Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-20
GnEEM STAND A DETERMINED ONE
ENcitcs Praise Even from the Enemy,
the Turks.


EXcitcs Praise Even from the Enemy,
the Turks.
DOMOKOS, May 1S.-Turkish Head
quarters before Domokos, Delayed in Trans
mission,)-A great battle, fought well into
the night, is now ended. The combat can
only be described as indecisive The fight
ing ragged from early morning until long
after dark. When the last dropping shots
were passing, over the field the advantage
did not appear to rest with either side. The
Greeks maintained their positions, having
acquitted themselves so well as 10 have
earned the hearty praises OF the Turks.
They resisted with stubborn endurance the
determined attacks of the Ottomans through
the livelong day, and still held their en-
trenchments at nightfall. The Turks made
supreme effort late this evening, but it was
met with the utmost brvery upon the part
of the Greeks and failed The Turkish losses
were heavy. The left division of the Turks
was engaged from o'clock in the morning
and appears to have succeeded in forcing
back the Greek right wing.
Before night the Greeks abandoned all
their positions. Two and one-half divisions
of the Turks are now pursuing the enemy.
The Turkish troops were on the move at
an early hour, most of the divisions leaving
Pharsaiia at dawn, led by the Circassian
cavalry, which acted as skrmishers during
the early part Of the engagement.
The real fighting began about II o'clock,
when the Turks encountered a squadron of
Greek cavalry occupying a village on the
plain before Domokos. After a sharp ex-
change of shots the Greek squadron retired
from the village and retreated toward Do
mokos This preliminary skirmish was the
signal for the Greeks t1 prepare all along
tho limo to receive the Turkish attack
One of the Turkish divisions was led by
its bands of music and the troops moved
forward as though on parade.
The Greeks had established siege guns on
the submits of the hills around Domokos
and these pieces opened the engagement with
a well directed fire upon the massed bat
talions of Turks advancing from the foot
of the hills. Although the Greek artillery
was admirably handled, it had no material
effec. in checking the Turkish advance.
Suddenly at a given word of command the
Turks deployed to the right and took up a
position behind a hill, where they waited
while the wings of the Turkish army COM
pleted their forward movements. Then fol-
lowed period Of suspense, during which the
Turks steadily took up the positions assigned
them. and at last at 3 o'clock in the after
noon the Turkish artillery opened fire. The
Greek guns replied, botA sides exchanging
shell fire for about an hour with no very
great results.
ENGAGEMENT BECOMES GENERAL.
Toward o'clock Nechst Pasha, who COM
manded the advance on the Greek positions,
ordered the infantry brigade to advance.
The bugles sounded and, taking advantage
Of every inequality Of ground, the skirm-
ishers, little by little, crept up to the first
position held by the Greeks. The fire Of the
skirmish lines was answered by long rat
tic or muSketry from the Greek entrench-
ments forming the long line, which was we'll
held by the Greek infantry and which COM
manded the approach from the plain The
preliminaries over, a terrific combat COM
menced The skirmishers increased the ra-
pidity of their fire, the main bodies of the
Turkish troops advanced, their movements
being covered by the fire of ten batteries
of artillery. Soon the engagement was gem
eral. the musketry fire increased In fury and
the booming Of the fel6 pieces became in
cessant.
Tho guns of the Greeks were splendidly
aimed and succeeded In putting one Turkish
piece out of action, but che Turkish artil-
lerymen revenged themselves by Pumping
O. shell into a Greek caisson filled with am
munition and IL blew up. During this artil-
lery duel the main bodies OF the Turkish in
fantry opened fire at long range in order to
discover the positions occupied by the en-
emy. The Greeks were not long In reply
ine. No sooner did the Turkish commander
feel the enemy accurately than he pushed
forward his irregular troops TO the attack,
The latter advanced with great spirit and
In the face OF hot fire drove the Greeks
from several of their advanced positions.
FIGHTING is DESPERATE.
But II the fighting had been gallant and
desperate on both sides up to the present It
was still more so from this time on. The
firing on both sides became really terrific,
The sun was getting near the horizon and
both sides realized the importance OF achev-
ing decisive results before nightfall. Long
lines OF flame and smoke opposed each other,
the Turks from the plain pouring a hail Of
lead at ths Greeks In their entrenched posi-
tions ana the latter replying with a continu-
Gus rain OF leaden missiles. Both the Turk
ish and Greek batteries In the meanwhile
were belching forth a never-ceaslpg storm
Of shells and shrapnel.
Al Z o'clock In the evening neither side
had gained any very great advantage The
Greeks stubbornly resisted the advance Of
their enemies, but the soldiers of the sultan
had gained ground and we're fighting with as
much dash and brillisney as when the first
cannon shot announced the opening of the
engagement.
The sun finally disappeared and darkness