Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1915-03-02

LONDON, March 2.-The gauntlet
of dangers through which a small
band of Americans and Englishmen
passed in their escape from. copper
mining camp in the Caucasus noun
tains at the time of the outbreak of
war between Turkey and Russia is
told by A. II. Trotter of Syracuse, N.
Y, chief engineer of the company,
who has finally reached London.
Their adventures form one of the
most exciting of the minor episodes
of the war.
The mining village where the party
was caught is called Dzansoul, and
lies high up in the mountains about
40 miles from the Russian port Of
Batoun on the Black sea. The de-
Tense Of these mountain villages was
left to only few companies of Rus
sian police armed with old black
powder rifles The report that the
Turks were advancing in force from
the south, and had driven in some OF
the Russian outposts, reached the
village in November. and this was
the first news that hostilities had be-
gun. The people in the smelter camp
were slow to realize the danger that
surrounded them, and took no steps
to escape until the American mana
ger of the company. r. T. White, was
shot one Sunday morning while on
his way from the camp to the mines,
some miles higher up in the noun
tains.
White was riding up the trail when
shot suddenly poured upon him from
a ridge across rayine. Both he and
his horse were struck. and he fell
from the animal, wounded in the leg
From noon until evening he lay in
the shelter of the rock, SHIPPED at
every time he showed his head. Al
dusk a party, of which Trotter was
a member, sneaked up the trail TO eff
feet his rescue They brought hin
down to camp. and then sent him tc
Batoum.
The following evening some Rus
sian soldiers. with battery of three
inch field guns moved up. They sta
toned two OF the guns near the smel
ter and four others lower down a
Kura. Most OF the non-combatanti
Of the village left for Batoum, blu
small party OF Americans and Brit
ish remained at camp. The situation
was not taken seriously. as the Turk
were thought to be only small part
Of marauders.
The next morning when the tw
Russian guns at the mine opened u
at the crest held by the Turks, tn
Infantry which had been increased I
about 400 men at the mine, wer
forced into their trenches by the he
return fire. OF the RUSSIANS, only
small band of Cossacks carried nfot
ern guns. the reservists having onl
single shot pieces. The mountai
police, who were in the majorit,
were armed with ancient guns,
said, firing black powder and lea
bullets
The fighting became so intense thi
Trotter decided to make his escap
On the way down the mountain
often had to take refuge from the fir
At Kura he met Russian ammun
tion train, whose officers arrested hi
as a German spy and seized pac
ae OF bank notes he had with him.
Meanwhile, however, the Turks hf
slipped across the crest of the opp
site bridge and and had begun 81
prise attack upon the ammunitit
train. The horses, which. got Il
worst OF 1t, bolted down the mou
tain, wrecking as they ran many
the carts of supplies and ammunitio
Trotter tried to jump on one of Z
wagons TO escape. but was prodd
off with bayonets, and sought COW
When a motor car filled with wour
ed came by he tried his luck aga
but was unable to explain himse
for lack of Russian. and was aga
bayoneted OF the car.
The Russian commandant, conf
up later in an automobile, gave h
safe conduct to Borchka, where
ammunition train was overtaken a
Trotter's money recovered With
temporary pass from the officer.
made his way by rowboat to Batou
The rest Of the English-speaki
NnFtv nj oarmm mm..~hA a., cha ffWhti