The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-29
THE BATTLE GREECE LOST.
DETAILS OF THE GREAT FIGHT
NORTH OF THE sALAMVRIA.


East TO Turn the Greek East Flank.
The Retreat Sounded to the Sur
prise of the Greek Troops.
From the New York Sun.
London, April 26.-The Daily Mail has a
dispatch that was filed at Larissa yester-
day afternoon. saying that the Turkish
army had entered the city. It then pro-
ceeds to describe the decisive battle on the
right flank of the Greek army that ragged
between Matt ana the village of Dereli,
which sealed the fate Of the Greek forces
in North Thessaly, and was followed by
their retreat across the SalamvFia river
to Pharsala. (Dereli is a little place near
the north bank of the Salamvr.a river, a
little south of west of Repsane. and about
five miles east of Matt. 1t Will be recalled
that when the right fnak of the Greek
army withdrew from Nezeros, it retired
to Raaspne, and then to Dereli. The
Greek line extended from near Derel west
to near Milouna pass. The Turkish line
extended from the hills toward Milouna
pass to the pass itself, where it was close
ly confronted by the left flank of the
Greek army.)
The Turkish guns, which were posted on
the ridges, opened fire at long range.
Nothing could be seen or heard at first
but the boom of the guns. the accompany
ing spurts of smoke, and the whiz of the
shells. Later, the loud crack of shrapnel
bursting over the Greek lines could be
heard. The correspondent adds:
ut was not splendid it was not inspif-
ing, and it was not desperately bloody. 1t
was nothing like the descriptions of bat
ties in books. There was only an inces-
SAINT boom until the individual booms be-
came indistinguishable and were merged
into dull, deafening roar The guns
were already clouded with dust.
THE Greeks were replying to the fire of
the Turks. Now and again a wounded ar
tilleryman crawled upward with painful
slowness, moaning.
"Mingling with the roar of the artillery
came grinding, cracking noise like the
jarring of heavy cog wheels running at
terrific speed. 1t was the rifle fire of tine
two armies. The Greeks did not shoot
well. Their shrapnel flew over our guns
or exploded short of them.
Gradually the Greek guns slackened
fire, ana our infantry gathered for
charge. Our guns increased their ire
raining shells upon the Greek lines and
the two villagesifar below.
Word came TO assault the enemy's po>
sittons. The Turkish bugles sounded, and
we rode forward to a position near the
guns. 1 could see the lines of gray in
fantry below wave their fezes. The Spec
tacle was magnificent. Scattered about
the plains were patches of blue smoke
where the Greek infantry were firing.
THE center of the Greek defense was a
large, square, house. All around it
swarmed soldiers, who appeared like
ants. They fired steadily upon our ad-
vancing skirmishers who were scattered
in open order. Behind them were masses
of troops moving forward mechanically
and remorselessly. Behind these was
trail of PROSTATE figures
''Slowlyour slifmshers neared the little
Hill on which the house was situated, NOV
ing all the time with machine-like preci-
sion.
Now the ants around the house showed
great perturbation. They scurried to and
fro, swayed back, and retreated, and we
had taken the center of the Greek posi-
ton. There was no waiting for a bayonet
attack. There was no work with cold
steel. The ambulances drove forward to
collect our wounded. Edhem Pasha push
ed on behind the victorious troops.
"Our losses were remarkably small-ten
killed and thirty-eight wounded, few of
| the latter seriously. 1A u-
I'm the Greek lines there were many
dead and wounded. The effects of our ar
tillery were hideous. Bodies were torn into
bloody pulp, trunks were stripped of
their members, and uniforms were char
| red. .~--
1--WE took fifty prisoners, who were mis-
cradle and discouraged.
Immediately after the battle the Greeks
evacuated their position at Kritiri "a hight
| in front of Milouna pass in the plain). leav
M. Lao
abandoned their Entertainments in the
center of the plain. Their whole line, In
| fact, retired
1--WE pressed forward Immediately. The
Greeks no longer offered any resistance.
| Their flight seemed to be degenerating into
| rout. Rifles, cartridges, knapsacks and
| all the debris of a battlefield were streYn
along the line of retreat"
The correspondent of the Daily News
who Is with the Greek army sends dis
patch from Turnavo, dated April % (F'ri-
day, giving description of the fighting
between Matt and Dereli similar to that
given by the correspondent of the Daily
Mail. He adds that the number of Turks
Who took part in the engagement can
safely be estimated at over 1900. white
the Greeks numbered only 1000. The lat
ter were reinforced by some 5000 men in
the evening, but 1t was then too late for
them to share in the battle.
Inc Greek headquarters were On u NIL
at Kritiri (near Miiouna pass). Here the
infantry reserves lay concealed behind
the hill. The infantry lntrenchments were
a quarter of a mile in front ard the bat
teries were on either side.
The enemy first made a combined cav
airy and infantry attack, but were re-
pulsed with little difficulty. Then began
an artillery duel which lasted, with few
lntermissions, from s o'clock In the morn
ing until in the evening Continuing the
correspondent says
'"rhe Turkish shells came screaming
about us, but seemed, owing to the long
range and bad gunnery. to have a pre-
diliction for a wheat field behind us. Soon
the Greek support on the Nights of LOS
fake. consisting of $500 men, with two
mountain guns, Joined In the fire as against
Gritzovali, In front of Milouna pass,
where the Turkish right wing was posted.
For hours the air was full Of screaming
shells chiefly shrapnel. Fortunately for
the Greeks, the thousand-odd shells fired
by the Turks resulted In barely twenty
casualties.
Toward o'clock In the afternoon II be-
anna avfdanf that tho anaunv had NTH.