The herald., 1897-04-29
FLED FROM
THE TURKS
Like Children in fear of
the Bogy Man
THE LARISSA RETREAT
A Rout Almost Without a
Parallel
THE CRY "THE TURK IS HERE"
DROVE THE PEOPLE sENSELEsS
FROM FEAR
THE CRY "THE TURK is HERE"
DROVE THE PEOPLE sENSELEsS
FROM FEAR
Soldiers and Citizens, Women and
Children, Horses and Vehicles,
Crushed Together in Pan
ic-Stricken Mass i
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
ATHENS. April 2S.-(Copyright, 1879
The correspondent of the Associated
Press at Larissa, who was with the re-
treating Greeks after the battle Of Matt,
has arrived here.
When I overlook the Greek infantry"
the correspondent telegraphs, ,"they were
in struggling order, footsore and grimy
from four days in the trenches and long
exposure to shells-enough to unnervs
veterans. They went along in silence.
contrast to the ordinary chattering in
the Greek ranks. The night was pitch
dark and the red glare at Kutari and Deli
in the distance added to the weirdness Of
the scene.
Later l passed batteries of artillery,
mule trains. carts, wagons, crying vii
layers, women and children. All were
hopelessly mixed. There was no attempt
at order. All arms were intermingled
and the confusion was completed by the
shouts and rushes of the Evzones and
regulars in every style of outfit.
l4tlT pItNlOuS SullcLucSS gave pldCC
to the clamor of disappointed and dis
pirited men. They forgot their weariness
in wild imprecations. The retreat be-
came rout. Our carriage was slowly
picking its way through the crying wom-
en- and children, and the horses, all over
laden, were walking at snaips pace or
prancing with nervous fright
Suddenly. above the din of the con-
fused masses on the road and in the ad-
joining fields came a roar, developing
into a fierce, sustained yell. rolling from
the distant rear, with lightning speed
Soon in the midst of this yell could be
distinguished cries of The Turks are
upon usi' In a few minutes dozen
horsmen and as many riderless steeds
appeared on the left at a full gallop, the
men shouting with frenzy, Run! Run!
The Turks are here!'
Into the night air rose this agonized
roar, fairly paralyzing imagination. It
will remain in my memory forever.
1.-THE stampede was immediate. The
animals were lashed into a gallop, and
men, women and children and soldiers
Joined pell nell in mad rush. Many
fell to the ground, being trampled to
death. Vehicles were overturned, mix
ing up bedding, furniture, ammunition,
horses, donkeys, oxen and buffalooes.
According to one story, the horsemen
who so suddenly appeaEed and caused
this frightful stampede, were really Cir
cassian cavalry, but this report is not
generally believed.
Beside our carriage the infantrymen
appeared with faces blanched with ter
ror Tbaxr i,1r,onad unop tbo STANG and
we tried to keep them out. One of them
thereupon leveled his rifle in our d.
rection. But their combidned weight
on one side of the carriage overturned
it, smashing it to pieces, and the Lon
don Times correspondent and myself
were thrown out. I was pinned by the
leg under broken timbers as the pam
Gemonium around increased.
"In a perfect insanity Of terror, SOL
diers and irregulars began firing their
rifles in every direction. From the front.
the rear the right and left the bullets
whizzed, but the reports of the firearms
were not easily heard above the roar Of
human beings and the shrieks of the
maddened animals. Even in the Shift
ka pass, or the hottest part of the fear
full fighting at Plevna. never witnessed
such wild firing. The whole plain was
lighted by flashes of rifles in the hands
of terror-stricken soldiers and peasants.
Eventually the Times correspondent
and myself succeeded in getting in q
ditch by the roadside and thus proceed
ed slowly. In this manner we succeed
ed in pushing forward for a time. until
we were thrown down by a rush from
behind and trampled upon by scores Of
people. AS succeeded in rising to my
feet an irregular who was dashing past
deliberately turned, raised his rifle to
within three inches of my head and
fired. 1 ducked just in time and fell to
the ground. thus saving my life.
"I 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-
pede.
"The mad firing continued for at least
half an hour, at the expiration of which
time buglers were heard sounding
Cease firing but it was some time be-
fore the firing slackened. The pande-
monium had spread for several miles.
When I returned to the road, stum-
bling over dead and dying animals, men
and women, the scene was terrible. The
way was strewn with ammunition box
es. broken furniture, the bedding Of
soldiers, blankets and tin pannikins.
The latter ratified under the horses feet.
blankets became entangled in them, and
the horses, frantic with alarm galloped
about among the flying crowds, many Of
them riderless and deserted"
Gums and ammunition wagons ana
carts added to the obstructions. 1hoie