Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-10-15
GERMANS CAPTURE
CITY OF ANTWERP
Temporary Capital Of Belgium Falls Be-
fore OHslsughts Of The Germans
Mighty Guns
BELGIAN ROYAL FAMILY FLEES
Garrison Defending The Forts OF Ant
~erp Escapes Before Entry Of
The German Invaders

The German Invaders
LOndOn.-Germany has imposed a
fine az SlG0.OOO.000 on Antwerp as a
war Indemnity
LonCon. and the Forts sur
rounding the city are in complete pos
session II the Germans, but the great
er parts of the Belgian army has es-
capped
It took the Germans just eleven
days to capture the strongest fortress
in the world.
The fall Of Antwerp is evident that
even the most powerful forts are no
match for the colossal howitzers which
the invaders have successfully EN-
! ployed against every fortified place
| that stood in their way. These huge
/ open gaps through which the besiegers
+ find an entrance Tor their field artil-
leIy and infantry
The Germans, after Smelling the city
itself for many hours, making it I'M
tenable, entered the town through the
suburb of Berchem, to the east They
had made breach in the outer line of
forts, some of which were destroyed
by their big guns and others blown up
by the defenders. The Germans fol
lowed similar plans in dealing with
the inner belts of forts and at the same
time threw shells into the city, which
set fire to many places.
The inner forts, like those farther
out, soon succumbed to the enormous
oh IN,iJ
of these forts had fallen, opening the
way for the Germans into the city. By
midday they were i'll occupation OF the
town, and at 230 p. m the war banner
on the cathedral was replaced by
white flag
King And Royal Family Escape
A few forts continued to hold out
and it was not until Friday morning
that the Germans, according to their
own official report. were in complete
possession of the city and fortress 2
When they arrived they found that the &
Belgian. field army and at least part
of the garrison had anticipated them,
and like the king and royal family,
had escaped
Jack on and defense of Antwerp, has
not been compiled and probably the
'ull details never will be known, but
Ill accounts describe it as being ter
IDLY heavy. The Germans, although
heir big guns cleared path for them,
lad to sacrifice many lives in crossing
he rivers and canals and in driving
,ut the defenders who held the en-
until the last
The stubbornness of the Belgians
md of those who went to their as
istance cost them dearly also, so that
10Th sides will have long casualty
lists. There is no reliable informa
ion as to the loss of life in the city
nd the damage there.
King OF Roumania Is Dead
Amsterdam.-A telegram received
ere from Vienna says that King
'harles of Roumania is dead.
Recent dispatches have described
ling Charles of Roumania as being
eriously i'll, but from other quarters
is indsposition has been declared to
e entirely political. 1t has been pre-
icted lately that he was preparing to
bdicate rr...
The succession to the throne of Rou-
lania, in the event of the king re-
laining childless, was settled by the
upon his elder brother,
Tince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sig-
Leopold renowned his
ghts in favor of his son, Prince Will
elm, and Prince Wilhelm in 1888, re-
ounced his rights in his turn in favor
: his brother, Prince Ferdinand, who
as born in 1866.
King Charles was a member of the
ouse of Hohenzollern. At the begin
ng of the war he was inclined to
de with Germany, and was reported
ady to cast his lot with those coun-
les, but such a course encountered
rong opposition in Roumania, partic-
arly in the legislature. Recent dis
tches have said the king. because
promise he had made to Germany,
sired to mobilize the RoumaDian
my to assist Germany in the war.