Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-19
PRzEMYS[ HELD
BY AUSTR|ANS To
THE VERY LAST
Story of Siege Issued From
Official Sources Shows
Heroic Struggle Was Made
by BeIeaguered Garrison.

Budapest April "a fun descrip-
/ ton of the history Of the fortress OF
I przemysl and its garrison has been
issued by the Austrian general staff
giving an account of the capture, the
sufferings Of the men, aud details re-
+ lating to the provisioning of the gar
rison The statement in part is as
follows:
"The garrison of the fortress held
Przemysl to the very last hour that
human force could do so in the mill
tary sense of the word. General Kus-
manek only surrendered when such
"a course was dictated by humane and
military considerations. ON the day
of the surrender there was not a sin
gle morsel Of food in the fortress, and
no breakfast could be supplied to the
men,
Nothing positive is known vet as
To the terms of surrender but presum-
ably they had to surrender uncondi-
tionaly, and Generals Kusmanek and
Tamassy (chief Of the ,Honved forces)
were taken prisoners with all the
garrison. Under them were. the
Honved division of Versaez, the east
Galician landwehr the northern Hun
garian and Galician landsturm, the
Hungarian artillery division, and the
fort artillery detachment of the First
Austrian landsturm artillery.
Counter Qualifications.
Events had developed around
Przemys more quickly than was ex-
pected. During the last sortie it was
ascertained that the Russians had
built counter-fortifcation all around
the fortress even in the direction of
their own territory preparing for all
eventualities. In fact. the Russians
built a new fortress all around the
besieged territory Tire Qualifications
were so constructed as to constitute an
inpregnable obstacle to inward at
tackks, Just the counter-form of the
fortications and defensive works of
the fortress itself The ring was con
structed exclusively against Przemysl
with unparalleled skill and rapidity,
and with all available means of mod
ern technique.
"On the west a well-fortified de-
Tending line and on the south a large
Russian army stood in the way of
any attempt 10 relieve Przemysl In
addition the roads leading towards
Russia were well fortified. as the last
sortie proved This was the military
situation of the fortress during the
last weeks.
The last sortie was directed to-
ward the east, and was undertaken.
not with the view of effecting the re-
lief of the fortress but to find out If
the surrounding Russian force was
as strong towards Grodek md Lem
berg as in the other directions, and
whether the Russians had fortified
their positions in the Grodek direc-
ton as well as to the south and west
of the fortress.
Railway lines Blown IN.
With regard to provisions the
fortress was well supplied at the out I
set, but the stores were consumed al |
the time Of the first investment. /
which lasted until October II. on
that date the fortress was relieved |
and General Borveyich entered the |
fortress with his army. The railway /
lines had been blown up by the re- /
treating Russians. On the Galirian I
roads II was impossible to transport /
anything at that time. and this fact
obliged ms TO provision the army /
fighting To the enst of Przemysl from
he stores Of The fortress. the army be-
ing cut off from all other points Of
supply
IL vas thus necessary to draw nro
visions from the ample stores Of Pre-
nNsl IN the hope that as soon as the
railway line was reconstructed mo
stores could he replaced The rail-
way Inc was reconstructed, and on