The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-02
DESERTED CITY
BELGRADE IS
IN REAL FACT
OF the 100000 Residents of
the City Before It Fell Only
10000 Are Still There.

Correspondence OF the Associated Press.)
BELGRADE, Jan. 1.-Were 1t not
for the soldiery, Belgrade would
make the impression OF a deserted
city. Associated Press correspond
emit, the first American permitted to
visit the city after its capture. was
surprised to learn that nearly OF
quite one-afth of the inhabitants are
still here. Belgrade had nearly 1907
600 inhabitants before the war. and
there are now some 10000 left. AS
a result, the better sections Of the
city are really deserted In the full
meaning Of the word and the OBJ
server may wander through the main
streets for hours without seeing
score of civilians.
In comparison with many cities
in East Prussia, Poland and Bel
GUM, Belgrade did not suffer great
ly from the two bombardments which
1t underwent. Little damage was
done in the main business section.
Here and there shell damaged a
building more or less-none was
Totally destroyed-and few houses
bear the marks of exploding shrap>
mel shells. Considerable damage
was done to factory buildings along
the bank OF the Save.
The chief destruction is confined
to that part of the city south OF the
fortress. This section. comprising
from one-hfth to one-fourth OF the
entire city, is all but utterly destroy
ed. A fierce street battle ragged here
for two days, following the landing
OF the Hungarians below the citadel.
The Austro- Hungarian artillery at
first dropped a great number of 3O.b
centimeter shells into this section to
make it impossible for the defend
ers to hold their ground. On the
second day a report came that Ser
bian division from 0brenovac. about
twenty-five miles West Of Belgrade.
was marching to the support of the
troops in the city. Thereupon the
Austro- Hungarian batteries laid their
fire further back to curtain off the
approaching reinforcements.
The destruction thus wrought was
most thorough. In the whole section
under fire there is hardly a single
building which was not hit fairly at
least once and most Of the very few
thus unchanged were crushed by the
terrible air wave resulting from the
explosion OF the shell from the
"thirty-polnt-five." One of these
great projectiles penetrated four
floors and the roof of building
before exploding. At some points a
stencil betrays bodies still under the
ruins.
Most OF the damage done in the
principal part of the city dates from
a year or more ago. and is mainly
the result OF shots fired in answer
to an occasional shot from Serbian
batteries. The damage to the old and
new Konaks, the kings palaces, dates
from then. No shots fell In this dis
trict during the last bombardment.
One large shell has fallen into the
ball room OF the old Konak, but the
destruction is not so great as one
would expect. A small shell has
made a hole into the new Konak,
and shrapnel has marked 1t some
what.
Two trolley lines are in operation
In the city, directed and manned by
the military. The two drug stores
still open are under military direc-
ton, with soldier-apothecaries in
charge. Two or three moving pic
ture shows are also being run by
the military authorities. The pro-
ceeds of the drug stores and shows
are devided into equal parts. one Of
which is kept for the owner. for
the event that he ever returns to
claim 1t, and the other half is de-
voted to taking care OF the poor Of
the city.
About 1000 Serbians receive a
daily ration from the military au-
thorities. Another 1000 are EN-
ployed on various public works, such
as paving, street cleaning. etc. 1t
Is declared that the city is cleaner
today than 1t has ever been before.