New Britain herald., 1916-05-05

their waists, pushed on through d
 binding anowstorn, scaled apparently impossible heights all in weather as intense and bitter a that of the Arctic circle. Guns were taken apart and carried on the backs of soldiers, hauled up by ropes to the top of cliffs and then dropped down the icy slopes and put together in the clouds from where they brought terror and con- sternatiCn to the enemy. Too much praise cannot be given to the Valor and hardihood of the Russian soldier. An artillery officer who was in the fight from the beginning told me that the wonders performed and the ditH- culties overcome were every whit as great as those which made Napoleon's s march over the Alps a military classic
 City Little Damaged.
 'The city itself is little if any dam aged, the forts even hardly showing evidence of severe bombardment. When the fall of the city was immi- nent the Turkish soldiers in certain quarters began to loot and burn, but before much damage was done the in habitants were able to prevent the fire from spreading. The approach of the Russian soldiers caused the looters to beat hastN retreat. A population of 25,GO0 was found in the place, mostly Turks. Some Percians and a few Greeks made Up the remainder. Pos sibly hundred Armenians had been able to hide with friendly Turks and were found in tho city upon it's cap ture. Apart from these there has been found no trace of other Armenians, numbering 15,00O, who were taken from the city and sent into the inter- for in June of last year. That is to say, no word has come from any of the men, but MT. Stapleton, American missionary in Erzerum, has heard in directly from some of the women de- ported at that time. The whole of the province has been cleared of Ar menians with the exception of those few who hid in the city. At the same time 15,Q0O were sent away from will lages. nearby. These were taken as far as Mamakhatun where they were killed. Other groups have been sent off at different times many of them too, no doubt, sharing the same fate as those from Erzerum, although som1 hope is entertained that many of them may still be found alive in the region of AleppO."
 Ill this connection it is interesting to learn of an incident occurring just 1 prior to the fall of the city. TnXin 1 Bey, the Vali, it appears had done all i he could, as far as he was allowed by 1 COnstantinOple to do, to ease the lot 1 of the Armenians Realizing that the 1 fall of the city was near he sent for l MT. Stapleton and to him delivered a message for the Russian authorities to the effect that if the Moslem popula- ton were not molestCd by the Rus sian troops, he would do all he could to help the eXpatriated Armenians in therwise he would not answer for what might happen. It Is only just to the Russians to say that tho relations between the troops and the inhabitants are exceedingly friend ly. The bazaars and shops are open and the people are glad to sell to the Russians.
 Many Return 10 Erzerlim.
 The fall of Erzerum had hardly been announced before groups of Ar menians in various parts of the Cau- casus began plans for their return. Many have already gone back and oth- CTS are only waiting for means to enable them to move. The Van, Bit is and adjacent vilayets have already been opened and permission to go pack seems easy to obtain.
 The number of refugees at present would total close to 100000. They nave managed for the most part to