The Washington times., 1915-04-18

battle-ground for the Austrian and Ger
man officers. and Shortly afterward this
fight developed in n free-for-all mixup.
We left the hotel hastily, and about
an hour later similar street fights be-
came general on every street In the city.
Even the civil population of the city
took part In this fratricide.
This Ill feeling was so keen between
the German and the Austrian soldiery
that as a result of these fights no less
than 800 were killed and 1,200 wounded
on both sides At last. from the 1st day
of November till the Sd. the German
troops left the city in "A northwesterly
direction, I think headed toward Tar
now on their way to Cracow.
On the 9Th day of November the Rus
slams returned and once more laid
siege to the city. and from that time
on we have been completely cut off
from the outside world.
Before the war this city had q popu-
lation Of from 10000 to 5000, but during
the siege the civil population was COM
puted as from 5000 to 10000. Upon the
outbreak Of the war many people had
left the city for Cracow and other west
ern or southern parts, but as many
others and many more had come from
Jaroslav and Lemberg. 1t should also
be noted that the Germans had left
their wounded i'm the city.
$4,000 Wounded and Sick.
On November 10 there were $4,000
Austro-Hungarian soldiers in the city,
including over 11,000 wounded and 5000
sick with all sorts Of diseases. In addi-
tion IL appears that there were over
il. 900 civilian sick. whose exact number
cannot be computed as the military took
no recognition of these So that on
that date there were somewhere i'm the
vicinity of 5000 wounded and sick,
soldiers and civilians. To take care
OF these there were only 81 physicians.
40 trained medical men, and 22 women.
From November 10 to 30 the average
death list for the entire population OF
tho city was l2o per day; from Decem-
ber to the early February 1t increased
to $50. and in the closing days of the
siege 1t had reached $50 deaths per day
Before the war this town was the
headquarters for the Tenth Army
Corps, but during the siege. the corps
having been mixed and intermixed, l
have never been in a position to learn
their identity
Being a Croat physician. prudence on
my pert had become a virtue / never
questioned anyone about anything.
with my Observation-Disclosures. I was a
mute and helpless witness to these hor-
rors we daily observed
Percmysl Will not surrender to the
Russians; 1t will be conquered by hun
cause the fortress has enough ammunI-
tiOr to hold out six months longer
Hunger AMI disease what horrible
twins They carried before them what
tn" Russian cannon were unable to
reach
From early in the rorning until the
sunset the daily professions continue.
Endless Procession of Dead.
The bodies OF the dead were even
carried by twos, threes. and fours, piled
mp in open vehicles, like so many car
CaSseS.
After tho first few days of the siege
not even individual graves were avail
able. Grave-diggcrs kept on digging
deep trenches. and as fast as the bodies
were laid. four in a row, other work
men covered them with the soii, and
the gravediggers still continued dig
sing and digging.
There were not even enough priests
to administer to each victim separate
religious rites. so they administered
rites to four bodies at time. All day
long the priests Of both the Roman
Catholic and the Greek churches re-
maired in their graveyards. burying,
burying without much rest.
During the noon hour some good
hearted civilians would bring food for
the priest and the grave-diggers. For
twenty minutes these mortals would stop
hurving and eat their meals. But tho
bodies arc still coming.
SOmetin es thny would come faster
than the grave-diSgcrs could provide
trenches for them. 'rhoy are PILED up
the men employed in driving the death
vehicles are pressed in IN" service
they also dig trenches and help To bury
They bury. mon and women, rich and
poor. young and old, and still they
| bring in more dead bodies. There is nc
end. II Is an endless procession.
There being only two Christian de-
nominations in this town. the Roman
Catholic and Greek Orthodox there
were only ten priests to administer tc
the spiritual wants OF the 5000 soldier.