Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-06-15

'LEMBERG IS IN PERIL
Rumor That Evacuation of Galician
Stronghold by Defenders Has Al
ready Been Started

Petroerad, June l5-In their ad
vance upon Czernowitz, the capital OF
Bukowina, the Russians have occupl
ed the village of Sniatyn, 20 miles
northwest of the city, the War Office
announces.
In addition to their previous cap
lures, the Russians have taken ~ OF
fcers, 5000 men, six guns and ten
machine guns.
Russians most successful operation
of the war is being pressed. vigorous
" along the whole front in Volhynla
and in Bukowina. Having cut the
railway communications of Czerno-
witz from the north, the Russians
have carried the fighting for posses
sion of that city into its very out
skirts. It's fall is momentarily ex-
pected.
At the same time the extreme right
flank of General Brusiloff's forces Is
swinging out toward Kovel, another
important railway junction control
ling communication to Lemberg from
the north. The Russians approaching
Kovel from the southwest along the
Rovno-Kovel Railway, have reached
the Stokhod river 90 miles from kov-
,el. Southwark of Kovel they have
pushed a wedge westward to Iorcnln
in the direction of ValadimirVolynskl.
This piercing of the Austrian line
places the right flank of Prince Leo
pold's army in precarious sltua-
ton. A particularly stubborn defense
is being made by the enemy in the
Kovel district advanced positions.
At many intermediate points be-
tween the northern and southern points
of contact, the Austrians are report
I'd to be retreating so hastily that
they are out of touch with the Rus
slams.
1t is rumored that the Austrians
are evacuating Lemberg.
The ruse practiced by the Russians
at the beginning of the present opera
tions is described as follows:
Tho Russians opened with severe
cannon fire, which continued for sew
eral hours and then suddenly ceased
The Austrians, from past experience
expected an attack, which they pre-
nared to meet, advancing machine
GUNS and bomb-throwers, bringing uF
troops and even preparing cavalry 1o'
charge. These preparations were
watched by Russian observers.
When the stage was properly set
instead of the expected advance, tn
Russians let loose another shower O.
shells much more violent than any O
the previous ones, causing terrific
slaughter and decentralization in tn
opposing ranks, on the heels OF which
thew began a forward movement.
The small number of commanding
officers captured in proportion to tn
number of soldiers in the Austrian
armies was due to the suddenness AM
energy of the Russian drive. 1t show
# is argued, that the officers los
control of the men and abandone
them to their fate at critical moments
The total of prisoners and trophile
CAPTURED during the operations amour
to nearly 10000 men, 1,7So officers
13O canon and 260 machine guns.
Reports which have been receive
saw the enemy abandoned at certai
points quantities of various war ma
ter;a1c of such bulk as to make 1t I'm
possible to give an exact description
The Russians found abandoned sutt
cient rails for field railways to cove
80 versts (about 20 miles).
i London, June ia dispatch t
Reuters Telegram Company, frol
Petrograd, dealing with the Russian
advance in East Galicia, says:
The Russians hold the Dnieste
between the frontier and, considerabl
westward of the confluence Of tn
IStrina and the Dniester. After tn
capture Of Zale Szczyky and Horoder
ka. their next objective is Kolome
!; three marches distant. Unless thei
j. some unlikely change in the strs