Imperial Valley press., 1912-11-05
GRAPn|C STORY OF DISASTER
OF THE TURKISH EMPIRE

LONDON, Nov. 5-Martin Z. Dono-
hoe, special correspondent Of the Daily
Chronicle, sends the following dispatch
from Constantinople:
1rrevocabIe disaster has befallen the
Turkish army. 1t has suffered ter
rible, appalling defeat. This has been
followed by confusion and a rout for
which there is scarcely a parallel IN
history. The rout, in its latter tsages.
degenerated into a wild stampede which
quickly communicated itself to the
whole fighting force. AS l wire. the
four fine corps forming Abdullah's
splendid army lie battered and deci-
mated. The defensive lines have fled
pellmell before the advancing Bulgar-
ians. 1 am wondering how long ii will
be before the very capital itself falls
to the victors. It has been the most
complete military disaster since Muk-
den, the greatest debacle since Sedan
Abdul himself narrowly escaped the
fate of rs per cent of his artillery.
who were made captives.
The men seemed to melt away sud
denly like snow before a summer sun.
became general. Brigades dissolved in
companies into small groups, until CO.
hesion disappeared and the demorali-
zation became complete. A handful Of
the army has found its way back to
Tchorlu. the Bulgarian artillery har-
assing them and moving them down
by thousands. For a like disaster one
is compelled to turn to Napoleon's
memorable retreat from Moscow.
Of liSh 1;-tg
who were caught in the wild stampede
of the retreating Turks. I have seen
many campaigns but this is the first
time l have been with . beaten, flee
ing army. and the terrible scenes
have witnessed have burnt themselves
into my memory forever.
The retiring movement began early
Thursday. Since then I have Travelled
continuously with few intervals for
sleep. For two days l was without
food until I reached Constanza. This
Sunday afternoon 1 came here be-
cause there is an uncensored telegraph
wire here. 1 am thus able to relate
TO you without fear of censor the full
story of this vast calamity.
Throughout the terrible fighting the
superiority of the Bulgarian artillery
was very pronounced. The Turks, un
able to withstand the murderous fire.
withdrew slowly. The gunners being
dead and a majority of the horses
having been killed, the artillery was
forced to abandon many guns to the
enemy. BY afternoon the Bulgarians
had shelled the Turks out of Lule Bur-
gas Fortunately, the inhabitants had
fled previously and the loss of lif
among noncombatants there was insig
nificant. The greater part of the Turk
ish garrison having already withdrawn,
those remaining were caught like rats
in a trap. The men of the Fourth corps,
although they had been without food
unavailing resistance and died to a
man.
The victorious Bulgarians next ad
vanced eastward toward a railroad sta
tion, which is four miles distant from
Lule Burgas. Here they met unex-
pected resistance which delayed their
advance two hours. A portion of the
trated here under Salih Pasha and Feud
Pasha, the latter having form eriy
served in the German army. The Bul-
garians, after hoisting the national
flag in the principal mosque, pressed
forward.
To understand their position, ii must
be explained that Lule Burgas lies in
a deep. cup shaped depression encircled
by hills. As the Bulgarians approached