The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-05-15
LAST GREAT BATTLE.
Defeat Of the Greek Troops An
Along the Line
After 3 Most Gallant Resistance-The Turks
In Possession of More and Better Field
Guns and Also Showed Better Gem
eralship-Casualties Unknown.


LONDON, May S.-The Times" prints
the following dispatch from Velestino,
via Athens: THE expected battle be-
gan at half-past six yesterday morning
Thursday at this point and at the
Cynoscephale and a little later above
Avail and Pharsalos. The positions
are as follows: Velestino and the main
Cynoscephala chain were held by the
Greeks. The plain to the northward
and the gray ridge jutting out between
the Cynoscephala and Velestino were
held by the Turks.
The Greeks had three batteries of ar
tillery and the Turks four. Early in
the morning a well-directed Greek ar
tillery fire prevented the advance Of
the Turkish infantry. By half-past
seven the artillery firing was very
heavy on both sides, but each main
tanned its position.
At 1880 a Turkish battery behind
Koniari began firing shrapnel, and the
Greeks soon began to lose ground. A
hot artillery and musketry fusilade
was kept up until noon, when the
Greeks on the big hill commenced to
retire in orderly fashion, but at a dou-
BILE quick. The Turks were not firing
at them, and were apparently ignorant
of their success.
"The irregulars tried in vain to as
sist the Greeks by firing at the adj
vancing Turks, and, in fact, through
out the entire. engagement they were
practically valueless.
At 12:45 the Turks attacked the big
hill with musketry and shell fire. 1
and another correspondent received a
volley of five shells very close to us,
besides shrapnel whistling overhead.
Several shots reached the road beyond,
designed probably to prevent the
Greeks from sending reinforcements to
their left, where the Turks were rap
idly ascending the hill.
The Greek batteries on the right
were now useless and almost silent and
the Turks on the Larissa road made 10
attempt to attack them.
"At 12:45 p. m. the attack on the
right of the Cynoscephale became
severe The Greeks were in full re-
treat, the irregulars.leeing in all direc-
tions. At 2 o'clock the long line of
Greek infantry was r~etreating, the
skirmisbers forming into companies
and then falling into single file.
81 hear that the retreat from Cynos-
cephale began somewhat earlier and
the retreat from Pharsalos toward
Domokos earlier still.
despair was doubtless running
down the lines from left to right and
influencing the result. The railway
was completely abandoned and the
Pyrouphli station deserted.
"At 8 o'clock the Evzones retreated
on Atski and the remainder of the
eastern infantry to Almyros. The
Turks burned the village of Delitus.
During the morning the foreign legion
entered the engagement probably be-
tween Pharsalos and Await. The
Turks were seen to be driving back
the Greeks along the line extended
from Pharsalos TO Avail, turning the
flank of the Velestino division at the
Cynoscephale and rolling up the
Greeks into two ~retreating masses.
The Turks won chiefly because they
had field guns, whereas the Greeks had
only mountain guns.
1.-The former also showed their tacti-
cal superiority by making a strong at
tack near the Cynoscephale where the
Greeks were weak and without artil-
lery. Two of the chief Turkish bat
teries were outside the Greek ranks and
the Turks seemed to have found
shelter in rifle pits.
The Greek infantry stood their
ground well under a heavy fire, espe-
cially along the center of the line of
rifles. Many shells burst around them
and overhead.
"Gen. Smolenski's right wing was
much stronger and could easily have
held its position had not the left COL
lapsed.
1.-The Greeks at Domokos and Amy
ros will probably Join forces at Lamia
and go together to Mustapha Bey
pass, where the next big battle should
occur, though L am officially informed
that a stand will be made at Domokos.
'Thermopyle will doubtless be left
to the fleet. The Cynoscephale was
tho main strategic point of the battle.
The number Of casualties is unknown,
but in the early part of the day it ap-
peared to be small"
To Save Volo.
ATHENS, May THE Greek fleet at
Volo has been instructed not to hinder
the entrance of the Turks, in order to
save the town from destruction.
Gen. Smolenski's artillery, engineers
and some cavalry have proceeded to
Alsyros by sea.
Crowds of volunteers continue to ar