Imperial Valley press., 1912-11-05

the railway station they were sub
jected to a severe raining fire from
batteries posted behind the station and
big hills, and deadly shrapnel tore
through their ranks.
When the confusion caused by this
unexpected fire appeared at its height,
the cavalry under Salih Pasha, dash
ing from concealment with drawn
swords and shouting the Turkish war
cry, Allah, Allah" swept like a tor
nado upon the exposed infantry. None
could be expected to withstand such
an onslaught. The Bulgars turned,
and the Turkish cavalry rode them
down. causing extraordinary havoc i'll
their ranks.
Elated by their success, the Turks
continued their forward movement, but
suddenly found themselves exposed to
the fire of Bulgarian machine guns.
This surprise attack brought both
Turks and their horses tumbling to
the ground a torn and mangled mass.
Few of these fellows ever came back,
but found heroic deaths racing down
4 hard and stony veldt toward the
enemy.
Events succeeded each other in start
ling succession. The Bulgars, recov /
ering from the temporary check,
rushed forward their heavy artillery
and the remaining survivors of the
Turkish garrison beat a hasty retreat
in the direction of the Lule Burgas
railway station. The unerring aim Of
the Bulgarian artillery, however, cut
short the retreat and very few es-
caped as they crossed the plain on the
way to the cover offered by neighbor-
ing hills.
II was now the turn of the Turkish
artillery. The town was occupied only
bv Turkish dead and the vanguard Of
the enemy The Turkish artillery from
a position behind Lule Burgas accord
ingly opened a heavy fire on the town.
inflicting severe losses on the enemy
shells rained for hours into Lule Bur
gas. Many houses were destroyed and
scores of Bulgarians were injured by
falling ruins.
Meanwhile the Bulgarian artillery
had not been idle The Turkish post
tions were badly chosen, inasmuch as
they were exposed and practically
without cover, while no shelter
trenches had been made for the sup
porting infantry. The result of this
artillery duel was decidedly favorable
to the Bulgarians. The Turks sur
fered heavy losses. On the other hand
the severe bombardment to which Lule
Burgas had been subjected by the
Turks led to temporary evacuation
Toward evening the
Bulgarian advance became more rapid
Large bodies of infantry, supported by
guns. pushed forward with incredible
rapiditv To the amaZement of the
Turkish staff. the Bulgarians occupied
artillery positions which had appar-
emily been previously selected. Bat
teries took up positions as coolly as
if they were engaged in peace ma
neuvers. and when they had the range
of the neighboring hills to nicely
there began an exhibition of marks
manship that was superb and murder
Gus.
The commander in chief had watched
the fight from the heights near the
village of Satikeui due east OF Lule
Burgas As he observed the Turkish
artillery and infantry being moved
down. his face, for the first time in
the engagement, grew anxious The
Turkish artillery had from the begin
ming been poorly supplied with amma-
nition and what they had was prac-
tically all expended in the fight of the
morning Now many gunners stood
around empty limhers with folded
arms. Unable to reply to the Bulgar-
ian fire. they awaited death, which
came swiftly. with true Ottoman cour-
age Along the whole Turkish front
the troops were harassed by ter
rible fire. AS time went on it be
came simply a carnage. Men We're
falling in hundreds. The morale Of
the troops was completely destroyed
by the appalling ordeal of the shell
fire
When night closed in on the deci-
mated Turks it brought a short respite
10 Abdullah's army from shot and shell
if nothing more. The men needed
sleep and food badly, but there wa
no food for them and sleep was i'm
possible. for the pursuing Bulgars
seemed endowed with relentless force
and energy. Turkish dead and wound
ed lay everywhere. They encumberet
the ground in all directions. OF dos
tors there were a few; of ambulance
absolutely none The dead lay wher
they had fallen.
Some attempt was made to remove
and succor the wounded, but the great
er portion suffered and perished mis-
erably During the bitter cold of the
night, some dragged themselves pain
fully along; many, unable to craW
further, owing to physical weakness
cast themselves on the ground to per
ish or fall into the hands of the Bui
garians
For perhaps an hour the retreat
was carried out in good order, bu
subsequently, pressed by the mass be-
hind. the vanguard lost all semblance
to an organized army and the men
abandoned their haversacks and rifles
and all their equipment.
Two hours after sunrise the BulSar-
ians obtained information of what was