New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-08
Offer Stubborn Resistance
to Westward Progress
of the Russians.
AUSTRIANS CLAIM
DEFEAT OF ENEMY
But Their Ally Admits Retiring
Before Superior Forces, with
Serious Losses.

Petrograd, Oct. THE Russian Gem
eral staff issued to-day the following
statement:
ION the East Prussian frontier the
Germans, having brought up reinforce
ments from Koenigsberg, continue 70
oppose a tenacious resistance upon tue
battle front of Vladislavof and Ratch'
ka, profiting by the defiles, lakes ana
marshes 10 the region of TchernoganJa'
Beyond the Vistuls advance guard
battles have occurred in the region oil
Opatoff and Sandomir.
ain the Csrpathlans, west OF the
River Sanok, an Austrian detachment
was defeated and machine guns ana
prisoners were captured.
AT Saliva, twenty kilometres from
the city OF Munkatch, we have capt
ured an artillery park and numerous
conveys"
Vienna (via Amsterdam and Lon
dom, Oct. THE following official
statement, signed by General Won Hoet-
or, deputy chief OF the General stan,
was given out in this city to-day:
"The sudden advance of the German
and Austrian forces in Russian Poland
seems 20 have COMPLETELY surprised the
Russians. Although they moved strong
forces from Gaiicia to the north they
were rcpulsed and driven back across
the Vistula by the Allies, while max
ing an effort to cross the river In the
direction of Opatoff. -,
"Our troops captured bridge held
By the Russians near Sandomlr.
"In Galicia we are advancing IN ac-
cordance with our plans.
"In the vicinity of Tarnovezeg We
routed a division of Russian infantry"
Berlin via The Hague and London),
Oct. THE German forces on the
frontier of East Prussia have assumed
strategic defensive movement. They
abandoned the bombardment OF Osso-
wetz fortress, in Russian Poland. After
setting the city Of Ossowez on fire
with shells, they were able to retire
with their siege guns and pontoon
train. They destroyed the railroads 10
the frontier and are now holding IN
check superior Russian forces from
heavily intrenched positions near
Prostken.
The lighting at AuguStOWo anu gu
Walk was most sanguinary. The Ger
man machine guns finally turned the
scale of battle in favor of the Germans,
but the slaughter of the German artll-
lerymen was terrific. One German bat
terry lost all its men, and cavalrymen
had to be drafted to serve the guns.
The cavalrymen held out until they had
only three rounds OF ammunition lett.
They then retired, with the Russian in
fantry only a furlong away.
Bad weather hampered the move
uents of the German troops and inter-
fered seriously with their aerial recon
noisssnces. The fact that the Russians
were protected by "a line of forts made
the German offensive doubly hard.
Their advance was over a country which
is nothing more than morass.
The Russians have gained in offensive
strength. Their artillery, which includ-
ed two naval pieces, inflicted heavy
losses.
General Won Hindenberg, the German
leader who has been operating in Po-
land, WAS obliged to make several
forced marches in going to the relief OF
I. Austrians, who were hard pressed,
He reached Opatoff, on the spurs OF the
Lysagory Mountains, in time to be OF
help. At this point a great battle Is
thought now to be in progress. Inc
throwing of a large Russian force from
Radon, south of Wardaw, in the direc-
ton of Ivangorod, to the northeast, Is
an incident of this engagement.
TRy Cablo to The Tribune.