Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-04-05
BULGARIANS TAKE ADR|ANOPLE
,r1ER ONE OF THE MOST STUB.
- BORN 0EFeNsES IN HISTORY
OF WARFARE.
7,rkish Commander Carried Out
Threat TO Burn Town, AS Fires
Are Burning in Every Direction.

Observation-Disclosures has fallen after
o,e of the most stubborn defenses in
,he history of warfare, and Tchatalia
according to news received bv the
bulgarian legation at London Wednes.
dav has suffered like fate.
The information regarding Tchatalia
nav refer TO the town of that name
and not the Notifications. although it
ie possible the Bulgarians carried all
before them.
Shukri Pasha. the defender of
adrianople. handed his sword to Gen.
oral Savoff the Bulgarian generals
simo. not. however, before carving
ont his threat to destroy the town
rather than let it fall into the hands
of the Bulgarians.
From all accounts, the arsenals.
stores and much of the town are in
flames. It was also reported that
shukri had taken his own life, but
this proved untrue. as after deciding
resistance was no longer possible. he
sent word to General Savoff That he
was burning the city.
General Savoff has appointed com
mandant of the city to maintain order
The Bulgarian and Seryian cavalry
will be utilized for this purpose. Gen
eral Savoff. who commanded the forts
around Adrianople, entered the city.
The battle which preceded the sur
render commenced Sunday night with
a three hours bombardment, later the
besieging troops in the east advancing
at double quick under the glare of
searchlights to attack the advance
works at Maslak. After a fierce de-
ferse lasting throughout Monday the
Turks retired from the forward forts
After moving forward toward the
chief fortress. the Buigarians rested.
II was then observed that although
great progress had been made in the
east. in other sections enormous
losses had resulted to the Bulgarians,
who made small gains.
History of Adrianople.
Adrianople. the former Turkish CAPT,
tai. withstoOd the siege OF a great
Bulgarian army for over five months,
the first gun having been fired at the
fortress October ). Shukri Pasha, the
commander in chief. had under him
within the encircling forts what was
considered the flower of the Turkish
regular army. The main portion of
the garrison consisted of the Fourth
army corps, to which had been added
had been drawn in before the advanc-
ing Bulgarian army.
The Notifications, which have been
subjected to almost continuous bonn.
bardment by hundreds of field and
siege guns for about go days, were
very strong. They consisted of forty
modern forts, composing a semi-circle
around the northern half of the city
from east to west, with minor works
between. On the south of the city
there also was a series of forts, but
much dependence was placed on the
character of the ground there, which
was formed of treacherous marshes.
The city contains about 10000 in
habitants, half of whom are Turks and
the others Armenians, lsraelites and
Greeks.
The city has had a varied history
since its foundation in the second cen
fury by the Roman emperor Hannibal
A great victory was won there by the
Goths in 37S and another by the Avar
Huns in $50. Twice the Russians have
occupied the city, first in 1929, when
they forced Turkey to give independ
ence to Greece. and again in 1878
when they occupied it without resist
ance.
The present siege, however, with an
army believed to be composed OF more
than 100, 900 Bulgarians and $4,000 Ser
vians, constantly bombarding the city
forms one of the brightest spots in Its
history. The Turkish garrison has