The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-07

Central Powers fly over Bucharest today. The capital of Rumania, as we'll as Ploesci, the great oil centre, and Sinaia, the summer capital, Tell to the Teutons yesterday.
 A large part of the beaten, weak ened and demoralized Runanian army is cut off and practically sur rounded northwest of Bucharest. Berlin announces the capture of 6,Oo0 more prisoners.
 The taking of Bucharest virtually completes the conquest of RO,0eO square miles of southern Ruman1a, the greater part of the fertile Walla- chian plain, IA weeks to the day since Rumania declared war.
 Teutons In Pursuit.
 Troops of Field Marshal von Mack ensen's army of Germans, Turks and Bulgars, that crossed the Danube into Rumania less than two weeks ago entered the capital from the south. They are now pushing out from Bucharest, pursuing the fleeing Rumanians and their Russian allies, whose help came too late.
 It was almost into a deserted city | marched The greater part of the people of Bucharest had been sent to Jassy, in northeastern Rumania, near the Russian border. Wh1ther King Ferdinand and his ministers fled week ago.
 Yesterday the Teutons were only seven miles from the capital. For several days their great siege mor- tars threw high explosive shells into the city and upon it's. 36 armored forts and batteries which were smashed as the Belgian forts were smashed The evacuation of the city was ordered after last great effort to save it by a counter offensive failed.
 Great Oil Center Taken.
 The capture. of Ploesci Is of mili- tary importance undoubtedly greater than the capture of Bucharest. Ploesci, one of Rumania's largest cities, with a population of 5o.o0o, is the great Rumanian oil centre. With Ploesci there fell into the hands of the Teutons the whole of the rich Rumanian oil fields. The secondary oil centre of Campina. where the Standard Oil interests are located, is also in Teuton hands.
 Ploesci, which is thirty-six miles northwest of Bucharest, is a railroad junction of great importance. Through it runs the main railroad from Kron : stadt to Bucharest, and the main line through Buzeu north in Moldavia.
 The latter railroad was the only direct route of retreat for the Ru- maniars who held the Prahova Valley north of Ploesci and had to relin- auisr S:"aia in their retreat. If the Teutons took Ploesci before this Ru- n,anian army could get safely away the army Is in a serious predica- ment.
 Only One Road Open.
 The same railroad was one of two and Russians holding Bucharest. Only two railroads from Bucharest were not held by the Teutons befo-e the fall of Ploesci closed one of them. On tn eother. from Bucharest along the Danube northeast to Fftesci, the re- treat is being made.
 If the Teutons took P1oesci before Bucharest was taken the situation o1 the defenders O. Bucb ares. IS also serious Their retreat by way Of Picesci to Buzeu was cut off, and 1t is feared the single line from Buchar- est to Iire sc1 was unable to bear the strain.
 This line is vulnerable to attack in case Won Mackenson could throw more troops across the Danube from the Dobrudja to cut 1t. Though the Danube marshes are in summer 8. big obstacle at present they are frozen and a crossing would be by no means impossible, it is believed.
 Defence Impossible.
 The lines of retreat from Bucharest were so few and the P1oesci route was so seriously threatened two days ago by Won F'alkenhayn's rapid advance that observers here believe the Ruma- nians may have given up all hope of holding Bucharest and have got out in time before Ploesci fell.
 Tn entering Bucharest the armies of the Central Powers have taken their fourth Entente capital. Brussels. Get tinie and Belgrade, the capitals of Bel gium, Montenegro and Serbia, are now under German rule.
 Before the German and Austrian siege guns re1egated old fashioned Notifications of steel and concrete to the scrap-heap Bucharest was cons1d- cred the second most strongly defend ed European capital after Paris. It had eighteen outer forts of the first class and as many more smaller Wors. redoubts and batteries.
 Called the Paris of the East, before the war, Bucharest was considered one of the gayest and most prosper ous of European capitals. The Ru- manian oil and wheat barons spent money lavishly. The city was largely rebuilt by the late King Carol. He found it a great sprawling semf-Ori- tental town with narrow, dirty streets and a few improvements. He left it a city of handsome boulevards, new public buildings, Western in it's as- pect and in it's atmosphere. He drained most of the marshes of the Dumbovita, which runs through the city
 government, but the heart of Ru- mania. It was the great educational centre, with a university and schools of all kinds, art galleries, museums and fine churches. It was also. the great trade, centre of the country, through which moved all the ship