New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-01
SMELLING THE CRETANS.
FOREIGN WARSHIPS HELPING OUT THE
TURKS.
THE ISLANDERS WILL. ACCEPT ONLY POLITICAL
UNION WITH GREFCT-To BLOCKADE GRE

! CLAN PORTS AT AN EARLY DATE
Canea. Crete. March 3l.-The Christians since
yesterday have bomharded the blockhorse above
the Izeddin Fort, which, together with the foreign
ironcads, replied with shells The bombardment
was continued until II o'clock at night and was
| resumed this morning. The result Is not known.
The insurgents by bold stroke occupied the
I'LL en- the south side Of Suda Bay last evening.
They were promptly shelled by the British Aus
TRAN and Russian warships. Al daybreak o-day
the firing resumed, and the Cretans were
| driven from their positions. AS soon the firing
ceased they made another attempt to recover the
ground, and the warships promptly resumed the
firing. which was heavy for several hours. Dur
ing the cannonade three Turks were killed and
five wounded
| The Russian Consul at Retimo reports that
when ne communicated TO the Cretans at ST.
| popuos the proclamation Of the admirals ill.,
/ viting them to Law down their arms the Cretans
I replied that the only boon they would accept
! from the Powers political union with
! Greece.
Athens, March 31-Colone vassos. COM
mander Of the Greek forces in Crete. has he
| liographed the following message to King
| George:
! contrary 10 their promises the Admirals have
permitted bands Of armed Mussulmans at Can
| udlHo 10 plIlage ana DuTn houses OUTSIDE tne
town. while every act Of defence the part Of
the Christians provokes bombardment by the
foreign warships. The Admrals sent their Gov
ernments false dispatches declaring that am
| guilty Of cruelties. that have massacred the
prisoners taken at Malaxe, and that. despite my
solemn declaration to the contrary. I intend 10
attack Canea l shall appeal to the Admirals an
energetic protest
a royal decree issued this evening orders the
western naval division, under Captain Kriezi. to
assemble at Lucas. 1t consists OF the Acteon.
the Eurotas. the Basileos Georgios. the Nauar-
ohos Miaulis and the Ambrakia Aphroessa. with
four torpedo boats The torpedo hOtilla under
the command Of Prince George. is now cruising
at the entrance Of the Gulf Of Volo.
London March 31-"The Times will publish
dispatch from its Canea correspondent to-mor-
row saying that the Admrals have asked the
Powers for battery Of artillery each for use in
Crete.
Her Maiesty's ship Camperdown took part in
the bombardment of the Cretans who had oc-
cuped the hill on the south side of Suda Bay
She used her 67-ton guns.
The Times correspondent says there APP
pears To be some misunderstanding abroad az
to the exact position of Colonel Nassos As
matter Of fact. the Greek commander Is taking
! no part whatever in the present movements or
| the insurgents. whose three cannons are pelhs
/ worked by native Cretans ex-of'icers or the
| Greek army. and hy Greek volunteers Ihere
are many groups with as many chiefs. each
group acting independently. Colonel Nassos re-
mains passive at Alikianu. He does not intend
70 take the aggressive against the Powers. But,
although the insurgents acknowledge him as
their chief he has little control over them
The Canea correspondent Of "rhe standard
/ will say tomorrow in describing the pohparu-
ment by the foreign warshps of the position
taken up by the insurgents on the nil 10 the
I south Of Suda Bay last evening:
when the Cretans began the attac: colonel
For proposed to the Admiras that they should
land a mixed force Of 800 men TO drive the in
surgents from the position they occupied behihd
a strong stone wall along ravine. The Austrian
and French Admirals were opposed to taking the
offensive: they decided to confine their action TO
bombarding BY = O'Clock in the morning the
engagement was in full swing The Turkish
guns in Fort Izeddin could take only small part
| i'm th,. firing as most of them are directed sea-
AFTER the foreign men of war sisnalled their
| intention to lombard. the Groziastchy hred hrst
! then II. NJ. :. Ardent and nnally tne Aus.iah
punboat Tiger. Each vessel nred IN lts turh'
/ oirino chiefly at the Greek flag, which was
hois,ed above the stone wall. The Ardent
ceased firing at $50; but the Groziastehy' rang
| ing clost. in shore. by degrees pounded down the
I wall ward by yard. every shot telling.
I'm spite of the heavy Cannonade the tretans
held their ground stoutly, even throwing , out
skirnishers 70 repel the Turkish outpostsi thoush
/ thev we're compelled to abandon their own
principal position behind the stone wall;
AZ 9:45 a IN. Her Maiestys ship Camper
/ down the outermost Of the large ironclads ne
/ can firing six inch shells. The Cretans there-
| mon retired slightly. but continued heaN!
fire until 10 ocldck, when the 'ailpcruoN" ~, az
| a range of Il 400 yards. fired her big guns Inc
af,on' was instantaneous. Three out Of four Of
tho rercussion shells burst directly IN the centre
/ of the insurgents position. and the Cretans fled
/ helter- skelter e. It'll, .Lo
..Thc aim OF the gunners was perfect WniIe ,nc
formidable noise Of the enormous shehs nur,nhs
I throueh ;hc air alone enough 10 II ish'ol'
n, a, nnnmv Things were now getting too hot to
1oet and the insurgent flag was speedlly loWtfto,
T,be Crotans in full retreat. were hastehed ny ,ne
Gro of the Groziastchy and the Iieer WhicH
poured in with extreme accuracy OF ann su''eS-
sion Of shrapnels c, .,,o, ,ho
AT 1O1, the last shell fell. Seeing that me
ohtert of the bombardment was accomplished
no Russian and Austrian warships steamed
away for blockade service the Ardeh, ,,i', re-
turned to Suda The Turkish soiHlery s.inr,, i.in,s
o,,ic,,l,. from the forts. occupied tnc IoSillohS
la,eIv hold bv the insurgents hoisted me QUO
man Dag with great manifestations 81 denRn.
and even advanced across the open , WIN 3 s'o"e o"
| coolness though exposed 10 the continues " -.
( or Inc insurgent sharpshoOters. who relnalh'o III
the ra vine Up In the last moment. .,,, .,,,-,,o
",t 1I.3O a m the Turks were stu pouring
n,,Ii,o ride fire uuon the retreating masses
or the insurgents who replied with WondcIiu vi
shirt Their splendid defence Of the the position
cxriied the admiration ol AL. NJ. -
dawn began 10 fire heavy shells the insurgents ;
ratber gained than lost ground in spite OF ,ne
49,, ,,n,,s fire Of he Russian and Austrian Nes-
, Altogether about 100 shells were ilred
Rerlin. March 3l-It is semi-oficiaIiy an
counced here this evening that the Powers nave
o,ri,.sd at the conviction that the situation IN
,,,a and on the Thessalian frontier must no,
he allowed to continue ana that st'PS Hius'
ec,a,,,i,b he taken To stop the aggressive attl-
d - C;reecc Their decision was hastehed d!
,be acrion of Colonel Nassos in aiding the insur
nnts In hostilites against the powers Inc
/ sS,loLade of Greece has. therefore been decided
n n,o lin the consent of all the Powers. ana
I'm ~ ba enforced at an carly date.
VIII sinatnh to the "Berlner Tagcbatt" from
clnsIantinoplc to-day says that five OF the
dnli "A