The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-20
PREPARED FOR WAR
INSURGENTS HAVE VAST STORES
OF MUNITIONS.
GENERAL RISING PLANNED.
FIGHTING ALREADY STARTED IN
DER BULGARIAN LEADERS.

MeIniIx, Important strnteGic Point,
Besieged by 1900 Insurgents-Oe-
Tended by One Battalion of Turks.
Severe Fighting I'm other Places.
Russia and Austria Control Bal
kan Matters other European
Cabinets Asked to support Them.
War Not Thought Imminent.
Sofia. Bulgaria, Sept. 19.-The revolu
tionaries are now concentrating all
their operations in Eastern Macedonia.
the latest dispatches from which local
ity report general rising was fixed
to begin to-day.
The insurgents claim to have sccu-
mulated vast stores of arms and am
munition and dynamite to be prepared
to enter upon a serious campaign.
Fighting already is proceeding at Mel
mix. province of Sores, which place is
besieged by bands of insurgents under
the leadership of Stoyanoff YankoGf.
Zografoff, and Darvinhoff, all of whom
formerly were officers in the Bulgarian
army.
The town of Melnik is very impor
tant strategic point in the mountains,
commanding the road between Demir-
hissar and Razlog. Those besieging it
number 1900 while the Turkish garri-
son is believed to consist of only one
battalion. The result Of the attack
upon the town is not yet known, but
telegram from Ketcharnovo says that
additional Turkish troops are going
thence to Melnik.
Severe Fighting Reported.
Severe fighting is reported to have
taken place at Okrida. A band of rev.
| dictionaries operating near Brijent sur
rounded a force of Turkish troops and
a fight ensued which lasted through
out an entire day. In the evening the
insurgents, reinforced by bands under
sarafoff, attacked the Turks on all
sides and routed them. The Turks lost
ninety killed.
1t is reported that the troops will
| now move only in bodies of from 5000
to 1000 Turkish soldiers are reported
| to have burned 1--WE villages in the
district of Kastoria.
|
London. Sept. 19.-The Associated
Press learns that war between Turkey
and Bulgaria is not now regarded as
imminent by the foreign Office or other
| diplomatic centers in London. It IS
stated that under no circumstances Will
| the powers permit Turkey to occupy
Bulgarian territory hence Turkey has
nothing to gain by hostilities.
| Regarding the renewed rumors that
a British fleet is going to Turkish wat
| ers. the Associated Press is officially
| informed that as Balkan matters have
been left in the hands of Russia and
| Austria, such action is not contem-
! plated by Great Britain, or, so far as
known by any other power.
In the meantime the powers are daily
exchanging communications with the
view of determining on some possible
means Of restoring order in European
Turkey, but so far they have devised
no plan that would not be likely to
increase. rather than diminish the
gravity Of the situation
| Want to Hasten Reforms.
Paris, sept. 19.--At the meeting of the
council of ministers to-day. Fo~eie1
Minister Delcasse announced that Rus
STA and Austria had declared that they
would only intervene in Macedonia in
| order to hasten reform. They had sug-
gested, M. Deicasse added, that T. e
other Powers might support the cabi-
nets in st. Petersburg and Vienna to
| this end
Better Feeling Prevails.
| Constantinople, Friday, Sept. 1S.-
Within the last twenty-four hours a
more reassuring feeling has prevailed
| due to the assurances received that t. e
| Bulgarian mobilization is only apple
to a few regiments and is intended for
| The reinforcement of the frontier posts