The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-11-28
HORRORS. OF Y VAR
and SWIFT PLAGUE |
First Terrific Attack on the
Line Of TchataIja
DefenSeS.

l-~>>>>>>S%%~% &><%%>>%%~@%
r1an and Turkish artillery pounding
each other. He says:
1T was the ridge just across the rail
way, where the line goes southwest be-
fore turning to the north up the valley
to Tchatalja. Along this ridge stands
the rearmost line of forts, and from it
one looked across a deep, broad valley
to village, which I identified on the
map as Izedin.
Spectacular Shell Fire.
'"The Bulgarian batteries were fash
Ing along line stretching from this
village to Tchatalja, which was itself
hidden from sight by a piece Of rising
ground on my left front, which was
occupied by two Turkish batteries
ION these the Bulgarian shells We're
bursting freely without, however, doing
much damage to either the guns or the
Infantry lying in the shelter of a dip
In the ground.
ITO the right of disused redoubt,
the parapet of which l made my post
of observation, was a Turkish fort
Smelling the village of Izzedin. A bat
terry close by was doing the same along
the front
Between these points lay long line
of Turkish trenches full of infantry,
among whom the shell fire was evil
IDENTIFY doing damage, for supports in a
widely extended line were going slow
~ to them, sought out themselves now
and then by those sudden death deal
ing clouds of compact white smoke that
flung the black earth in showers into
the air.
FARTHER away on the right were two
more Turkish forts, from which still
more shells went petulantly screaming
across the land toward where tiny
flashes in the blue haze of the valley
marked the Bulgarian batteries at
work.
1T was difficult to estimate the
range, but 1 noticed that many Turk
lsh shells fell short, while some of the
Bulgarian shells were bursting 300
yards behind the batteries in front
of me-
Charging the Turkish Trenches.
| About 3 o'clock in the afternoon the
Bulgarians sent forward infantry from
Tchatalja against the Turkish trenches
lying along the opposite ridge For
quarter of an hour a heavy rifle fire
took place at this point and then slack
ened
LAS the Bulgarians withdrew shortly
afterward a dense column of cream
colored smoke sprang up in the viii
lage of 1zzedin. Evidently the Turkish
shells had set it on fire.
GAIL this time heavy firing was 60
ing on along the valley that stretched
away to the left and round in crescent
shape toward Lake Biyuk Chekmeje.
There the Turkish cruiser Hamidiyeh
was engaged all day, covering with her
ire the narrow neck Of land that sep
arates the lake from the sea-
"As night fell the long days artillery
duel slackened and died away to ST.
lence.
Firing Resumed at Dawn.
1--WE got up before sunrise and return
ed to see the battle start again. Again
1t began as soon as it was light, but
only along the valley between Tcha-
talja and Lake Biyuk Chekmeji. The
forts on our right, which were yester-
day so active, were now silent, one bat
terry coming away from that part Of
the line as we watched.
'That Bulgarian fire against that
section of the front had ceased, how
ever, was shown by the impunity with
which bullock wagon and train Of
ammunition was crossing the ground
| where yesterday shells were bursting
Il heard several stories from soldiers
of the incidents of Sundays battle,
which l cannot guarantee. One was to
the effect that the presence of regi-
ment Of 500 Bulgarian cavalrymen
was detected near the village of Biyuk
Chekmeji by the fact that two of their
scouts entered the village and obtained
food from Greek priest.
| Another said the attempt to blow
up the railway bridge near San Ste-
fano by two Bulgarian spies was no.
tced by child, who told the Turkish
PATROL