Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-24
Severe Battle Continues Be-
fore Brest Litovsk, But Bal
tic Campaign lags.
KOPYTOW HILL STORMED,
SAYS BERLIN STATEMENT
Fall of 0ssowetz Deprives Russians
of Last of Their Western
most Strongholds.

DLI\Ll4>, mug uSl -, Nid Loii-
don, 4 :o5 p.m.-A hill at kopy-
tow, to the southwest of the Rus
sian fortress of Brest Litovsk, has
been stormed by the Teutonic
forces, according to an official
statement given out today by the
German army headquarters.
Teutons Press Attack.
LONDON, August 24.-The Russian
armies have not stopped the Austro-
German advance. although they are
compelling the central powers to fight
for every step won.
Severe encounters continue before
Brest t-Litovsk, but the Baltic campaign
decisive stroke there by Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg has been long ex-
pected.
The most important development Of
the past twenty-four hours is the Of
ficial announcement from Berlin that
German troops have occupied the
fortress of Ossowetz, which was evacu-
ated by the Russians.
ossowetz Strong Fortress.
The fall of Ossowetz deprives the
Russians of the last of their western
most fortresses. 1t is situated about
twenty miles inside the Russian from
and the Mazurian lake country. Its
fall had been expected. inasmuch as the
retreat further eastward of the great
bulk of the Russian forces almost
isolated the garrison.
OF all the Russian fortresses which
have been captured by the Austrians
and Germans in such rapid succession
during the last three weeks Ossowetz
| made the longest resistance During
| the winter and spring several futile
attacks were made by the Germans on
this side position.
Still Resisted Germans.
Even after the Germans had swept
through Poland and the Baltic prov
inces Ossowetz still held out. Its su-
perior powers of resistance lay in the
marshy nature of the surrounding
country, which made it difficult for the
Germans to bring up their heavy field
pieces.
Ossowetz, a f1rst-class fortress. de-
rives strategic Importance from the
fact that it guards the railway an
proach to Bialystok and the great Pc
trograd- Warsaw trunk line
Novo Georgievsk in Ruins.
WARSAW. undated. via London. Au-
gust 24.-The fortress of Novo Geor-
gievsk lies in ruins. The Germans en-
| tered the heart of the great Russian
stronghold from the right During the
night the Associated Press corre-
spondent had witnessed the impressive
spectacle of the terrific assault which
led to the fall of the fortress.
From point to the southwark of the
Vistula it seemed as if brilliant flashes
of lightning were constantly hanging
| over the great ring of forts.
Constant Rain of Shells,
There was a constant rain of ex-
ploding shells, searchlights moved
from point to point and magazines ex-
ploded at brief intervals. rockets
whzzed into the air, and the thunder
of cannon was continuous.
Shortly before IL o'clock sheets of
flame sprang into the air from the
northern front. indicating that one of
the forts had been blown up. Soon
afterward a second fort exploded. The
bombardment continued, however, with
undiminished violence. as the Russians
expended their last efforts to save the
citadel. upon the strength of which they
had pinned their hopes. The final op-
position was from the southerly forts.