Evening star., 1897-04-28
THE RETREAT TO LARIssA.
Graphic story of the Route by the
Associated Press Corresp0ndent.

Graphic Story of the Route by the
Associated Press Correspondent.
Copyrighted, 1897. by the Associated Press,
ATHENS. April as.-The correspondent of
the Associated Press at Lar;ssa, who was
with the retreating Greeks after the battle
of Matt. has arrived here When / over
took the Greek infantry" the correspond
ent says. they were in stragglng order
footsore and grimy from four days in the
trenches and long exposure to she lis enough
to ui:nerve veterans.
They went along in silence a contrast to
the ordinary chattering in the Greek ranks.
The night was pitch dark. AMI the red
glare At Kutari and DeliIer in the distance
added to the weirdnesS of the scene
Later / passed batteries of artillery
mule trains. carts. wagons. CRYING viii
layers. women and children. 1t was pitia-
BILE. All were hopelessiy mixed up.
There was no attempt al order All arms
were intermingled. and the confusion was
completed by the shouts and rushes of the
EvzoneS and 1ssagers in every style Of out
nj. Their previous suilennesS gave place
To the ciamor of disappointed and disp:rit-
eoi men They forgot their weariness in
Wild Hnprecat.ons against their generals
and Other officers.
2 The retreat became a rout. Our car
riage was slowly picking its way through
desperate men. crying women and chill
dre1 ana horses and donkeys. all over
Iafen- which were creeping along at 2
snaifs pace or prancing with nervous fright
Suddenly above the din OF the confused
masses on the road and in the adjoining
felds came a roar, developing into a fierce
sustained yell. rolling from the distant
rear with lightning speed Soon in the
midst OF this yell, could be distinguished
cries OF The Turks are upon us
In a rev moments dozen horsemen AMI
as many rideress steeds appeared ON the
LETT at full gallon he m Sbo ,itb
frenzy: Run. run. The Turks are here
into the night air arose this agonizsd
roar. fairly paralyzins Imagination. 1t will
remain IN my memory forever
The stampede was Immediate The ami
mais were isshed into a gallop, and men,
women, children and soldiers joined pell
nell in mad rush. many who fell TO the
ground being trampied to death. Vehicles
were overturned. mixing up bedding furni-
ture ammunition. horses. donkeys oxen
and bunalos
VINO SO suddenly appeared and caused this
fearful stampede were really Circa ss!au
vavalry. which debouched from BouShazi:
put this IS not generally believed.
Bes.de Our carriage two ipfantryn:rn
appeared. with faces tlanch-i FROM terror
Ihey Jumped upon the steps AMI we tricI
10 Keep them out. One Of them th4rsliDon
leVelei his rife in our diret tion. But their
conip'nt'i weight on tn steDs Of onc side
OF the Carriage overturned il. snasi.i5.. il
u pieces. ana the London Times corre-
spondent and myself were ttrruwir out.
Il was pinned by the leg under broken
tInoers. as the pandemonium around in
s creased In perfect intanity of terror
soldiers. irregulars and armed peasants be-
gan hring their rir1es In every direction
From the trout aud rear from right and
left. the bullets whizzed but the renorts
OF the firearms were scarcely heard above
the roar OF the human beings and the ter
ror of the Daddened animals
Even in the Shipka pass or in the hot
test part of the fearful fighting at Pleypa
/ never witnessed such wild firing. The
whole plain was lit by the flashes of the
soldiery and peasants
Eventually the Times correspondent and
myself succeeded in getting inside d ditch
py the roadside and thus proceeded slowly
forward for a tine.-wh we were thrown
down by a rush from behind and tr.mpled
upon Ivy scores of people,
As 1 succeeded in rising to my feet an
Irregular VINO was rushing past deIiber-
ateIy turned. raised his rife 10 within three
inches OF my head and fired 1 ducksd hrs,
IN time and fell to the ground thus saving
my life. -s
Il had lost my companion in the. moan
while. and walked on in the ditch already
mentioned. or else plowed my way through
the thick of The stampede
The mad firing contin ued for fry bal,
and hour At the expiration of thai ,imc
buSIers were heard sounding Cease firing
but II was a long time before the conrip,I
ous rattle sidckened down TO single shots
The pandernonium however snre,.I s.,
tral mites
hen 1 returned to the road, stumbiine e
over cead and dying animals men and wo-
men. Ihe scene was terrible. The way was
strewn win ammurition boxes broken
cdr's ana furniture. the bedding of SOL
dier5. blankets and tin panfcsrs
ne latter ratified under the horses feet
ndhkc's became entangled in them and
the horses. frantic with alarm p,,j,onad
ABOUT ancns the flying crowd. many of
ih'm riderless and deserted "
TG's ANA ammunition wagons and carts
adhed 10 the obstruction. Their traces had
otcn cut. In order to enable the drivers
10 mount the horses attached to thorn ,nS
seek safety in flight '''u