New-York tribune., 1915-03-23

toward dusk they charged with the
hayonet. There was great bloodshed,
especially among the Germans. on the
Munkacz road. Several thousand Aus
trians surrendered at Lupkow.
Although Przemysl had been clint
mated as a positive menace to the Rus
sion troops operating in GRlicia since
Its was isolated and surrounded early
in October, IL always had been po-
tential source of danger Many stub
born battles have beer fought by the
beSiCgcrs with portions of the garrison
which attempted to break through the
investing lines TO join relief columns,
which on some occasions pushed TO
within twenty-five miles Of the city.
Aid for Garrison Cut OF
On the whole Galician front. from
Gorlitze almost 10 the Rumanian from
tier. for the last four days the Aus
trian armies which have long been
trying to relieve the Przemysl garri-
son have conducted an almost un-
broken series of fierce assaults and
counter assaults, during which
trenches and small villages have
changed hands as many as four times.
Although this continued activity mas
brought about no change Of real I'M
portance in the Galician situation, 1t
Austrian army is still capable of real
resistance against the Russian cam
paign in Eastern Galicia. The Aus
trian attacks continue with violence
and persistence. and this in spite OF
the fact that they apparently have lost
the security Of their foothold at stan
islau and in the Stry region A study
of the daily records Of this fighting, as
received in Petrograd,' shows that, de-
spite their. aggressive activity the
Austrians are being forced 10 the
south and closer to the Carpathian
Mountains through the passes through
which two months ago they Degah an
invasion TO reach Przemysl. me Ell
fectiveness of the Russian artillery sp-
parently has played a considerable
part in the checking Of the Austrian
drives in the direction of the fortress
which has just surrendered.
The Russians made rapid progress
Yesterday from the southwest; struck
through the inner circle from the right
bank of the River San, and secured
cover for a decisive coup. Az dawn
they burst passages between the las'
forts, making further resistance uV-
terly useless Throughout yesterday
the inner forts conducted tremendous
cannonade in the direction of the Rus
sian outer lines without damaging the
sheltered positions that had been
seized over night.
Fortress Without Food.
Austrian prisoners from the garri-
son, captured shortly before the sur
render, say that the fortress Tor
long time was in a condition OF SEMI
famine lacking bread and other 1ooos'
Fxcept for the horses of the Aus
trian officers. no animal. they say, was
visible in the town, all having been
killed to feed the soldiers, who re-
Gently had little to eat except COM
serves. which led to much typhoid and
other sickness. Conditions were such,
the prisoners add, that they almost led
TO a mutiny of the troops, who urged
that the city be surrendered:
Przemysl lies on line OF railway
and on the River San. 1t is surrounded
by nine large forts, ten smaller Iorts
and sixteen field fortifcatlons. IL is
also the centre where are kept all sup
plies for the Austro-German armies
operating in Galicia. During the Bal
kan wars. when Austria seemed likely
10 be dragged into the struggle, the
forts were remodelled and provided
with modern guns and all the most up
to-date munitions of war. thirteen
and fourteen inch automatically dlsap-
towers operated by electricity. The
smaller forts were furnished with mo-
tor batteries, armored machine guns
and n great number Of quick-frers.
These forts were built of the strongest
concrete. with special devices to con-
ceal them from the enemy. In addition
TO the sixteen permanent field tortlh-
cations mentioned above, numerous
Temporary fortiicatlons were added
NJ
structed with trench and wire entangle-
mants and subterranean mines worked
from the forts by means of electricity
The German engineers who helped IN
the construction said that If Russia
were to attempt to take the position
she would smash her army upon It's
walls IN vain
Russian Guns Inferior.
Against all this the Russians had the
disadvantage of inferior artillery, their
siege guns being of much smaller cali
bre than those of the fortress. The
Russians did not dream of having the
smallest chance of overcoming the
armored forts, as the Germans did at
Liege. They had to rely upon the per,
severance of their troops and the skill
and initiative of their officers. What
their artillery and the courage of the
troops could accomplish was done after
few weeks of the siege, when the
outer forts and the field Notifications
fell into the Russians hands.
They were able to push forward with
their trenches so near as to bring the
churches and the roofs Of the houses
j. in the main fortress actually into view,
but a further advance was not prac-
ticable. The Russian commander did
not think il advisable to take the risks
of sacrificing his men. He therefore
surrounded the fortress with ring OF
iron and took care to cut 1t off COM
pletely from communication with the
outer world. He also placed his artll-
lery in such way as TO prevent the
enemy from scoring any success from
whatever side they might attempt
|, sortie. The Russian trenches were
Y equipped with special devices perfected
during the progress of the war which
effectively protected them, even from
the weighty Austrian projectiles. This
done, nothing remained but to wait pa
tiently, and while waiting to draw the
ring closer and closer.
Przemysl Once Russian.
This is not the first time Przemysl
has been taken by a Russian force. 1t
was captured for the first time by the
Russian Duke Oleg the Wise in the
wear 907 on his way to Constantinople
The town was abandoned later but was
again besieged and retaken in 1921 by
Grand Dnke Jaroslav the Wise. From