning the town and retreating
in wild confusion along the Larissa road.
The Greek troops fell back in good order,
and occupied, with four batteries of ar
tillery, the low hill between Tyrnavo and
Larissa. There they prepared to offer fur
ther resistance.
While they were deploying their guns
and taking the range. several battalions
of Turkish infantry, with five batteries of
artillery, moved slowly down the slopes of
AIilouna pass toward the plain. Their OBJ
ject was to support the force of cavalry
engaged in making a reconnaissance.
Hitherto the ground has been too uneven
TO employ cavalry but now that we are
gaining the famous plains of Thessaly the
Turkish mounted men will be kept hard at
work They are well mounted, keen and
eager to bear their full share of the defense
of their country. Indeed, the spirit of our
troops is above all reproach.
Presently our artillery halted, unlim-
bered and opened upon the Greeks, and a
vigorous artillery duel commenced The
spectacle was magnificent one from the
heights, which seemed TO have been ex-
pressly designed 10 serve as an amphithea-
ter. We looked down upon the battle rag
ing at feet, and were close TO Marshal
Edhem Pasha and his staff, while in all
directions the hills We're crowded with
hight. The marshal and his officers We're
OF the opinion that LarisSa had been vir-
tually taken. that Miouna pass was
in the hands of their men. Edhem Pasha S
plans have hitherto been crowned with CON-
plete success
below us were serpentine lines of bayo-
nets glittering in the bright sun. and stand
ing out from the deep green Of the plains
and dull brown of the bare, rocky hillsides.
They moved with even cadence toward
Tyrnavo. From the mouths OF the guns In
action below came jets of fire and spurts
Of white smoke. or gray dust as the recoil
of the weapons tore up the ground. Here
reached our men. however, as the distance
was too great, and we suffered but little.
though l a few men knocked over by
bursting shrapnel, and there were several
very narrow shaVeS
More than once a shell exploded within
a very few yards of our regiments without
doing any harm. but splinters and shrapnel
near. The hill from which the Greeks are
firing lies about half way between this
place and Larissa. Soon the Turkish bat
terry limbered up, finding that the shells
dropped short, and moved forward and
then il reopened. Its fire was better di-
rected than that of the Greeks, but against
their superior strength 1t seemed to effect
little. Our infantry gave its support and
commenced a furious hre, TO which the
Greeks replied.
THE aim of Edhem Pasha Is not as yet
to fight decisive battle. He has gained a
strategic success of the utmost Importance
by holding the Greeks in front, while, in
lines parallel TO our advance, his other col
umns move forward by Damasi on Tyrna-
vo. He has also ascertained the strength
of the Greeks. Our troops are now fast
converging on Tyrnavo. From the position
which we now occupy, LariSsa, with Its
white houses, is embosomed amidst greer
trees and glistening in the sun as L senC
Oft this message.