The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-04-29
INSANE FROM FEAR
The Wild, Frantic Retreat Of the
Greeks From LarisSa.
TWAS A FEARFUL STAMPEDE
Men. Women and Children Rush
Biindly Out Into the Darkness
and Their Roaring Fairly
ParaIyzes Imagination.
'apyrisht lss7 by Associated Press.


~ the associated press at Lartssa. who
was with the retreating Greeks after
the battle of Matt. has arrived here.
when overlook the Greek infantry"
the correspondent says. they were IN
straggling order. footsore and grimy
from four days la the trenches and
long exposure To shells. enough TO un-
nerve veterans. They went along in ST.
Ience' a contrast TO the ordinary chat
tering In the Greek ranks The night
was pitch dark aud the red glare at
kutarl and Deli In the distance added
To the weirdness of the scene Later [
passed batteries of artillery. mule
trains, carts. wagons, crying villagers,
women and children. IL was pitiable.
All were hopelessly mixed. There was
no attempt at order All arms were in
termingled and the confusion was COM
pieied by the shouts and rushes Of the
eNzener and irregulars In every style OF
outfit
Their previous sullenness gave place
10 the clamor of disappointed aud
dispirited men, They forgot their
weariness in Wild imprecations Tn.
| retreat became "A rout Our carriage
was slowly picking it's way through the
crying women and children and the
horses, all overladen, which We're walk
| ing at snails pace, or prauCing with
nervous fright. suddenly above the
din OF the confused masses on the road
and In the adjoining fields came roar
developing into fierce, sustained yclt.
rolling from the distant rear with light
ming speed. In the midst Of this could
be distinguished cries of the Turks are
upon us. In few minutes a dozen
horscincn and Hs many rlderleSs steeds
appeared On the left at "A full gallop,
the men shouting with frenzy. run. run,
the Turks are herc!'
Into the night air arose this ago
nized roar fairly paralyzing the imagi-
nation. IL will remain In my memory
forever. The stampede was immediate.
The animals were lashed into gallop.
and men, women and children and SOL
diers Joined pell-mcll In "A mad rush.
many who fell to the ground being
tramplcd to death. Vehicles were over
turned, mixing up bedding. furniture.
ammunition, horses. donkeys. oxen anl
bufialoes. According to one story thu
horsemen who so suddenly appeared
and caused this fearful stampede. were
really Circassian cavalry. but this re-
port In not generally believed.
Besides our carriage. the infantry
men appeared with faces blanched from
terror. They jumped upon the steps
and we tried To keep them out. One OF
! lt'W l'Ntlfu MS IlIlF WI puT
But the combined weight on the steps
Of one side OF the carriage overturned
IL, smashing II to pieces, and the Lon-
don Times correspondent and myself
were thrown out. I was pinned by the
leg under broken timbers as the pande-
monium increased. In perfect insan-
ity Of terror, soldiers and irregulars be-
gan firing their rifles in every direction.
From the front and rear. from right
| unn l.4ff h.. htlIlafa "a hty1aH lint the r.s-
ports Of tho firearms were not 80 easily
heard above the roar OF human beings
and the terror Of the maddened AMI
mails. Even In the Shipka pass, or the
hottest part Of the fearful lighting at
Plevna. ! never witnessed such wild mr.
Ink. The whole plain was lighted by
| flashes OF rifles In the hands OF the ter
ror stricken soldiers and peasants.
Eventually the Times correspondent
and myself succeeded In getting insid.
ditch by the roadside. and thus pro-
ceeded slowly. In this manner We sue
ceeded In pushing forward for time.
until We were thrown down by rush
from behind, and tIump,l upon by tn.
scores of people. A. ! Succeeded in
rising to my feet an Irregular who was
dashing past. deliberately turned,
] raised his rifle to within three inches ~
my head, aud fired. I ducked just In
time aud fell tn the ground. thus saving
my life. ] had lost my companion In
the meanwhile. and walked ON In the,
ditch already mentioned or else plowed
my way through the thick Of the stam-
pele. The mad firing continued Tor
} fully half an hour. at the expiration az
which time, bugcrs were heard sound
vi ing cease firing. but IL Was long time
before the firing slackened up. and the
pandemonium mad spread several relies.
When I returned To the road. stumbling
over dead and dying animals, men and
women. the scene Was terrible. The
| way was stryWn with ammunition
boxes. broken furniture, the bedding ot
soldiers, blankets and tin pannikins-
The latter ratified under the horses
feet the blankets became entsngled in
| them, and the horses. frantic with
alarm. gallnped about among the flying
crowds. many Of them riderless and de-
serted.
! Guns and ammunition, wagons AMI
| carts added To the obstruction Their
| traces had been cut in order to enable
, the drivers to mount the horses at
tached to them aud seek safety III
flight There were many struggles Tor
the possession Of horses In this man
uer the affrighted crowds struggled ON
for several miles. presenting most
vivid picture II disaster and fear
Some of the Greek officers. IL is true.
! did their duty. They ordered the
buglers and trumpeters To sound cease
firing and rode about calling upon the
fleeing soldiers To halt. But others OF
the Greek officers lost their heads and
rushed onward as terror stricken a.
the soldiery. one brave officer tried 10
bring his men 10 their senses by pre-
senting a revolver at them and shout
ing, Stop, stop but he might as well
have called upon whirlwind to stay In
its course.
General Mavromichaelis, who had
evidently reached i.arissa some time
, before. rode back some distance In or
der to arrest the stampede. Two miles
: from the Larissa road Is situated an
. emhaukment where the general sue
ceedtd in Inducing half company oS
. foot soldiers to fall in. but hundreds
, continued the pcll-mvl rush. There
: was "A block at the bridge across Sa-
lambra river at The entrance Of Larissa.
Another terrible scene was there pre-
sented. guns. men and horses strug-
Cling In a fearful mass. In the streets
of Larissa there was indescrihable con-
fusion. When the neighborhuod OF the
town could be made out with some dis