The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-03-26
New, Reoceived at Athens.

Athens, March 26.-The news or the
dynamiting OF the Malaxa blockhouse
at o'clock last night as the culmina-
ton of a day of fierce fighting and pro-
longed siege has made a tremendous
sensation here. II Is regarded az an
event OF far reaching Importance, both
in it's effect upon the insurgents them
selves and upon the Greek mind at this
stage Of the crisis.
IT confirms the belief generally enter
tanned here in official circles, as well az
by the people at large, that the Chris
tians in Crete are not in the least de-
tered by the blockade and not in the
least beguiled by the appeals Of the ad
mirals or the implied arguments of the
autonomy proclamation.
Advices from Canea as to the details
of the days fighting show that the in
surgents displayed the most desperate
valor and left the Turkish garrison OF
the blockhouse no choice but flight.
Evacuation by the Moslems was fol.
lowed Immediately by occupation by the
insurgents, who were close upon the
heels Of the flying foe.
To hold the blockhouse In the face of a
rain of shells from the Turkish war
ships in Suda bay was impossible. The
commander Of the insurgents having re-
solved that IL they could not keep II
neither should the Moslems, blew the
whole structure into fragments with
successive heavy charges of dynamite.
At o'clock last night the long fought
for blockhouse was a mass Of burning de-
bris, and the flames lit up the blockade
waters of the bay
Immediately on receipt OF the news
M. Delyannis and the minister of war
drove together RAPIDLY to the royal
palace, where they had an audience with
the king. What happened there can
only be guessed at, but one thing Is
significant, King George and the cabinet
have given the consent they had with.
held for the last four days to the formal
gazetting Of the Crown Prince Constan-
tine as commandeY-in-chief OF the Greek
army in Thessaly. and the decree is
published today. The crown prince did
not wait for the actual appearance of his
commission In print, but started for the
frontier at 4 o'clock this morning.
The departure OF the crown prince
with the full approval of the king and the
cabinet. to take supreme control of the
army, can have but one meaning. The
accept the terms offered by the powers
for peaceful settlement of the Cretan
difficulties. His presence among the
troops is certain to have the most exhil.
arating effect upon them, and il is notice
to Turkey that II conflict comes the
Greek troops will enter it under the
leadership of their own choice. The
step thus taken is momentous.
The official Proia denies that the gov.
ernment has made any proposal To the
powers respecting Crete beyond its
original reply to the Identical notes of
the powers.
Thousands Of signatures arc appended
to a~protest by Cretans against the
blockade, which runs in part as fol-
lows:
We. Crctans sojourning In Greece.
protest before God and man against the
unjust and inhuman death which some
of the great potentates OF the earth seek
to impose by famine upon our fellow
countrymen. whose only crime is that
they are seeking for freedom, az those
potentates themselves have formerly
done"