New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-05

XIX AIS. Charles Scrbner's Sons
DR.. RYAN was young Australian surgeon fresh
from the medical school Of Edinburgh Un'Vefsny'
Ghen tho war between Russia and Turkey broke
out In 1877 He responded TO a call non the luiN
ish Government for English surgeons 10 accep'
commissions in its military service went 10 'he
front under Osnlan Pacha, and served IN icNH"
throughout the horrors of It's INVESTMENT ny NV
Russians being the only Englishman there' al.
lfterward through the even greater hoi'o'
Erze-oum His "Wanderjahre -which ne NH
brates as a sweet Old German custom -hau ""i'
little of the sweetcr side OF fe they were oil SUI
that few men would to experience Out Vi
them he has made book whose readers WIN sup
frequently on horrors; but 1t Is one IN "iiVn .'
Interest seldom flags. II is a plain taie Oh MS d"
ventures written in a style that Is apSUiu'o..
frank and direct and in which the personal no'e
&c continuously kept predominant lie saw the war
from, a pont OF view that was given 10 ie" u oo
cupy and his narrative Is marked by N'e!,"' "
observation and an instructive fcehhS ioi '"' r.,
Thence and value of detail that make 'he oVoN
fascinating even in Its ghastliness " SHOWS """,
war really is with a vividnesS th"' Ao'S''' "'N
vcrestchacin themselves hardly surpass
The organization OF the ottoman Army was sue"
rs to allow DR.. Ryan freedom anu i''u'P Nv =,
Of movement that would have been iiipoSS'0 -
any other European army. Beslues, lie wa -
confidence OF Osman Pacha himself ana on e'"n'
of intim ICY with Tewhk Bey ana Prince D"e'"
,peli captain OF Osmal's bodyguard Ills oppo'
tunities therefore. Of knowing the inner ,,
OF much that going on, as wen rs % e"
tho fullest view Of the operations themselves W.
of the largest and TO this fact is uue h'''" Va Wv
absorbing interest of the DOCK e.
The forced march of Osinan Pachas troops .'o '..
vidd,n 70 Plcyna was the first severe service Wl''
which Dr. Ryan's narrative has 10 do' 'no"en
hundred pages or so Of it arc occupied WIN ,
Of tie prellminaries bloody end otherwise VI .I"'
exn,ot They entered Pevna on July TO- anu 'V ~,
c{te
,nc -es sing measure. Hosttes at long range S'ai
"a IN Immediately with the practice or the rlva'
batteries against each other. Dr. Ryan Oes'"S ms
banouet OF horrors at once in descriplhs "' me-
man he ever saw killed in the heid' Na'V''"e VIZ
Russian practice. he saw SIX slfhuI'ai'o"' i :,
smoke and six flashes of fire dart from 'i'e yam
wood on the distant slopes opposite lie says.
One Of the gunnerg at the end gun IN the Dd'iedy
next was in the Act OF gSi me elevation Of
tpa Russian battery when the six shells started U
ther Tourney Those flashes OF ire were ,he Nj, III
shnsk him hi fS in the took his head cs%n
Off There was spprns fr IN { corps spun around
in circle the legs moving c6nvuislVga, nm rose
~ the man that | could every moyement' d',I
the sight affected my nerve-centres IN inc NJ ana
Snrr,hIo sieht: that is to say turned colo gu oVer
and was very sick on the spot rev ,iaS Rad 81
Allied the sensveness of my nerve-cent,res tnat
could look upon the most shocking a nconven-
Th. Turkish occupation of Plevna brought out in
CONSPICUOUS relief the natural genius OF 'he u'N
for the work Of fertilization From the hrst uaH'
,,hen tho exhausted troops arrived from WlduI''
On. nick and spade were idle and by the time
the first great battle occurred six weeks Ia'e''
there were splendid results OF these iabors' fi'n'
was defended by line of earthworKs OF 'reine"
dous strength-"the most elaborate ana PeiIec'
system the world has ever seen, accoroihe 10 our
tha
redoubts became famous from the 'errlole o"i"as0
y, which they were the scenes. The life OF the
Turkish soldiers within them was one OF ''le "io9'
characteristic features Of the operatonsat fle'h".
They were without the sphere OF the medlcal corps
activity, but DR.. Ryan gives an amusing account
Of a visit he made TO one of his Turkish friends,
colonel in command of the Bash Tabiya. opposite
the Grivitza rsdoubt then in the hands OF the kus-
slams As a consequence OF the latter lact' theie
was an exposed place 10 pass In reaching the bash
Tabiya which the Russians watched unremttingiy
for the purpose of 'potting" any one who showed
himself there. This dangerous Tom Iidcier
ground" safely passed. the surgeon and his friend
found the colonel diving like prehistoric trogo-
dyte in neatly dug hole in the ground about ionr
! hundred yards from the redoubt"
me AoIe Was CGlhec euo ~ cod co forward and
come back without drawing the fire Of the enemy
ably furnished with Turkish rugs and brighton
ored praying mats to keep out Inc camp lamp A cpn
Meeting trench. which about six feet deep ana
wide enough 10 allow The men TO move apoHe ee bo
lowed out, like sleeping berihs on Doard snip an
the Taeh o snS oens like mamme while
watch on deck kept their eyes open Tor squa ,i
TO aim over the rarape;. and. taking off my fez so
as rot to attract fire, cautiously peered over tie
Without seeing ing the result and then walked on
through the trench and entered the redoun, opn
first sight that met my eyes was grews00ne ON
for the bodies of men who had been killed that
day lying at the ss Snirnmce aW warm
found him sQuatting on his launches with pray
Ing ma, under him. looking {se b'%d ro6 T5 in 10
see man the one or two Slight SLY ,nG Gf
Roumanians in the Grvitza redoubt must have a.
m nleea for they decided to Finding
i impossible to do anyihins with ar 0Tclhary
the turkish soldier was coming aiong like we'll
t dTed cns of coffee the mortar shell exploded in
the redb No one was killed but but sns snS saS H
GERS into smithereens and sadik Pacha had I. TO
order same again Without any ne u
ton in transit and was in ne act Si rdnnh
mine when another shell EXPLODED m xere finG
making hole in the ground big enough to bury
IL o SO s oyar y 'fae Of
my mouth and old Sadik Pacha chuch'eu "i'eh'i"
over my want OF sang froid
H. docs u feel 10 be in battle? There have been
numerous answers to the question, Imaginary ana
otherwise DR.. Ryan gives glimpse INTO ue
psychological processes OF such an experience IN
rrlm reality His duties did not take him into act
I've engagements but at the second attack by the
Russians he was hceuiled into accompanying a
sortie against a column OF Russian infantry tina;
had begun 10 fal.cr and retreat under the terrlhc
fire from the trenches they We're trying TO storm a
company Of eighty cavalrymen started off in pur-
suit.
Ola Mustapha Boy waved his sword and sang out
IN me TO come along with them; ] forgot that
was n simple medical officer. drove the spurs into
INV horse and In half a minute was riding along
side Czetwertnski In a wild charge against the
diving Russians There was a large field Of
rine maize on our right we went down the nil.
and could see the Russians running through II as
hard as their legs could carry them, believing OF
course that Il strong body of cavalry was swoop-
ing down to cut OF their retreat. In mo"