The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-25
KAISER SAW TROOPS
ROUT CZAR'S FORCES
Was Near the Firing Line and
Made T%riumphal Entry
Into Lyck.
TOWNS BADLY DAMAGED
nv KARL WOW wIECAND.

WITH u GERMAS ARMY AT ST.
N,LkI, Russia. fe0. 10 tby automo-
bic courier to Insterburg, East Prus-
>ia. thence via Berlin and London.
tie actual firing line when Won Hin
dcnDurg swept the Russians out OF
Eas; Prussia.
lie sped INFO Lyck thirty minutes
after the Germans, at a heavy loss.
had stormed the city. While his troops
were rounding up Russians still hid
= in houses there the Kaiser ad-
blessed his soldiers In the market
square. giving vent TO bitter words
over what he termed the senseless de-
s,ruction OF property by the Cara
troops.
The Kaiser was with his men when
they took Woszczollen. near Lyck, by
Uayonet. His star officers could hardly
restrain him from taking part In the
hclting. 1t was impossible for them
10 keep him out of immediate dan
Sc.
The Kd!ser's eutrance into LICK
'e.med with the dramatic. II was as
i ms arrival had been perfectly timed
a. the climax to the third great scene
~ triumph for German arms in the
eastern theatre of war. His big auto
mobile rushed into the East Prussian
city just as the Cars armies. after
tour days of desperate. bloody resis-
,Jnce. began fleeing the town.
Before the Emperor's eyes, Won
Hindenburg and Won Ludcndorf deliv-
,r i one Of the mishtiest smashes of
the war. nee more clearing German
sol Of Russians. The Tenth Russian
Army under Gen. Sievers, comprising
,.even divisions OF 10000 men. was
two-thirds captured or annihilated.
Won ~Hindenburg's mighty machine
swept through East Prussia with
startling velocity. sending the Slavs
scurrying IN retreat. The Russian
TeHth Army, that since last October
had occupied the narrow strip in East
Prussia extending from north Of
Gumbinnen southwark to D~arkehmen
a. d below Johannesburg. was rolled
out of Germany. crushed and dlsas-
trously beaten as the result of des-
peratc battling east and south Of the
Mazurian Lakes.
For four days there was desperate
fighting at Lyck. fifteen milel inside
the Prussian frontier. There the Rus
SANS made a final stand. The city
VAS defended by the Third Siberian
Corps. reputed To he the best fighters
in the Russian army. The stand they
made at Lyck did honor TO their fame
as soldiers. h city was taken by
storm only after the Germans mad
suffered heavy losses. But the brill
ian, defence of the Siberians enabled
part of the cars beaten armies to
escape over two roads leading out of
Prussia through the swamps to Au-
sustof and Suwalki.
Dcsp:te the most tremendous ef-
forts. the UNPRECEDENTED endurance of
Tie German troops in making forced
marches through snowstorms n vast
stretches of marshes and swamps. the
attempt completely to surround the
l;u-s.an army, as evidently planned
did not wholly succeed Fully a third
Of the Russians got past AugustowJ
before the Germans could close UP the
zap.
In their retreat the Russians de-
,troyed proper v ruthlessly. Between
Lyck and The border they took re-
youge By burning every house and
farm establishn ent. In Lyck itseli
hey demolished the interiors OF
houses. wrecked furniture and smeared
To-. walls with vile filth.
The trontier town Of Prosthin
Twelve miles soL'h o. I.yck, appeared
- II X had been cut in two with a
kHife. TIE Russians destroyed every
building on tho German side of the
tywn. They didn't touch the buildings
on 'he Russian side. It must be said
for the Germans hat with the eXcep-
j.on of half a dozen houses damaged
BY shell shot, hardly a building was
Destroyed by the Kaiser's troops this
Inc nor when they retreated from
Russia many weeks ago.
The Russian commander Of Angus.
'1po. who was compelled at the last
moment to abandon his wounded Al
ne railway station. also left behind
tho German wounded who were lef,
a. Augus'owo by the Germans wh"r
thoy save up the city several months
ago after the fighting along h Me
nan. With one OF the Germans no
Of this note to be handed to the
hiIser's forces entering the town:
'l am compelled to leave my wound
- \ lour hands. They are no longer
enemies. but helpless human beings
: bog Of you to treat ours as we die
s0lrs."
t. German wounded spoke in tho
p chest praise Of the care and attan.
Ion < Won them by the Russians
Needless 10 say this kindness was re-