Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-05-22
BRAVE DEED OF TURK
HOW FISHERMAN SAVED A TOWN
FROM sULGARs.
BY Remarkable Feat of Oarsmanship
He Reached the Greek Fleet In
Time to Save kavala From
Pillage and Ruin.

Here is a dramatic story OIL war
which shows how a brave Turkish
fisherman saved the town OF kaFala
from massacre by the retreating Bal-
garian army. 1t is graphic sidelight
on the horrors due to the reopening
of the war
81 have heard from an eyewitness
most striking and picturesque details
as ~ the way in which Kavala was
saved Just in the nick of time from
fire and slaughter" says the Salonika
correspondent of the London Tele-
graph. The mass of the Bulgar
army, in danger of having its retreat
cut off from the north, had evacuated
the town, leaving behind only small
forca of 200 men, commanded by
lieutenant, with orders to burn and
saell the town next day. The terrified
people had hidden themselves in their
darkened houses, behind locked doors
and barred windows. Rumors had
gone about that the garrison guar
tered in the fortress overlooking the
town was laying in large stores of Pc
troleum, and that bayonets were being
sIEarTened and guns loaded. There
was lie thing to hope for or to do; only
with unavailing curses and prayers
await the coming of death in its most
hideous form.
Through the pitch-black streets
Turkish boatman crept down to the
port No boat was allowed to leave
iEn bay, patrols faced the quay,
search lights flashed over the still and
silent waters. Very quietly, lying Hat
on the gray stones, he loosened his lit
tie craft, crawled in, and, with muf-
fed cars, pulled away. None heard
him, and the searchlights playing all
around MIN left him in darkness. 1t
was, he says, as if great hand were
stretched over him, and its shadow
lay around his boat.
HE cleared the hay, and with all
his might and main bent to his oars.
Far across the sea, 1S miles away in
the bay of Thassos, lay the Greek
fleet Through the long hours of the
night he rowed needless Of aching
arms and limbs. rowed for his life
and the lives of thousands who lay be-
hind him in the quaking town. In the
early morning the port of Thassos
opened before him. The great ships
were there, always under pressure,
straining at their anchors.
with a last effort he pulled up to
the side, and the startled sailors hang
ing ever the gangway heard a cry of
warning. cry for help, rise up into
the night: For the sake of Allah
and for the sake OF your God, come
quick, for at sunrise the Bulgars sack
the town.
.At morn thick column of smoke
rose behind the promontory. What
could it be? With beating, shaking
hearts they watched the nose Of q
ship creep round the corner, long,
low, gray thing with protruding guns
and tunnels vomiting smoke.
'.It was destroyer. At the stern
hoated something they could not see.
Yet, God in heaven, it was blue with
white cross! The next instant the
bell was changing out a crazy, jerky
peal, and frantic creature was tear
ing down the streets shrieking The
Greek fleet! The Greek fieet!'
In one moment shutters were lei
down, doors burst open, and a shout
ing, sobbing crowd rushed down to
the sea. The destroyer had stopped
boat was lowered, the captain was
rowed ashore. He hardly had time
to reach the ground before so strong
arms had caught him up and with
weeping and with laughter carried
him shoulder high through the cheer
ing streets. while behind him. content
edly nodding his red-fezzed head, un
obtrusively walked the simple Turk
ish fisherman who had saved the
town"