The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-26
Famous Structure Is Longest
COS Miles, in All Europe.
TeutOns Now Possess Constan-
"a Railroad and Bridgehead.
DIVIDED RETREATING ARMY
Large Portion Captured; Part
Got Across Bridge.
CernavOda Bridge Spans Rivers
and Swampy Region.

Berlin, via wireless to Sayville. Oct.
26.-"Rumanian troops have blown
up the large bridge over the Dam
ube at Carnavado,' said an official
statement from the war office this
afternoon announcing further prog
gress from Mackensen's armies in Do
brudja and new advances against the
Rumanians on the Transylvanian
front.
London, Oct. 26-Rumanian troops
blew up the Cernavoda bridge, the
greatest in Europe, following the
evacuation of the city, said a Rome
wireless dispatch today quoting
Bucharest dispatch received there.
The Cannavoda bridge was built in
1895 at a cost of seven million dollars
ard is the only bridge across the Dan
uhe, both ends of which rest on Fu,
r1anian soil. 1t spans the Danube and
adjacent marshes and is los miles
long The Constanza-Buch rail-
way crosses the structure.
Berlin, Oct 26.-By wireless to Say
ville.-""The capture of Tchernavoda
by Field Marshal Won Mackensen's
army has definitely turned the mill
tary situation in Dobrudja in our IA
vor,' writes the military critics OF the
the combined Bulgarian, German and
Turkish force marched on after the
taking of Constanza and in a power
full push advanced twenty kilometres,
(about IL miles) beyond that place.
From that moment the capture of
Medjidie was only a question of a few
hours, as the town was threatened
on the flank. The Russo Rumanian
position thus being rolled up from the
east the western point of support on
the Danube the town of Rasova also
had to be given up.
with this situation brought about,
the attacking Teutonic allies stood be-
fore the strong Danube bridge head of
the Tchernavoda, which then had to
serve as cover for the hasty retreat
of the defeated Russians and Ruman-
ians.
Constanza, New Strategic Base.
To-day the railroad line from Con-
in the hands of the victorious allies
constituting with the valuable mate
rial in locomotives and railroad cars
taken with it, a first class base for
strategic operations. All this mate
rial was abandoned by the fleeing
Russians and Rumanians. The de-
feated army was separated into two
parts. Those who did not remain on
the battle field or were not taken
prisoner. saved themselves by flight
the Danube or to the northward in
Dobrudja.
after the capture of Tchernavoda
this famous Danube bridge was domi-
mated by Won Machensen's guns. The
bridge is the largest in all Europe
its total length across both branches
of the Danube and the swampy and
frequently impossible terrain traver-
sed being seventeen kilometres about
'10.5 miles,. 1t was completed in 1896.
Seize Carpathian Passes, Too.
with the loss of the Constanza-
Tchernavoda line by Rumania, the
transport of provisions from Russia
will have to be conducted over two
minor and less efficiently equipped
railway lines in Moldovia or by way
of the Danube ports of Galatz and
Ibraila, which are by no means COM
parative to Constanza. At this time
the most important route for artillery
transportation, by way OF the railway
from Constanza to Bucharest, is vir-
tually eliminated. All shipments must
go by way of Ibralia and Polesci
''The military situation for the Ru-
manians during the past two days has
become much more critical, especially
as the Germans and Austro- Hungar-
ians already have partially conquered
the CarDathian naSSaS'