The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-09
Pouring Across River to Attack
AustrO Stronghold.
FALL OF GORITz IS NEAR
Rome Gay With Flags Cele-
brates Great Victory.
Believe Decisive Blow Has
Been Dealt to Austria.
BY JOHN II. HEARLEY.

80 Rome. Aug 9.-Two million men
are battling fiercely along the Isonzo
front in a great struggle, centering
about Goritz, that may prove the turn
ing point Of the war.
with the Goritz bridgehead and
surrounding heights strongly in 1tal-
ian hands, italian troops are pouring
across the river for the assault upon
Goritz itself, singing gaily as they ad-
vance under hot fire, their helmets
decorated with flowers Scores OF
treat enns already are pounding the
ssAustrian stronghold. 1t is believed
Hlcertain here that Goritz will fall be
sore a storming attack within rev
esFours if it is not already in Italian
hands.
$4,000 Prisoners Taken.
The battle is spreading along the
-sIsonzo In the first two days OF the
..zreat offensive more than 15,OOO AUS
sEFian prisoners were captured me
Austrians resisted with the greatest
lsstubbornness and suffered frightful
losses Rome was swept with ire
az1nendous wave of enthusiasm TO-DAY as
fresh dispatches from the 'front.'
brought fragmentary details of the
fighting around Goritz. The whole
city was instantly beflagged when an
announcement of the capture OF the
1soritz bridgehead was made. A huge
fsroWd gathered in PiazZi COlOnna and
st.heered the army, King Victor Eman-
IiueI and General Cadorna- Similar
demonstrations occurred in the the
aters and cafes.
In other Italian cities, Milan, Bo-
isIogna, Leghorn and Florence, great
crowds gathered in patriotic demon
ssfrations that lasted all night The
general conviction is that the war
soffice statement was most conserva-
tive and that Italy is on the brink of
a great and decisive victory that will
send Italian armies marching on
Trieste.
Only Beginning of Italy Drive.
81 This is only the beginning of op-
serations promising great develop
@ments" said the newspaper Corriere
D'Italia. 'Indisputably the enemy
front has been broken"
.exrhe censor is now permitting pub
-lfCation of some dispatches relating to
the beginning of the Isonzo offensive.
The drive began shortly after day
break Sunday and with steady hail
of Italian shells for period of nine
hours along a twenty mile front ex-
tending down the Isonzo to the Adri-
3atic italian warships in the upper
Adriatic supported the land artillery
with bofnbardment of the Austrian
left wing.
mo such awe-inspiring cascade of
fire ever before has been witnessed
on the Italian front" wired one Italian
-tcorrespondent so violent were, the
incessant earthquake-like phenom-
.sena produced by the big shells that
rFllOuSeS IN the OfOrlLZ pam were SHAT
tered or collapsed solely thru force
Sof the seismic, waves. The mouths of
vast caVerns on the Carso plateau in
(which thousands of Austrian troops
s. had sought refuge, were choked by
tons of debris and converted into liv-
ing tombs.
Then Infantry Charges.
AT o'clock in the afternoon the
order was given for the infantry to
leave the trenches The spectacle OF
these hardy warriors as they bounded
forth to the fray recalled the heroes
of Legenda, thousands of their front
ranks wore round their helmets q
floral garland, specially woven by the
women of Theme. Schio, Vorastica an6
Vicenza. With the stirring war cry
of Great Italy forever they bounded
across the dales at the bridgehead an6
further down scaled the lines of CarsC
plateau. engaging in hand to hand
struggles. At the head of the main
forces ran men bearing aloft big white
discs mounted on slender gray greer
poles so as to guide the gunners In
lifting their range as the infantry
advanced"