The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1916-06-02
sIGHTsEER VISITS ERzERUM
How Armenian Capital in Caucasus
Now Appears.

---~---~---
Now Appears.
A vast sea Of snow, the horizon Of
which was only obscured by the mist
which accompanies a blizzard, lay all
around us as we left the little Russian
town of Samarkamish, on the old Rus
o-Turkish frontier, and, with the mil
itary transport wagons, crawled slow
" southwark. The road followed the
windings of the little streams that lay
all frozen and snow-covered between
the rolling hills of Kars plateau. The
heavy rumbl,ng of the transport wag-
ons was broken only by the blowing of
the wind, and as some particularly
violent gust swept into us and swept
the snow dust on our numbed faces
We reached the old frontier station Of
Karaurgan, but there was no customs
post here now; the Russian frontier
has shifted far away to the south, and
nothing stops the endless flow of wag-
ons and columns of troops on their
way to the front. 1t was soon clear
that we had reached what had recently
been Turkey. The road ended, and in
place of it a dark line of ruts and
wheel tracks could be seen going
straight over hill and dale rock and
frozen stream. There was nowhere to
rest at night except the welcome shell
ter Of the Russian Red Cross, where
in what was once the stables Of a Tur-
kish peasant, we slept, keeping warm
by the combined heat Of our bodies.
We reached the Passan plain on the
second day, and soon saw signs of the
Turkish retreat. From the snow by
the roadside protruded number Of
rough objects -camels' humps, horses
legs, buffalo horns and mems faces
with fezes and little black boards
smiled at us the smile Of death, their
CONTINGENCIES frozen as hard as the
snow around them.
The next day the famous old bridge
Of Kupru Keni appeared. across which
the armies of the Mongols, Tamarlane
and Shah Abbas had passed many
hundreds of years ago. Today the in
vaders of Asia Minor came not from
the east, but from the north, and once
again this great highway of nations
resounds with the tramp of armie-
and the cry of the refugees and the
dying. We passed the old castle Of
lIassan Kaleh, on a rocky eminence
protruding into the upper Passan plain
and then through the mists Of that
wintry day doomed the famous chain
+ rounded hills that divides that divides
the waters Of the Araxes from the Eu-
pirates. This was the Deve Boyun--
the Cancels Back, as the Turks called
1it--and beyond it, still hidden, lay the
city of Erzerum. In village through
which the roaa passes stood o row Of
heavy guns and hwitzers, standing
forbiddingly like a row Of gigantic
frogs looking skyward. They were be-
ing overhauled by busy engineers af-
ter the bombardment.
We were in the rear Of the advanc
ing Russian army which, after the oc-
cupation of Erzerum, was pursuing
the army to the west. Our pace was
therefore limited to the columns of
infantry in front Of US. As we crossed
the last neck Of rising ground beforr
sinking down into the Euphrates cfair
we. heard the iumbl Of artillery, and
far in The distance to the west we
could sea the Turks re.reating, fight
ing rear guard action a.; they went
The dark lines moved like worms
across the sea Of snow before us, and
were the Cossack columns Of the pui-
suit.
Now we reached the Kars gate Of
Erzerun and passes through tire
mounds of the inner city forts thru
tunnels and gat ways pas. richet
Turkish sentry boxes with the sta
and crescent On them, now nhebited
by gray-coated Russian soldiers. On
the left was Turkish barracks, blown
up by an explosion Of ammunition,
and by its side perfect phalanx Of
field artillery and old fortress guns,
some two hundred in number, which
had been captured by the Russians.
Beyond lay the city Of Erzerum. As
we entered we saw persons clad in
baggy trousers and fezes in the street.
The Turks with their characteristic
pensive fatalism were going about
their business as If nothing had hap
pened. Allah had given Erzerum t.
the Truss; Allah gives and takes away
and Allah IS great. Nowhere coul
the philosophy Of the east be NOR
plainly exhibited than in the calm and
dignifed faces Of the $4,000 civilian
Turks who stayed behind in Er<erum.
After spending the night at the
staff headquarters, which was the FOR
mer British consulate, we left next
day with some cossacks for the ( rts
and the battle fields, A narrow path
led us across the rolling downs Of the
central Dew, Begun. We had 70 pick
cur way carefully to avoid falling with
the horses INTO six foot snowdrifts. A
terrible wind was blowing as the
Russians call it a myetel, and n
spite Of s.bashIiks," noses nd cal,
sotn lost al feeling.
Beyond the snow field stood great
mass Of jagged rocks and cliffs. Upl
these we toiled BY narrow winding
paths. Fieldgun batteries were here
dug into the snow, and on a rocky emf