The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-06-04
RUSSIA

| lSAiSCu l 600 1<CooSu WIZ A'0A NASo'l
BERLIN, June q. (via The Hasue.)
BERG has begun. Upon 100 mile front
the combined forces of M,ackensen and
Linsineen are rolling the Russians
back upon their last stronghold In
Gatcia. The SIavs are making des-
perate efforts to reform their lines for
a final stand.
From his new headquarters in Prz-
erysl, General Mackensen telegraph
ed a message Of congratulations to the
king Of Bavaria today.
"The conduct Of our brave Bavar-
| Ian troops has aided us In a great
victory" wired the German command
er. 'They have won a name for them
selves In the history Of a great war"
Nearly three entire Austro-German
army corps pressed on through Prz-
emysl yesterday, eastward along the
Lembers railway and occupied
Medyka, eight miles east Of the cap
tured fortress city without resistance.
Dispatches from the battle front today
said that the Ravarian troops and the
main body Of Mackensen's forces
paused within the gates of Przemysl,
but that large body Of infantry was
hurried forward in pursuit Of the
| Russians.
From the south, Won Linsingen is
hurIing the full weight Of his armies
against the Russian left wing.
gigantic battle is raging along the
| front from the region Of Samber to
north Of StryJ Repeated terrific Rus
sian counter attacks have failed to
halt the Austro-German advance north
Of stryj and the Russian left is slow
Ily retiring,
! In their retreat through the great
GaIIcia petroleum district the Rus
SLAMS are setting fire to every oil
we'll in their path. Vienna dispatches
today estimated that 10000 tons Of
oil have been set in flames, lighting Up
the region for miles along the Prz-
emysl-Lemberg railway.
| All the public schools were closed
here today in consideration of the
victory at PrzemysI. The Berlin news
papers predicted that Mackensen's
drive will sweep every soldier Of the
car out Of Galician territory.
North Of PrzemysI, in the region east
jof Jarosiau the retreating Russians
have abandoned many guns. A large
part Of the garrison that defended
Przemysl against the last rushes OF
i the Bavarians fell into the hands OF
the victorious armies but the number
3. 81 prisoners has not YET been 'estims st
4 ed
OFFSET TO SURRENDER.
PETRoGRAD, June 4-officaI an
ncuncement today that three Austrian
regiments were slaughtered and 1000
i prisoners taken in fierce battle fifty
miles northwest Of PrzemysI partly
offset the admission from the war Of
flee that the GaIician fortress was sur
rendered to the enemy early yester-
day. T.,
The war office also reported that
hundreds Of Germans were asphyxiat-
ed by their own gas bombs on the
Bzura front in Poland. .u
"a sudden change Of wind swept the
poisonous gases back upon the en-
emy's trenches, forcing them to evae-
"our fire decimated the retreating
Germans on a wide front"
/ The war office bulletin today declar-
! ed that the evacuation Of Przemys'
must not be. construed as severe re-
verse to the Russians The forcea
that held the city have fallen back TO
the eastward, upon previously prepar
ed positions that enable them to short
en- their line and make further Austro-
German advances in the direction Of
! Lembera highly improbable.
Before Russian troops took Przemysl
on March %, the Austrian blew up
MANY Of the forts, weakening the re-
distance Of the city's defenses, tbs
war office explained. The terrific
artillery attack by the Austro-Ger-
mans, together with the capture Of
;JarosIau and Radymno to the north,
made the Russian position no longer
tenabIe and preparations to evacuate
przemysi were made early in the
week.
"The enemy took few prisoners and
scarcely any munitions Of war upon
/ entering PrzemysI,' It was officially
stated. "Several days ago ou: forces
,oraduaIIy removed the various mater
ii jaIs captured from the Austrians and
then began dismantiinq the forts OF
their heavier guns, which were placed
in position along our new line east Of
PrxemvsI. Consequently the capture
of the city itself early Thursday was
no difficult feat.
"WtiIe the enemy was wasting am
munition and men before Przemysl,
/ cur forces on the left bank Of the
lower San have made an important
advance. We captured strong enemy
fortified position west of Rudnk, tai
ina 1000 prisoners and many guns. In
the same region we annihiiated the
second, third and fourth Austrian