The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-27
BOTH SIDES OF 1T.
Turks and Greeks Tell of the Battle
mt Natl.

NEW YORK. April 2s-A dispatch to
the Journal from Londen says:
The special correspondent of the Daily
Mail writing from Miouna. thus describes
the fighting which led up to the battle at
Matt;
Early Friday morning Nischat Pashas
division occupied the hill OF Kritir!. This
was the last Greek position on the road 10
Iarissa. The enemy was driven from II
by Edhem Pasha's dexterous flank move
ments. We had not 10 expend the lives
OF Turkish soldiers in storming il. The
position was almost impregnable and was
evacuated thanks TO our strategy. FRI
day the Turks took two Of the villages
above and below the pass 10 the right OF
the Greeks.
The battle opened with a furIou. srtil-
lery combat i'm which the Turkish guns
did great execution. The artillery FIRE was
extraordinarily accurate. / watched shell
after shell fan right on Greek entrench-
ments. Presently the charge was sound
ed and our troops advanced with i'm
petuous ardor to the assault. They dashed
forward with cries OF Allah is great: he
Will give uS victory over the infidels.
swept up the Hill. and before one had time
10 ask what they were doing were In the
Greek entertainments and the onslaught
was determined.
our losses were considerable. AS our
many prone on the ground behind them.
The rout ia told in another account from
the Greek side. which Is as follows:
A bloody battle was fought yesterday at
Matt and Il ended in the total defeat %
the Greeks. The encounter ragged from
dawn with indecisiye results until the
Greek troops who had been defending
Reveni with magnificent courage and
dogEedness for several hours were obliged
to fan back This step was inevitable. for
Gen. Mavromichalis telegraphed 10 Col
Srolensk who was In command. as fol-
lows: 'snimopolouis beaten. Take what
measures you think tit"
Thereupon Col Smolensk fell back IN
fairly good order. but the superb way in
which the Turks were swinging around
their forces az once settled the issue Of the
dsv az Natl Indeed. the Greek forces
were entirely outianked and fell hack in
confusion.
The crown prince teIexraphed for in
.tructiors 10 King George. who replied:
IF possible. defend Larisss: II not. do
what the needs OF the case impose"
II was then decided 20 abandon LsrIssa.
and indeed. II was only Just in time.
Fortunately many Of the Inhabitants
had gone. but the scene was nevertheless
a terrible enc. Tire troops were pouring
hack di$organized from the front. bring
ing the news that the Turks were follow
ing hard after them. Il was almost
xauve aui rent. bur the higher military
authorities did their best 20 save their
guns and IN this they were for the most
Part successful. The awful preeipitancy
with which the pIace was evacuated was
intensified BY the fact that the order 20
retreat was issued on Friday ntEht, and
TIE p~enara tlonS went on al through the
darkness When dawn broke The work ~
CARVING 81 military stores provisions and
household effects was SttN being vigorous
~ prosecuted At noon no ore remained
in the town save she protect. several po-
}icernen ard a fgv telegraph employees. and
they then prepared 20 start Il Is sup
posed TIE Turkish troops occupied the
town toward evening
The rexs q THIS disaster ard its cor
sequences have caused absolute eonsrsrr8-
tfa- here. ard IL fs Impossible 70 say what
raw haupen. People have not yet awsk-
cred 70 the fuIl significance of The Blow.
Nus TIRE scenes sveryw here sre plflaele 90
witness AFTER ire issue - ths combat AZ
Matt. the Greek army fsll back On Is SEC
ors ire az defense az Phsr-aia- order
VS. gradually restored 50 a considerable
sxtent bat TIE general morale os TIRE
t~eouS had received serious blow.