The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-11-22
An EYEWITNESS
BATTLE
Turkish Soldiers Unorganized,
Unprepared and Liter
ally Starving.


y stan took up their stand on an
ancient mound fifty feet high
Neither OF the combatants seemed
anxious to renew the struggle. and it
was nearly s a. m before the Bulgari
an artillery commenced furious bonn
bardmsnt all along the line from Lule
Burgas to Karagach.
Against this storm of shells the Turk
ish artillery could return but feeble
reply, for not a scrap of fresh ammuni-
tion had been brought up during the
night, and those batteries which still
possessed few shells In caissons were
loath to use them until the decisive mo
ment arrived.
1t was a sad sight to watch the long
lines of infantry on the hills a mile to
our front, the batteries Of artillery and
horse teams lying for hour after hour
under this storm OF shrapnel, unable to
reply, unable to advance and unwilling
to retire. Men and horses fell in scores,
and soon dismal procession Of wound
ed men. bleeding from feet, hands
faces shoulders, from anywhere where
hurt was not vital, came dribblng
back past into the village of SakiZkoy.
Abdullah ordered Torgut Shevket
Pasha, commander of the Second corps.
to attack the firing line and in conse
quence suffered enormous loss. Had
the Turkish commander in chief had
fresh army corps in hand or had he
even possessed a spare division of in
fantry, some batteries of artillery or
even ammunition for his batteries it
is possible the attack of the Second
corps would have been crowned with
success, but as it was his troops were
already worn out and decimated.
Nevertheless the troops of Torgut
She rket advanced bravely to the at
tack. The firing line was formed near
ly half mile long and swept forward
over the open ground until it became
almost hidden from view amid the low
shrubbery.
For a short time it really seemed to
us spectators as If the advance would
be successful, for the infantry pressed
steadily, and only the enemy's artillery
Opposed the onrushing Turks. but sud.
denly the deafening roar of musketry
rent the air. intermingled with the
tragic hum Of machine guns.
The noise was Internal. but lasted
for only a short time. when suddenly
there appeared, rushing from the wood
ed ground, the remnant of the Turkish
firing line. Fully so per cent had fall
en-, and the remainder, losing all sem
blance Of order, dispersed in small
groups and under a perfect rain of
shrapnel dashed back on to the sup
ports and reserves.
Lines Seemed to Melt Away.
Even here their fight did not end.
In spite Of the efforts Of the officers
the fugiuves pressed on to the rear un-
til they reached safety behind the
ground on which we were standing.
The supports and reserves Of the bro
ken firing line were hurried to the
front. They, too, reached the edge of
the wooded ground, where they were
met In turn by such a hail Of shrapneI
and bullets that the lines seemed lit.
orally to melt away to nothing under
the whitening blast.
While this desperate struggle was
raging in front the Second CORDS of
Bulgarians was engaged in delivering
series OF equally desperate attacks
on Abdullah's left wing and the cen
ter. The brunt of this attack fell on
the weakened Fourth corps, which the
night before still held it's intrench
ments on the hills facing Lule Burgas.
Here again the Turkish defense was
crushed by the immense superiority of
the enemy's artillery fire. Here again
the old story was repeated Of Turkish
batteries unable to play any part in
the battle from lack of ammunition.
Turks In Despair.
Throughout the day the Bulgarian
advance against the left wing made
STEADY progress. Having gained DOS
5sesslon OF the railway station, they
EEere able to outflank the Fourth corps
and force 1t to retire. The efforts of
Sail PashS's cavalry to stem the ad
vance proved utterly futile. They in
furn had to give way before the ter
Ilble rain OF shells and the gradual
outnanking movement, and the retire.
ment OF the Fourth corps was plainly
visible TO Abdullah Pasha and his STAFF
Through the clouds of smoke thrown
j up by the enemys shells, now bursting
i over the left wing Of the army.
BY O'clock in the afternoon the
position Of Abdullah's army was crit
ical, almost desperate, and the glasses
Of the staff were all turned toward the
northeast, in the direction OF VIA.
from which point Mahmoud Mukhtar.
with the Third corps, was making tre-
mendous efforts to come up. Messen-
gers had arrived with news that Nah
noud Mukhtar was driving all before
him, that the enemy was becoming
steadily demoralized In his front and
[that be hoped TO come np 10 the rplief