River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-11-14
FIRST REAL STORY
OF TURKISH DEFEAT
London War Correspondent,
Working in Disguise, Gives
the News to the World.
SULTAN'S ARMIES WIPED OUT
Forty Thousand Have Been Slain in
Fierce Battles, Almost All the
Artillery Captured, and Thou
sands Made Prisoners-Com-
plete Military Disaster.

plete Military Disaster.
London. Nov. 6.-The world has had
but meager details of the terrific
lighting between the Turks and the al
lied Balkan states. A strict military
censorship, and the fact that CORE
spondents have not been permitted to
accompany any of the armies in the
field, have been responsible for keep
ing the world in ignorance of these
details.
Martin H. Donahue, war correspon-
dent of the London Chronicle, in the
guise of a medical assistant of the Red
Cross workers, witnessed the terrible
battle in Thrace, resulting in one Of
the most disastrous defeats known to
modern warfare. To escape the Turk
ish censors Mr.. Donahue sent his
story by automobile from Thorfu to
COnstantinople, and from there by
boat to Constanza, Roumania, from
where it was cabled to London. His
story Of the battle is as follows:
"Irrevocable disaster has broken
the Turkish army. 1t has suffered an
appalling defeat. This has been fol-
lowed by confusion and rout for
which there is scarcely a parallel in
history-a rout which in it's later
stages degenerated into a wild panic,
a stampede which communicated it.
self to the whole fighting force.
AS l am writing this dispatch the
A D,
splendid army lie battered and deci-
mated, and the defensive lines have
fled pell-mell before the advancing
Bulgarians.
Defeat Is Like Sedan.
1T has been the most complete mill
tary disaster since Mukden, the great
est debacle since Sedan Forty thou
sand men, the flower of the Turkish
troops, have fallen, while Abdullah
Pash9 himself narrowly escaped their
fate. Seventy-fve per cent of his
artillery was captured. His men
seemed to melt away like snow before
the summer sun.
After the disintegration began it
soon became general; brigades dis
solved into regiments, regiments into
companies, and the companies be-
came small groups until al cohesion
disappeared and the Generalization
became complete BY handfuls the
remnants of the army have found
their way back to Tchorlu, the Bull
garian artillery cruelty harassing
them, moving them down in thou
sands
For like disaster one is com
PEELED to turn to Napoleon's memor-
able retreat from Moscow
THE Bulgarians, advancing in large
numbers, strongly supported by their
artillery. speedily drove back the
Turks, who retired in the direction of
Lule Burgas. Throughout the terri
bic fighting the superiority of The Bull
garian artillery was pronounced. The
Turks were unable to stand the muir
derous fire and withdrew slowly.
THE gunners being dead and ma
Jority of the horses being killed, the
artillery was forced to abandon guns
to the enemy. The Bulgarians, who
displayed extraordinary energy, press
ed forward, determined to make the
most of their advantage
SheIIed From LuIc Burqas.
by the afternoon the Bulgarians
had shelled the Turks out of Lule Bur-
gas
Fortunately the inhabitants had
fled and the loss of life among non
Combatants was small Having ef-
fectually silenced the fire of the Turks,
the Bulgarians launched an infantry
attack which stormed the town at the
point of the bayonet
The greater part of the Turkish
garrison had already withdrawn, but
the men of the rear guard were
caught like rats In a trap. The sol
diers of the fourth corps, although
they had been without food for two
days, offered a stubborn but unavail-
ing resistance. They died to man
Sees Troops Slaughtered.
THE Turkish 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 grew grave.
The Turkish artillery had from the
beginning been poorly supplied with
ammunition. What it had was practic-
ally expended in the morning fight,
and now many gunners stood around
the empty limbers with folded arms.
Unable to reply to the Bulgarian
fire they awaited death, which came
swiftly, with true Ottoman courage.
Along the whole Turkish front the
troops were harrassed by a terrible