The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-23
FORTS HELD
MORE THAN SIX MONTHS
Russians Began Attack Soon After War Started-Aus-
trians Called Defences the Inland Gibraltar
and Believed Them Impregnable.

ring OF forts must be reduced one l., one
and finally tn. fortress itself must he
starved out. The city was officially
reported to be invested on Septembe'
IL. the Austrian opposition '1aving been
driven back with enormous losses.
The bombardmcn OF the outer forts
began September 20. This was followed
by d sortie OF the Aus.rians. which ac-
compiished nothing Iiesvy guns were
brought up from Lenberg and the work
started in real earnest. Within a few
days It was announced tsat two OF the
outer forts had fallen and the Russians
had secured q base from which TO
operate.
Optimistic official and semi-offcial
statements from petrograd began to
forecast, tho fan OF the city as early as
October. The residents were then sup
posed 10 he without sufficient food
sixty thousand Austrian soldiers wer.
on short ratious and the citizens OF TIE
city. Poles and Jews. were in dire
/ straits. Hut the city did not fall In
stead. 1t developed hat not only was
there plenty OF food, but an immense
amount OF ammunition was stored m
the mountain reccsses. The aeroplane
service was installed which carried mail
! out every day and carried back con-
dcused food. Occasionally the garrison
or a section of 1t would dash out upor
the bcsieGcrs, charging upon tre bat
teries only 10 return N safety.
Then came u turn in the fight. The
Germau-\usttian forces started their
drive toward Warsaw in November and
2 there was a call Tor some Of Gen. Omit
rieffs men The AustrianS sent In tho
Twonty-e,gnth HonVed Division. a
highly efficient Command, relieved some
Of the "oruout soldiers and got some
Of he citizens out " the city Dy the
time the Russians had checked the
ka!ser's troops and the hesioging army
could return they were ready FOR an
other siege.
That was the hast ray 90 light for the
garrison. Desperate sorties were made
In November and on Christmas eve. but
without avail. They were reported Ia
have lost 10000 men Killed and woundr
in these attempts. The Austians in the
meantim" had been doing everything in
their power to relieve the city. One
fore" ATTEMPTED 10 pierce IN" Carpathians
Wy way ~ Bartfcld. only 10 suffer terrible
defeats. They tried later To advance
through S;anislau. but the Russians do
f'atod them, driving them entirely away
from the DneisteI.
While these operations were in prog-
r'ss tho bcSicgers were taking one outer
fort after another. until finally all had
fallen. After that they drew In a little
closer every day After the failure of
the German drive on Warsaw in Feb.
ruary there was little hope left The
Austrians made one more attempt from
the south. by way OF Goilitza. hut tina
was checked and tine garrison was lief,
TO it, fate. Two weeks ago the Rus.
slams captured a height in the Subsidiar,
ring commanding the main fort ross
They were within rifle Are then of the
city.
bn March n the garrison made q last
desperate dash 10 the east. along IN.
valley of the san. right AGAINST the
heaviest Russian batteries. Thousand,
tell and about 1000 furnished men gay.
themselves M as prisoners. pu the ucNr
dan "NolN sun uf TIA" fortress pouir,
proiectil"s into the Russian forces, tnc
their batteries replied The end cam,
! y"sterdd!