New-York tribune., 1915-03-23
Beleagured Garrison
SurrenderS With
out Final Battle.
FAMINE HELPS
END CONFLICT
Fall of Fortress Gives In
vaders Chance to Ad-
vance Westward.
VIENNA PRAISES MEN
VIENNA PRAISES MEN
Declares Enemy Must Acknowl.
edge Their. HerOiSm - Gar
DecOrateS Gen. SeliWamoff.

Petrograd, March 22.-The garrison
of Przemysl, the Austrian fortress
which dominates Eastern Galicia, to-day
capitulated without a fight to the Rus
sian forces that have besieged it for \
more than six months.
It's surrender gives Russia control Of
all the surrounding territory, adds 5o,-
900 prisoners TO those already in Mus
covite hands and releases the greater
part of the 10000 men in the be-
| leaguering army for offensive opera
tions either in the Carpathians or
against the stronghold of Cracow, l25
miles to the west, the key to Germany
from the south, with its railroad lines
radiating through Breslau to Berlin,
southwark TO Vienna and eastward to
Lemberg. 1t is the announced inten-
ton of Grand Duke Nicholas to reduce
/ Cracow as soon as possible.
Among the prisoners taken by the
Russians, the War Office reports, are
nine Austrian generals and 1900 other
| officers. General Won Kusmanek was in
command of the garrison. General
/ Seliwamoff, commanding the besieging
army, ii is announced, has received the
st. Georges cross OF the third class
, from the Car.
The mention OF the decoration Of
! General SeliwamoS as commander OF
/ the Russian force created surprise, as
! it was understood that the Bulgarian
/ General Radko Dimitrieff was in COM
mand. Whether he was transferred or
removed is not known.
Crowds Celebrate in Storm.
Nothing since the capture of Lem
! berg and the victorious sweep of the
Russian army through Galicia in the
beginning of the war has aroused as
much enthusiasm in Petrograd as the
fall of Przemysl. Newspaper Offices
and army headquarters were bonn
barded with telephone inquiries for in
! formation. Crowds stood in a pelting
snowstorm before the bulletin boards.
The Emperor and Grand Duke Mich
olas, the commander in chief. who has
received the st. Georges Cross of the
second class as reward for the fall of
/ Przemysl, attended TIE Deum service
with their stats.
The fate of the fortress had been
| inevitable since the failure OF the last
| Austrian drive from the southwark for
its relief. There have been daily evil
dences of shortage of provisions, and
reports of the ravages of disease
reached the besiegers from time TO
time. Gradually the lines about the
/ city were drawn tighter, until within
the last fortnight Russian rhemen
were within range Of the outer works.
Russian artillery pounded the forts
ceaselessly.
Forlorn Hope Baked.
/ The last OF the improvised field for
| tifications were captured some days
| ago, and the final act of the drama be-
/ gan toward the close of the week, when
/ the commandant deliberately expended
| his reserve ammunition and sent the
! bulk of the garrison out on the forlorn
! hope of cutting its way eastward
/ through the besiegers.
With the strong Russian line tightly
drawn around the fortress, the effort
apparently was hopeless from the start
! ard 5000 Austrian prisoners fell into
the hands of the Russians, while as
many more fell, dead or wounded. The
shattered remnants Of the force fed
back 10 the fortress, and they now
have fallen into the hands Of the Rus
slams.
The garrison OF Przemysl originally
numbered from $4,000 TO $4,000 men.
but sorties and shells must have cut a
! considerable nun SAr Of thousands from
that total.
The Austrian sortie cf last Saturday
was preceded by such an extravagant
Use Of ammunition by tfc artillery as
TO leave the impression that the be-
eieged army was At the end Of its re-
sources and desired 70 consume the
remainder of its ammunition prior 70
surrCndering.
The Austrians in Lupkow Pass yes
terday responded to a wireless signal
Of despair and struggled furiously 70
the right of the San valley in the for
/ lorn hope of raising the siege from
the south. The Russians in the
trenches, however, met each wave