The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-05
RUMANIANS IN
TRAP LOSE BIG
INVADING ARMY
Caught in Encircling Move Of
BuIgars-Germans.
Attempt to RecrOss Danube
Under Artillery Fire.
. SECOND DISASTROUS DEFEAT
Worst Since $4,000 Were Sur
rounded at Tutrakan.
Sofia Reports Bulgars Capture
$4,000 Rumanians.
Caught in Encircling Move of
Bulgars-Germans.
Attempt to RecrOss Danube
Under Artillery Fire.
SECOND DISASTROUS DEFEAT
Worst Since $4,000 Were Sur
rounded at Tutrakan.
Sofia Reports BuIgars Capture
$4,000 Rumanians.

Sofia, Oct. bulgarian troops have
enveloped and destroyed fifteen or
sixteen Rumanian battalions (abOut
II 1000 men) which crossed the Dan
ube- and invaded Bulgaria near ria
hovo, said an official statement from
the war office today. The defeat suf-
fered by the Rumanians is the great
est since the destruction of the Ru-
nanian army at the fortress of Tutra-
kan, when $4,000 Rumanians were
trapped and captured south of the
Danube.
The Rumanians were caught by an
encircling movement and began to
stream back across the river without
offering stubborn opposition. Teuton-
ic monitors had smashed some of the
pontOon bridges over which the in
vaders crossed, thus interfering seri
ously with their retreat to the north
bank.
Bulgarian artillery was trained on
Rumanian transports that attempted
to facilitate the retreat, adding to the
confusion in the ranks of the enemy.
The exact number of prisoners is not
definitely known, but it is reported
that large quantities of war material
were brought in. on the Dorudja
front all Russo-Rumanian, attacks
were frustrated.
Drowned Attempting TO Cross River.
Inc NTCTDldn war OlllCG
afternoon announced that the Ruman-
ian force that crossed the Danube had
retreated before German bulgarian
encircling movement. If the Bulgarian
statement is true, the Rumanians have
suffered two most severe defeats on
the Danube in the five weeks since
they entered the war.
When German and Bulgarian forces
captured the Rumanian fortress of
Tutrakan the Rumanian garrison was
surrounded on the south bank and
captured. Several hundred Ruman-
Der of other officers, were drowned
while attempting to swim the stream.
Retreat Over Bridge Cut Off.
The Rumanians had occupied sew
eral Bulgarian villages before they
were attacked by Bulgarian forces
from Rustchuk and Tutrakan.
The official Sofia report says:
ION October 3 the troops from
Rustchuk attacked the enemy and
speedily forced him to seek refuge in
the direction of his pontoon bridge
which was destroyed by Austrian
monitors The battlefield is covered
with enemy dead. Toward evening
we occupied the village of Liahowo
and Babow. The enemy troops retreat
ed in disorder eastward, consequently
meeting our troops advancing from
Turtukai. The surrounded enemy
was dispersed in several directions.
Our troops today are completing his
destruction.
In Dobrudja there has been great
activity"
Deny Destruction of Bridge.
London, Oct. 5.-A dispatch from
Bucharest by way of Rome, as given
out by the wireless press today, de-
niles the statement of the German
and Bulgarian war offices that Aus
trian monitors have destroyed the
bridge across the Danube south of
Bucharest, over which the Rumanians
passed to invade Bulgaria. 1t is said
the passage of troops, munitions and
stores continues.
The dispatch also says the battle
in Dobrudja is increasing in violence
and that the Germans and Bulgarians
are suffering enormous losses.
While the foregoing inferentially
contradicts the official German and
Bulgarian reports of the complete
defeat of the Rurnanians who have in
vaded Bulgaria Il is possible that the
dispatch was sent from Bucharest be-
fore the Bulgarians began their at
tack ON the invaders whose defeat
was first announced by the German
war office on October 3.