Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-09-22
WILMA CAPTURED
BY KA|SER'S MEN
Great Russ Railway Center
Taken by Germans.
SLAVS In WILD FLIGHT
Won Eichhorn Wins Goal After Des-
perate BattIe-Von Hindenburg
Now Controls Routes to Pc
trograd and Moscow.

Berlin, Sept. 2O.-Vilna, the great
railroad and industrial center Of north
western Russia, has fallen before the
German drive, which has taken 15
great cities and fortresses since the
capture of Warsaw, capital of Poland.
The goal upon which the eyes OF
General VOC Hindenburg and all Ger
many has been set since Warsaw was
entered, was captured Sunday by the
forces of General Won Eichhorn,
which have been fighting stubbornly
eastward since their capture or
Kovno three weeks ago. The most
desperate Russian resistance encoun-
tered in the entire German offensive
has been crushed, and Germany now
holds the key to the vital railroad sys-
tenn of Russia.
Great Rail Lines Seized.
The coveted lateral railway from
Rovno in the south to Riga in the
north, with lines extending from
Wilma to Petrograd, Moscow, Odessa
and through the very heart of Rus
STA is now controlled by German
forces. Upon this lateral line from
north to south the Germans may now,
if they wish, dig themselves in, and
provided with facilities for immediate
transfer of troops and supplies to any
menaced point, hold the cars millions
helpless with half or less of the great
army which has been pursuing the
eastern drive.
Hundreds of thousands of German
troops will be available for cam
paigns in other theaters OF war as
soon as the new line is consolidated
and prepared for defense. Whether
or not the German drive will be con-
tinued against Moscow or Petrograd
| is as yet undecided. In any event
the German position for the winter
| is made secure, and only new and
more terrible offensive against Riga as
a base for the German left is expected
| to follow at once.
Seventeenth City to Fall.
The capture of Wilma, town of 170.-
600 population, and one Of the manu-
| featuring centers of Russia, is the sey:
enteenth similar success attained
/ since the German drive, (which started
on May 2 against Przemysl, has
| crossed into German soil near Warsaw
and the LubIin- Cholm line in southern
Poland.
Last Desperate Drive.
The actual capture of Wilma, though
predicted as imminent since the fall
of Brest-Litovsk several weeks ago
appears to have been accomplished al
| last by a desperate rush of Genera
van Eichhorn's forces, aided by {
| simultaneous offensive by General:
Won Scholz and Won Gallwitz anC
Prince Leopold of Bavaria, conque-ol
of Warsaw
Their offensives kept the Russians
busy on all lines 10 the north AM
south of Wilma and cleared the wa
for Eichhorn>s rush into the city
Hastily summoned reinforcement
failed to aid the Russian defense AM
resulted only in a more complete dis
organization and rOut of the Russian
army.
A The official announcement that tn
Russians were routed completely a
the fall of the city leads to the as
sumption that though their losses il
men killed and wounded we're great
1 no body OF troops was surrounded am
captured.
II Even with the stripping of the cit,
eUf every object of value. however
the Slav defenders could not seriousl'
! damage the railroad. and this grea
4 ,y16SxU i'm handle