The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-11

SANS had been beaten at Gumbinnen
and were behind the lines of defence
This was interesting as showing the on
cial opinion at that time.
-Four hours later We saw smoke ris-
Ing at Korschen and heard number OF
loud explosions in that direction. sent
a messenger out and he came back with
the news that the Germans had blown
up the station and retired.
1.-THE Cossacks Are CominG."
That settled the matter. The remain
ing population OF the district became
panicstricken and went from house to
house whispering that the Cossacks
were coming. All that night and early
next day the people fed for their lives
They carried scsnty bundles and a few
household things, with n loaf or two Of
black bread. They hurried along the
road past my house to the westward,
the young and the old all crying The
Russians are coming and urging the
children and the innrm. with oaths and
even blows. to go faster.
by the evening Of the 22d I was
alone In the district. was sitting In
my room that night when I heard n
tapping at my window. Thinking 1t
was peasant I called out to know
what was the matter. The voice replied
In excellent English. but with a slight
Russian accent. Looking around | saw
n man just outside the window. He
asked me II 1 was an Englishman. on
my telling him that I was he asked me
about The disposition OF the German
troops. | told him. so far as I knew
denly as he had appeared and saw
no more OF him.
ION the morning OF August % I saw
some OF the famous German Deaths
Head Hussars from Danzig riding by on
the road a hundred yards away. As
had known some OF the officers during
my stay at Danzig I went to them for
news. They said there had been a big
battle at Goldap and that they were
retiring to koenigsberg."
ION August "a I rode out to Donhoff-
stadt and met Russian cavalry ad-
vance guard scouting and driving cattle
before them. / showed them my Eng
lish passport and was not molested.
Searched by Cossacks.
"on August rs while looking over the
country with my glasses I saw many
Russian suuadrons of cavalry. The
Cossacks rode up and searched me.
showed my passport to the officer in
command, VINO said You are my ally
and gave me safe conduct. rode
with him for some distance. All the
officers had German maps and l ex-
planned the country to them.
From these officers l learned some
particulars az the battle of Gumbinnen.
They said the German troops were in
the form of an are over a compa ratively
short front, with the ends advanced
toward the Russians, who were covering
the menac. of a flank attack with in
trenched troops.
The Russian main army advanced
from in front Of the German left flank
straight to the German centre, which
after desperate fighting broke. The
Russians then swept behind the Ger
man right and enveloped and completely
annlhilated 1t. The remnant OF the Ger
ma n left retired to Koenigsberg
This fight was with the First Ger
man Army Corps and part OF the Twen-
tieth. which was disposed along the
eastern Prusslan frontier at the out
break OF the war. Tho Twenty second
and Seventeenth German reserve corps
were behind. some miles hack in the
province.
Germans Evacuated Lotscu.
ION August 20. as learned later, the
Germans evacuated Lotzen. the strong
est fortress In eastern Prussia. This
appeared inexplicabe. but the reason
was that the Russians had made a
front attack across the north Poland
border against Lyk and Lotzen troops.
holding them there in the BELIEF that
this was the main attack. Meanwhile
the main Russian army was advancing
In the general direction OF Gumbinnen
and Bartenshem and they captured
Korschen junction without opposition.
This compelled the abandonment OF
Lotzen, as the communications of the
troops there had been cut. They made
the pest TttTtdt tnty tpulb, NdNihb WV
Russians masters Of the lake district
and the whole of Eastern Prussia. In
this German retreat tho Russians cap
tured hfty guns. Meanwhile the Ger
man papers were still printing official
reports that the Russians had been
beaten at Lyk. Lotzen and Goldap. The
First and part of the Twentieth German
Army Corps retired on koenigsberg and
the rest made their way the best they
could to the Vistula line.
II heard much also OF German vol
untecr cyclists. who were riding about
! the urban districts. Some of these had
small machine guns on the handlcbars
, of their machines. which they worked
/ quite snugly, hiding in the woods and
/ firing on the Russians. As result OF
/ this the Russians gave orders to shoot
on sight every German seen on BIZ
cycle.
saw "sniper" BeheAded.
while on the road nearing Darken-
homen saw typical instance Of
treachcry. A motor ambulance had been
drawn up on the side OF road to allow
"A Russian corps TO pass 10 the front
Inst as they had gone by man In city