The Cordova daily times., 1915-03-20
AMERICAN TELLS OF THR|[L|M
 EXPERIENCE

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 LONDON, March 6-The gauntlet of dangers through which a small band of Americans and Englishmen passed in their escape from a copper mining camp in the Caucasus mountains at the time of the outbreak of war be. tween Turkey and Russia is told by A. H. Trotter of Syracuse, N. Y, chief engineer of the company, who has fin. ally reached London. Their adven- lures form one of the mos texciting of the minor episodes of the war.
 The mining village where the party was caught is called Dzansoul, and lies high up in the mountains about 40 miles from the Russian port of Ba- toum on the Black Sea. The defense of these mountain villages was left to only few companies of Russian police armed with old black-powder rifles. The report that the Turks were advancing in force from the south, and had driven in some of the Russian out posts, reached the village in November and this was the first news that hos tilties had begun. The people in the l shelter camp were slow to realize | the danger that surrounded them, and took no steps to escape until the American manager of the company R. T. White, was shot one Sunday morning while on his way from the camp to the mines, some miles higher up in the mountains.
 White was riding up the trail when shot suddenly poured upon him from ridge across a ravine. Both he and his horse were struck, and he fell from the animal, wounded in the leg. From noon until evening he lay in the shel- ter of the rock, sniped at every time he showed his head. At dusk, party, of which Trotter was a member, sneaked up the trail to effect his res cue. They brought him down to camp, and then sent to Batoum
 The following evening some Rus sian soldiers, with battery of three inch field guns moved up. They sta toned two of the guns near the smell ter and four others lower down at Kurn. Most of the non-combatants of the village left for Batoum, but a small party of Americans and British remained at camp. The situation was not taken seriously, as the Turks were thought to be a small party of marau- ders.
 The next morning when the two Russian guns at the mine opened up at the crest held by the Turks, the in fantry which had been increased to about 400 men at the mine, were forced into their trenches by the hot return fire. Of the Russians. only a small band of Cossacks carried modern guns, the reservists having only single shot pieces. The mountain police who were in the majority were armed with ancient guns, as said, firing black powder and lead bullets.
 The fighting became so intense, that Trotter decided to make his escape. On the way down the mountain he often had to take refuge from the fire. At Kura he met Russian ammunition train, whose officers arrested him as German spy and seized a package of bank notes he had with him.
 Meanwhile, however, the Turks had slipped across the crest of the opposite bridege and had begun a surprise at tack on the ammunition train. The horses which got the worst of it, bolted down the mountain, wrecking as they ran many of the carts of supplies and ammunition.
 Trotter tried to jump on one of the wagons to escape, but was prodded off with bayonets, and sought cover. When a motor car filled with wounded came by he tried his luck again, but was unable to explain himself, for lack of Russian, and was again bayoneted of the car.
 The Russian commandant, coming up later in an automobile gave him safe conduct to Borcka, where the ammuni- tion train was overtaken and Trotter's money recovered With temporary