The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-01
THE TURKS WERE FORCED TO
EvACUATE THE MALAxA
BLOCK HOUSE.
FIERCE RUNNING FIGHT FOLLOWED
Turkish GunbOats Opened Fire on
the Insurgents, But Their Aim
Was Bnd-The News Caused
Excitement in Athens.

Canea, March 25.-(Copyrighted, 1887,
by the Associated Press. THE insurgents
made a determined attack upon the block
house at Malaxa. outside of Suda. Dur
ing the night the insurgent forces were
pushed forward until they occupied con-
venient positions for attack. and about
a. m, the artillery opened fire upon the
Turkish block house. The pieces of the
Christians were served with such admira-
BILE promptness and precision that in a
short time nothing remained to the Turks
but determination or evacuation. The
Mussulmans. preferring the latter, left
the forts and commenced a retreat upon
Suda, relying upon the Turkish warships
in the bag TO save them from the Chris
tians. The sultan's feet opened badly
Judged fire upon the insurgents in order
to cover the retreat from the block house.
The shells fell either short or far beyond
Ihe insurgent forces. Consequently the
christians pushed steadily forward, press
ng hard upon the rear of the Turks, and
keeping up a continual skirmish fire. The
Turks made stand new and then. pour
ing few volleys in the direction of the
insurgent skirmish lines. The insurgents
succeeded in pushing on as far as the
village of Keratida. where they took pos
session of the block house.
While this fighting was in progress a
detachment of Turkish troops, being I'M
aware of the fact that the garrison at the
fort at Malaxa had evacuated that place
and was retreating upon Suda, closely
pursued by the Christians, made a sortie
from Canea with a convoy of provisions
intended for the garrison of Malaxa.
From the route followed by the Turks
nothing could be seen of the fighting in
progress between Malaxa and Suda, and
the Ottoman troops advanced half way
up to the heights on which the block
house of Keratida is situated. But while
the Turks were unaware of the insurgents
he movements of the Turkish column es-
Drting the provision and ammunition
train. Near keratida the Turks were met
by a body of insurgents, who, from we'll
sheltered points, opened n fire upon the
Turkish troops. The fire of the Chris
tians stopped the advance of the troops
and the Turkish commander took up the
best position possible in order to protect
the convoy and save it from capture, II
possible At the hour this dispatch is sent
the conflicts between the Turks and Chris
tons at Keratida are still in progress, and
the result is not known. The Turkish
garrison at MalaXa lost heavily. The
Christians are numerous and occupy posi-
tons as far as Perolaxa. having cap
tured two of the Turkish forts. Only two
of the powers have landed troops.
Politically there is no change in the
situation. Cretan chiefs have definitely
refused to accept autonomy and will con-
tinue the struggle until the union of Crete
with Greece is an acknowledged fact.
The blockade is in effect all along the
coast of Crete, but this has not prevented
several small Greek vessels from landing
provisions and ammunition. The Greek
vessel which was yesterday captured by
the Austrian gunboat, which put into har-
Dor owing to the severity of the weather,
had on board sixty volunteers and
quantity Of ammunition.
3 d. m.-The insurgents still occupy the
fort at MaiaXa, from which they drove
the Turks by bombardment this morning,
in spite of the shells which fell around it
and which set fire to the block house.
At $3.50, while the Turkish reinforce
ments were vainly struggling to capture
the heights above Nerakourou, the Chris
tians from Akrotiri attacked the Turkish
Gordon at Halepa, which was keeping
them at distance with mountain artil-
lery.
The fighting continues as this dispatch
is being forwarded. the shots of the in
surgents reaching Mortevardia and
Helepa.
$50 D. m.-Desperate fighting continued
between the Turks and insurgents until
4:25 this afternoon in and around Tsakal,
ria, to which point the insurgents had
pushed the garrison of Malaxa. The in
surgents burned several more houses at
Tsakalria, and at 4:15 the warships be-
gan firing on the insurgents. The bonn
bardment lasted. however. only ten min
utes.
Later-The fleets fired ninety shells
upon the insurgents around Malaxa and
some of these fell inside the block house.
OF the Turkish garrison, numbering six,
ty-four, one escaped to Nerokuhuri and
eighteen others to sud-. 1t is believed that
the others persisted.