The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-07

the two Greek armies and overwhelm them
with his immensely superior forces, as II Is
not believed either of the Greek commands
would venture from its entrenched positions
into the open if the other was attacked IN
The second piece of bad news for the
Greeks Is the cutting of the railroad pc
tween Phersala and Velestino by the
turks The interruption OF railroad COM
munication between Phersala ana Nolo
means very great deal to the creeks, as
the road between the two places was a
good one and source from which the
Greeks derive their supplies, Then again the
cutting Of the railroad makes it much more
difficult to defend Velestino and the loss or
that place would mean that the Greeks
would have to depend on a difficult road
across portion OF the Othyris range OF
mountains through the Phourka ana Ma
louka passes, each nearly three thousand
feet high, for their supplies. 1t Will thus
be seen that the positions of the Greeks
are already half taken and it would seem
that if a mastery retreat could be carried
out it would perhaps be the best way out
of the difficulty, for Edhem Pasha seems
to hold the key TO the situation and is
slowly and cleverly closing around the
Greeks who, from what the correspondent
can judge, are almost at his mercy unless
the great unexpected happens. The bravery
displayed by Grown Prince Constantine
and his brother, Prince Nicholas yesterday
have had a good effect upon the troops.
But there was considerable resentment felt
among the Greeks against their ot1cers IN
general.
A correspondent of the Associated Press
has made a survey of the field of last Fri
days lighting at Velestino: II shows that
Turkish losses were over 1,2OO men. The
Greeks buried on Saturday and to-day
Sunday from 600 to 700 Turks. Many of
them were partly clothed in Greek uni
forms captured at Larissa. The Greeks lost
230 men. The correspondent was informed
by peasants who revisited their homes at
Risomylos, after the Turks left that place,
burned and that all the houses were looted.
The church was not burned, but, the peas
ants claim, its interior was wrecked, the
altar and pictures being destroyed. The
Turks thn scar, carried off the oxen and sheep of
A dispatch from Phersala dated II a. m.
to-day describes the battle there which be-
gan yesterday: "A Turkish corps first APP
peared on the summit of Mount Tekke yes
terday morning. From formidably in
trenched position on the hillside they at
tackled the Fourth Regiment or Evzones
about noon. The latter made strong re-
sistance, but were finally compelled to fall
slowly back. The Turks then cannonaded
and destroyed the village of Ordkonl, which
is about two hours march north of Pher-
sala. The crown prince having ordered the
entire army TO draw up in line of battle the
Greeks advanced about p. m. The Turks,
numbering 1900. Immediately descended the
slopes Of Mount Tekke and planted batter
les which began to lombard the Greek
regiments. Owing to superiority of weight,
the Turkish cannon inflicted heavy losses on
the Greeks, and especially near the station.
The Turks continued to advance until they
came into close quarters and then the crown
prince decided to retire to more command
ing positions. All the ammunition and sup
plies have been transported to DomokoS,
on the heights of which the Greek batteries
are prepared for action. The Turks have
burned the village of Tatari and have mas
sacred a priest and the entire family in
the village of Dioskani."
Correspondent Steevens's Account.
LONDON, May THE Daily Mails cor
respondent with the Turkish forces at
Phersala, telegraphing Thursday morning
says: Yesterdays "wednesday battle
most decistva Of the entire war
1t was not intended at the beginning that
the fight should be a regular pitched en-
gagement, but on the arrival of Edhem Pa
sha at the outposts a furious firing began.
The weather was cool and the sky some
what cloudy, after thunderstorm. The
village of Phersala could be seen, huddled
as it were, under a line of low-peaked hills
Higher and round about were black hills
rising behind the others, while between us
and the village ran the small stream known
to the ancients as the Raipeus, crossed by
a bridge at the railway. Between the
stream and the village were the Greeks in
an excellent position, we'll defended by
earth works. Their advance line consist
ed of two brigades, and their reserve of
two half brigades, altogether about twenty
thousand men. AS against these there We're
fifty thousand Turks. The artillery began
the engagement the Greek practice being
much better than usual, but after about
river. This was a great mistake, as they
were thus inclosed between the river and
the mountains, with no room to deploy.
''The sight was superb. In many cases
the Greeks fought with the courage of de-
spair The great, black masses forming
the rear guard to hold the bridge covered
the whole rich green plain. The endurance
and dash of the Turks We're magnificent
too. 1 reached the battlefield with a reg
iment whose men Immediately began to
run forward. dancing under fire, and shout
ing like children when they saw the enemy
The Greeks repulsed them vigorously and
followed up the repulse. The Turks had
formed in a semi-circle of laundering bat
teries and cracking battalions The divi-
sion on the extreme right tried to cut off
the retreat to Domokos, while the remain
der of the force flung itself upon Phersaa
The battle was but little like the battles
described in books There was no firing of
Volleys, no bayonet assault, no rush, no
cheering but only a steady, leisureIy ad-
vance into the opening in perfect order
There was some individual firing, and the
soldiers shouted "Alah! "Allahl" till the
constant repetition swelled into one heavy
monotonous shout. 1 saw some men sud-
downward, but the Greek fire, in the main
village north of the river had been taken
ments near the river were stormed with
tie ceased at nightfall. the flankng division
and cut off the best line of retreat to