The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-02-12
OPkN FIRE ON CITY
BALKANS POURING SHELLS lNT6
ADgIAKOPlE.
PLACE SURELY DOOMED
Several Quarters of the Turkish
Stronghold Has Been Burnt as the
Result OF the Terrible Bombard-
ment and Much Other Damage Is
DONE by It

ment and Much Other Damage Is
Done by 1t.
A terrific bombardment Of the
forts around Adrianople was begun
Monday evening by the 100000 Bull
garian and Servians surrounding the
city. Almost at the moment Of the
ending Of the armistice at seven
o'clock, siege guns and field guns
from various points commanding
the forts opened fire. Not even the
residential portion Of tae city was
81 ared.
There is considerable difference OF
opinion as to how long the fortress
will be able to hold out. One Gis.
patch from Mustapha Pasha Tnes-
day, which continued through :t'e
right, concluded with the propnccs
made by the Bulgarians that t"o
weeks would suffice for the b"sA's'
ers to force tte Turks to capitu ate.
Military men who know something
about the several lines Of forts
which form the defense OF Adrian
ople-for the outer ring which the
beseigers have been facing since the
war began Is connected with and
supported by other cycles Of defense
Just as strons-look for prolong-
ed defense by the beseiged garrison
This opinion apparently prevails
within Adrianople itself. Otherwise
the foreign consuls there would have
considered 1t necessary to ask their
ambassadors to secure an escort for
the foreign residents Of the city who
desire to pass through the linen, or
protection for those who remain
within the gates.
Shukri Pasha, the Turkish COM
nander. who Is defending Adrian
ople, is one OF the most determined
officers of the Ottoman army. He
has declared that he will not surren-
der the fortress until the last Of his
soldiers has been killed.
While there have been some de-
sertions from the ranks Of the gar1.-
son, these have been chiefly Chris
tian soldiers serving with Turkish
regiments. Shukri Pasha still has
some 10000 men. number which
is considered quite sufficient to man
the forts and hold at bay the much
grester besieging force.
The Bulgarians are said to have
100000 men In the province OF
Thrace, with $4,000 Servians and a
few divisions of Greeks assisting
them. The greater part Of this
force Is compelled to remain in front
of Tchatalja and ct GalliDoli, in Or
der to hold the Turkish armies con-
centra.ed at those places. 1t Is pos
sible the allies may attack both these
positions. The winter season is so
unfavorable for offensive operations
that the allies may decide to let the
Turks make the first move from
Tchataija.
The Ottoman army at Fchatal,a
has greatly improved during the
arm.stice. The soldiers are better
armed than they were, sickness
among them has diminished. supplies
have been brought up In great quaint
tiles and fresh troops now man the
string OF powerful forts.
All was quiet along the Tchatalja
lines up to late hour Tuesday
morning. The great drawbacks to
the success of the Turks are the po-
litical quarrels among the Ottoman
officers. which must tend to under
niue the efficiency Of the army.
On the other side of the Balkan
peninsula, Scutari, where the Mon
tenegrins are besieging the forteress,
Is reported through. the correspon-
dent Of q Dutch newspaper to have
fallen. There Is no confirmation OF
this report from other sources-