The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-07

the harbor, for several years before 1881,
some Of the Turkish ironclads and cruisers,
! now figuring on the Turkish navy list as
thirteen and fourteen knot ships, used to lilo
at anchor until their waste pipes became
choked with marine growth, and their hulls
so overgrow with barnacles and oysters
that 1t was with difficulty they were able
to make three or four knots an hour when
they had to retire on the Greek occupation.
Volo is separated from the Plain Of La
rissa by a low range Of hills over which the
road passes. To the right lies the Lake Of
Karla, a resort of wildfowl and Astounding
In cells. The road passes by Phero, or
Velestino, about twenty-five miles from
Volo. Phern is celebrated in modern
Greek history as the birthplace of RHIGA,
the Thessalian revolutionary hero, called
after the town Of his nativity, Rhiga Phe-
races. He was the composer OF the Greek
revolutionary hymn which inspired the
rising and resistance Of the Greeks during
the long and dark years Of their struggle
for liberty, while civilized Europe stood
callously looking OH.
1t was n French army landed after
NAVARRO, that finally freed Greece from
the presence OF the Turk. RHIGA, hunt
ed out OF Pherno, where he was a viii
lage schoolmaster, fled to Austria. The
Austrian Government, then as now the
enemy Of Greece, handed him over to the
Turkish Pasha of Belgrade in Servla, by
whose orders he was to be executed. On
the scaffold his berculean strength enabled
him to burst the bonds that held
his arms, and with a blow Of his
powerful fist he killed the hangrnan.
The Turkish escort around the scat.
fold opened fire on him, and he
fell riddled with bullets. On the day Of
the entry of the Greek troops into Volo in
1881 a bust Of RHIGA stood on one side Of
the road at the entrance to the town, and
one Of the Patriarch Of Constantinople,
who had been murdered by the Turks and
his body dragged about the city, on the
other side. RHIGA's song of the revolution
is the national hymn Of Greece, and no
doubt is stirring the blood of the Greek
soldiers now as they sing 1t around their
camp fires at night on the frontier, within
sound Of the Turkish outposts. 1t is taught
to the children in every school in Greece.
From Nelestino to Larissa the road runs
through n fiat but fairly well cultivated
country. Larissa, formerly called Yeni.
chchr, or New Town, by the Turks, though
improved since the Greek occupation, Is q
large, rambling place, with much to be de.
sired In the way Of streets in wet weather.
bank of the Salembria, and is connected with
the north side by an old bridge of Turkish
construction. From Larissa branches out
the road along the south bank Of
the Salembria to the Vale of Tempe, lie.
nowned of old. A cut here in the noun.
tains, evidently OF volcanic origin, sepa-
rates Mount Ossa from the Olympus group.
Tempe Is also connected with Nolo by a
road passing to the westward Of Lake
Karla. Nearly due north of Larissa is tho
town of Tournavo, at the foot of a line Of
hills occupied by Turkish outposts. There
are remains Of an old overflow canal
from here to Larissa, constructed to
relieve the rush of waters down the
upper course of the Vegaris, n trib.
utary of the Salembria, and to serve for
the irrigation Of the surrounding country.
Roads run east and north from Tournavo
to Glassona, in Macedonia, the Turkish
headquarters, and the southern foothills Of
Olympus. Rapsani, a strategic point on
the slope Of these hills, is now strongly oc.
cupied by the Greeks, as it covers the roads
by which a Turkish force might try to pass
the Salembria above the Vale Of Tempe
and advance on Volo or the heights above
that port.
The western or Karditza plain is less open
han the eastern to n Turkish incursion, its
northern limits being well covered by n
broken country, very difficult for troops to
traverse in any force. The country north
of the main stream of the Salembria is
rough and cut up by wa]tcrcourses, and from
Trikkala northwestwa offers great nat
ural difficulties to an invading force. The
.Karditza plain itself is 40 cut up with
streams that the destruction Of a
few bridges would make an advance
in force on that side almost impos-
sible. Tho theatre OF operations in
Thessaly would then necessarily be
confined to n limited area. So long as the
Greeks can hold the roads ON the north side
of the S%alembria that debouch on the plain
from Glassona and down the coast below
Tempe, Larissa could be held by the Greeks.
II, however, the line of the Salembria were
forced by the Turks, the Greeks would have
to fall back toward Pharsala and by the
roads leading to Nelesino, when their right
flank would he resting on the Gulf of Volo
and their left on the broken western plain.
This Ii assuming that the Turks were In
sufficient force and In q condition to advance
and defeat the Greek army
Though 1t is assumed that the Greeks
would not be able to sustain the shock OF u
Turkish attack, IL is by no means certain.
The morale Of an army counts for some.
thing under such circumstances as those
that have called the flower of Greek man.
hood into the field. They are full Of Ell.
thusiasm; and though the fnanciers OF
Athens have done their best to destroy the
Hellenic idea as beyond the power of Greece
to realize, it Is deep down in the hearts Of
the people, The Turkish soldiers, outside of
their fanaticism have no morale as we under,
stand IL, though they are brave and willing
fighters. The Greeks encamped in Thcssaly
cannot turn their gaze In any direction
without resting on some great landmark
OF their race, looking down on them with