Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-27
TCHATAUA TAKEN
IN BULGAR ADVANCE
Turks Driven Out of Their P0-
sitiOnS in a General
Assault.
ADRIANOPLE MAGAZINES
AND BARRACKS BLOWN UP
Shukri Pasha Carries Out His Threat
to Destroy the An
cient Capital.

i mes Il private telegram says that the
| Bulgarisns succeeded in driving the
| Turks out of their positions and are now
! in possession Of the town of Tchatalja,
| just outside of the Tchatalja lines.
| A Sofa dispatch to the Times, dated
March 26, says the Bulgarian troops
were undertaking a general advance on
| Tchatalja and had occupied a number
! of villages. ....,,.
! A Constantinople dispatch to the Times
says severe fighting took place along the
Tchatalja front Monday night and Tues
day. At least two Bulgarian divisions
with artillery were engaged. The Turk
ish advanced guard had a considerable
| number wounded. These have been sent
to Constantinople. Further fighting at
long range continued Wednesday.
Adrianople Found in Flames.
| LONDON. March pa Sofia dispatch
to the Daily Mail says: The first Bull
| garian troops entered Adrianople at 8
o'clock in the morning. They found the
| city in flames and the inhabitants fleeing
| in terror in all directions.
| "Shukri Pasha not only blew up all the
| powder magazines and the barracks. but
| also set fire to every large building in
| the city.
THE Bulgarian triumph followed a gem
| eral assault on the trenches of the Turk
| ish infantry which were cleared by the
| bayonet.
"At Tchatalja Tuesday three Bulgarian
| positions defeated large Turkish force
which essayed an attack and drove the
Turks back to the Tchatalja lines. Thus
! the Turkish attempt to take the offensive
| failed completely.
| A Constantinople dispatch to the Chron
| icle says revolutionary plans of the Mill
L DIV fn,s ton
There is fear that the city is on the eve
/ of another crisis and. adds the CORE
| spondent. it would not be surprising II an
] attempt were made in a few hours to
| overthrow the government.
Official Account Of Capture.
SOFIA, March 27-An official account
of the operations i'm the capture of
| Adrianople says:
| THE commander Of the second army
received orders March q to attack and
carry the outlying positions of the Turks
in the east section. The following day at
> O'Clock fire was opened in all sections
by the field batteries. the Turks replying
with siege guns. The duel lasted until 8
| o clock in the evening.
Toward 80 O'Clock next morning the
I Bulgarian infantry advanced on the
kumdere, which they crossed at AIS. At
| the same time the siege guns opened on
| the TURKISH pOSlLlOnE. Inc enemy re-
piled with a violent infantry and artillery
| fire on the advancing columns, which,
however, pushed forward. and at day
break at the point of the bayOnet carried
the outlying positions. Twelve guns and
800 men were captured.
simultaneously the troops in the
southern section captured Pamukryrty.
and carried on an offensive fight against
| Ouktabir and Dudjaror, while the Servian
infantry occupied the hill to the north
| ,aSt nf Sprvian
vision captured Ekmektchikeui. The
| Danube Servian division attacked Papas-
| tepe.
Work of the Siege Guns.
1.-The siege artillery tried all day to
master the Turkish guns and destroy
the forts. Under cover Of this the troops
of the eastern division continued to ad-
vance, and at 10 o'clock reached within
800 yards Of fort where 1000 men and
twenty-one guns were captured. These
| guns were at once brought into action
| against the enemy and other forts were
| taken.
| During the night the infantry destroy
ed a series of artificial obstacles and at
daybreak carried at the point of the bay
onet the whole line fforts. The Turks
began to destroy their stores, the bar
racks hospitals and other buildings, and
the city is afire at several points
In the advance on Adrianople herds OF
| cattle were driven forward, in order that
the danger of mined trenches might be
| avoided. Soldiers clad in cuirasses and
| provided with shields cut and divided
wire entanglements surrounding the forts
| and Fashioned walls, which were carried
at the point of the bayonet.
The Mir says: THE Servians in the
northern and western sections fought
| lion their
| to capture the forts"
| Shukri Pasha Fires City.
| shukri Pasha, the defender of Adrian
| ople, handed his sword this afternoon to
Gen. Savoff, the Bulgarian generallssimo
not, however, before carrying out his
threat to destroy the town rather than
| let it fall into the hands Of the Bull
garians.
From all accounts the arsenals, atoros
| and much of the town are in flames. 1t
was also reported that Shukri Pasha had
taken his own life, but this proved un-
| true, as, after deciding resistance was no
longer possible he sent word to Gen. Sa-
voff that he was burning the city.
Gen Savoff has appointed a comman-
| dant of the city. to maintain order. The
Bulgarian and Servian cavalry will be
utilized for this purpose
Gen. Ivanoff, who commanded the forts
around Adrianople, will enter tomorrow,
| while King Ferdinand will follow shortly.
| The battle which preceded the surren-
| der commenced Sunday night with a
three-hour bombardment Later the be-
| sieging troops in the last advanced at
double under the glare of searchlights to
| attack the advanced works at Maslak.
! After fierce defense, lasting through
| out Monday the Turks retired from the
| forward forts.
After moving forward toward the chief
fortress the Bulgarians rested. 1t was
/ then observed that. although great prog
! ress had been made in the east, in other
sections enormous losses had resulted to
| the Bulgarians. with small gain.
| Nevertheless. the attack was renewed,
and Tuesday and Wednesday the impor-
tant inner forts were taken after hard
/ fighting.
| The garrison, which was estimated at
from 10000 TO 6O,OOO. will probably be
/ found to have been considerably reduced.
| The people of the town are said to be
| panic stricken and even Europe, from
| the history of previous wars fears the
| occupation may be accompanied by In
| discriminate slaughter.
Europe's Criticism.
Europe continues to crticise the action
| of the allies in carrying the siege to the
| end when it was known that the capture
| of Adrianople was not necessary to end
the war or secure anything not already
| theirs.
| Now that the fighting is over. the cor
1 rasnopdautS and attaches have been given