The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-03-26
FOR
THE TURKS !
The Cretan Insurgents Capture and
Destroy a Fort.
CONSTANTINE OFF FOR THE FRONT
The Greek Crown Prince Goes as Com
mander-in-chief Of the Army, and
is an Indication That Greece
Has Finally Decided to
Defy the Powers

Canea, Crete, March 26.-The insur-
gents made a determined attack on the
block house at Malaxa outside Of Suda
yesterday. The artillery pieces Of the
Christians were served with such ad-
mirable promptness and precision that
In a short time nothing remained to
the Turks but determination or evacu-
alton. The Mussulmans, preferring the
latter, left the fort and commenced a
retreat upon Suda, relying upon the
Turkish warships in the bay to save
them from the Christians
The sultans fleet opened a badly
judged fire upon the insurgents in
order to cover the retreat from the
block house. The shells fell either
short or far beyond the insurgent
forces. Consequently the Christians
pushed forward steadily pressing hard
upon the rear of the Turks and keep
ing up a continual sl1irmish fire.
The insurgents who attacked the
bloclShouse displayed the most desper-
ate valor, and left the Turkish garri-
son of the bloclShouse no choice but
flight. Evacuation by the Moslems
was followed Immediately by occupa-
ton by the insurgents, who were close
upon their flying foe.
To hold the blockhouse in the face
of rain of shells from the Turkish
warships in Suda bay was impossible.
The commander of the insurgents then
resolved that if they could not keep
1t neither should the Moslems and de-
stroyed the house with dynamite and
set the ruins on fire. At 8 o'clock last
night the long fought for blockhouse
Nrrog Of do.
flames lit up the blockaded waters of
the bay. Two hours later it was COM
pletely destroyed.
The fleets fired 90 shells upon the
insurgents around Malaxa, and some
of them fell inside the block house.
OF the Turkish garrison that was
driven out, numbering GA, one escaped
to Nerohuri and 18 others to Suda. 1t
is believed that the others perished.
While the fighting was in progress
u detachment of Turkish troops, being
unaware of the fact that the garrison
of the fort at Malaxa had evacuated
that place and was retreating upon
Suda, closely pressed by the Christians
made sortie from Canea with a con-
voy Of provisions intended for the gar
rison of Malaxa.
While the Turks were unaware of the
Insurgents doings, the latter had
closely followed the movements of the
Turkish column escorting the provis-
ions and ammunition trains. Near
Kertidi the Turks were met by a body
of insurgents, who from well selected
positions opened a fierce fire upon the
advancing troops. The fire of the
Christians stopped the advance Of the
column, and the Turkish command
took up the best position possible in
order to protect the convoy and send
it to the rear if necessary. The fight
ing continued for several hours, when
the Turks retreated.
There was further desperate fighting
between another body Of Turks and
the Christians until after g o'clock in
the afternoon in and about the village
of Tsikalaria, not far from Suda, to
which point the insurgents succeeded
In pushing forward while in pursuit of
the retrea ting garrison of Malaxa. The
insurgents burned several more houses
of Tsikalaria, whereupon the warships
of the foreign powers began firing at
the Christians. The bombardment,
however, only lasted ten minutes, but
1t stopped the fight on shore.
The admirals of the international
fleets have addressed a general order
to the International troops welcoming
them to Crete, and adding; 1--WE ex-
hort you by your conduct to set an
example before the Cretan people,
whom the powers charge us to protect,
and promptly to save from the horrors
of civil war. The enterprise upon
which we have embarked will be diff
ficult and often times may be painful.
but we rely upon you to defend the
interests Of humanity and the honor
of Ol1r. ia egs