Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-21
AUSTRIANS PREPARE
TO LEAVE GORTZIA AS
FOES SMASH FORTS
Italians Batter Way to
Point Only Half-Mile
From Isonzo Stronghold.
Citizens Flee - Garrison
Short of Food.
ROME. InlY q.

ROME. July n.
Reports OF decisive victories for the
Italians, both north and south OF Gorizia
led the Rome newspapers today to pre-
diet the early capitulation Of the fort
ress city, known as the 'Pr2emysl Of
the Isonzo." The Italians are now only
half mile from Gorilla.
The Giornaie d'1talia declared that the
Italians are now winning the most de-
cislve Victories OF the war all along the
Isonzo. ooeuRyihg strategic positions and
infictlng heavy losses on the enemy.
Frontier advices quote refugees arriv-
ing from Gorizia as declaring that the
city is about to be evacuated. The food
supply is said to be running short, the
garrison subsisting entirely upon vege-
tables As a safeguard against Italian
air raids the city Ia In complete darkness
at night the authorities promising to
shoot any civilian who opens his windows
The railway bridge over the Isonzo, be-
tween Cervlgnano and Monfalcone, de-
stroyed by the Austrians in their retreat
across the river, has been rebuilt. The
first trains passed over yesterday.
A general assault is at this moment
going forward oil along the 75-mlle
front from Jarvis TO the Adriatlc shore.
In the northern district, from Malbor-
ghetto 10 Capor6tto. the giant tack has
been confined chiefly to the bigger ar
tillery. There. as well as in the CEN
trail tract down I'd Gorisia, the Przemysl
OF the Isonzo. great progress has al
ready been realized. At a number of
points the italians have cleared the way
for a rapid and decisive advance, such
partial and isolated advances being with
held lest they should lead to the for
nation of an Insecure salient which.
without immediate support. could not
perhaps be held even at the cost of a
heavy sacrifice of life,
The most pronounced ls the victorious
Italian advance lower down on the Carso
Plateau. east of Sagrado. Here ter
rife onslaught lasted the whole day On
Monday, during which there was a CO..
ordihated movement between the advance
OF the largest masses OF infantry yet en-
ployed, and the continuous support of
heavy guns and field pieces. II worked
out to- perfection. Before the sun hnd
sunk below the horizon the Italians had
carried row upon row of terraced trenches
on rising ground. thickly sown with
barbed-wire entanglements and studded
with armored bomb-proof shelters. They
bayonted the defenders by hundreds.
and captured 1000 prisoners, among them
30 officersi 1000 rifles. six quick-nrng guns
and good quantity OF ammunition.
The following official account OF series
OF raids by the Italian air feet has just
been Issued:
Among the most remarkable aerial
must be cited the lombard
ment by one OF our dirigibles on the
nth OF Trieste. The technical establish
ment was badly damaged In the previous
raid OF the 4th. This time bombs thrown
on these important workshops started
hrs 80 extensive as to be visible 20 miles
away.
"Our seaplanss dropped bombs on Aus
trian destroyers protecting Fasana Canal,
near Pola. Two other seaplanes bonn
barded the battery near the salvower
Lighthouse on the 18th. One of our
iirigibles bombardsd. with excellent re-
suits, the Trignano station and Trieste
railroad yards at Alonfalcone on the
10Th.