The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-23
EVACUATION Of 0sTEND
BY GERMANS REPORTED
West FLANDERS Army Being Ham
(. mercd Into Zigzag Line by Com.
bined Efforts Of Navy and Troops.
1SAIsER's FORCES DRIVEN BACK
British Ships Playing Important Part
In Warfare Along Coast-Detach-
ments of Marines With Machine
Guns Landed.


LONDON. October 22.--Reports that
the Germans had evacuated Ostend and
were retreatng toward Bruges. and
that their West Flanders army from
the vicinity of the coast south to
Courtrai was being hammered into n
zigSag line by the combined efforts OF
the British navy, and the British
French ana Belgian troops. seemed to
coincide to SO many points to-day
that. in the absence of claims of any
advances from Berlin, opinion here
was that the lighting along the canals
of North Belgium had been generally
against the Invaders.
AT any rate. the Germans at one
point have been driven back>as far
as Thourout. and some dispatches say
that their communications in the mid
die of West FLANDERS have been SO
disorganized that troops from 1hent
arc marching direct to Courtrai. rather
who arc In danger OF being cut off.
The evacuation OF Ostepd was not
confirmed this morning, but from Ber-
lin itself came report that British
ships were Smelling that town. while
another dispatch said that the guns
Of the war vessels had destroyed the
village OF SIype, on the canal between
.Cstcnd and Bruges. where 1t is said
the Germans have their headquarters.
of SiypeA&n 1870 British ioet
achieved aeSictorN ovor the French.
1t Is clear now that ships have been
playing an important part In the war
fare along the coast. The admiralty
officially announced that the monitors
Severn, Humber and aIersey not only
bombarded the German position south
OF Ostend, but landed attachments of
marines with machine guns.
ELEVEN WAR VESSELS
JOIN IN OPERATIONS
II is reported, from other SOURCES.
that eleven war vessels in all are talk
ing part In the operations, but they are
rot named.
= Curiously enough. the monitors re-
tain that title from "Lincolns cheese
DoN" of Civil War fame, and, 80 far
apparently. they have been able to
dodge submarine attacks. How the
German submarines got to Ostend is UNI
known.
with the ighting along the Belgian
coast, hardly more than seventy miles
from Dover. that area of hostilit!es
necessarily holds chief interest with the
British public, though. according to last
nights Paris official communication.
there were violent actions here and
there along more than seventy- mile
front, extending almost due north anu
south from NieuyDort to Labassee.
Everywhere the allies claimed to be
holding their positions.
Rcintorcements for the German right
have been spoken of daily since OH-,
tend was taken and to-day comes re-
port that Austrian forces were being
transferred from the Italian frontier
for this purpose,
Rumors that Emperor William Ia Sc
riously i'll arc altering I'm here via
Paris and this. with u report that u
German fleet is off Falstcrbo. Sweden,
Is among the usual crop OF uncon-
iirmcd narratives iha: i-vndon is CTS
GUESSING.
From the east comes claim OF the
.sustrians that they have retaken the
last paint in the Carpathians held by
:he Russians, and it was added, tina,
there is now no enemy on Hungarian
soil"