New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-05

tains when valleys 90 no further Inc %.
boric acid contained in the water has eo'
rosive effect upon the limestone rock, ana d.
the valleys affording outlet INTO other va
leys are few, running water gnawS ln'o VI
mountains side. so that only sull "a'ei .
gathered rain, settles in those colahuer I'M
depressions to form dead, lead colored ;aAes'
while streams resemble the Berlin SUBWAY
now above, now below ground.
The Headless Horseman
One of the most curious among those ioIGe
full streams is called az its beginning oy '"S
Celtic name "Piuka," the Foal OF lrlsh reg
ends. or the Headess Horseman of old Eng
lish ballads. For miles the toal plays u"
seen through its glimmering cavern way, anu
when it reaches the light again 1t IS rechr'S-
tened the Unz. Again it disappears, ana wne"
next il surges forth it becomes the very leu
tonically called Laibach, from which the ON
mentioned capital of Carniola takes ITS name
If the belief of the Slavic goatherds IN the
Karst be true, the sprltes that dweIl III every
bubble of the thrice-named stream ma eN-
element enough on their way to the sea, for
the underground road is most picturesque. a.
times the bed widens and spreads into a lake
under vault studded with scintilatlng star
actites produced by the steady dripping OF
Then again it gushes through narrow chan-
nels. all black save for an occasional light
shaft bored through crack by rain HOOD
There are waterfalls of unmeasured helgnt
and rapids, and slow, deep beds for the sprltes
to rest in.
Precisely how many such waterways there
arc ir the Karst is we: only guessed at, but
they are legion in comparison with the fe"
hazardous roads above ground which man may
travel few remarkable highways were
built in the southern part of the harst more
than a hundred years ago by Napoleon's gem
eral. Marmont, Duke OF Ragusa; but even
those are little used now. In the north
around Trieste the roads are hardly more
than tracks, and the peasants take to them
only when necessity compels them to go 10
market to the nearest coast town. AT the
time of the seasonal fairs they may be seen
huddled atop their long, narrow wagons drawn
by vicious, skinny horses men, women ana
children, all dressed alike in the white Croa-
tian blouse and the scarlet cap. slowly bump
ing up and down, up and down the way toward
the blue Adriatic whittier they go TO barter
their produce goats skins, bones and cheese
for grain, salt and other necessaries.
Natural Notifications
OF railroads there is but one crossing the
Karst, from Trieste 10 Laibach, and 1t would
seem that this is General Cadorna's immediate
objective. The cutting of it would completely
isolate Trieste and prevent military rein
forcements and supplies from reaching the
port, while it would also leave the plains Of
Carniola TO the alternative of obtaining from
other sources what used to be shipped there
from Trieste or of surrendering to Italy.
May those VINO grumble at ltaly's slowness
to advance against battered Austria consider
for moment what the advance of an army IN
such territory as the Karst would imply
even if it did not meet at every step Austrian
batteries of the famous Skodas, hidden in
natural Notifications long established and
fitted out, even more secure than the extraor-
binary German "quarries" on the Aisne, which
no high powered shell could damage and
which the French had to take at the point OF
the bayonet.
While he was seemingly inactive and many
n ore accused him of playing politics, Ca
dorna was quietly building roads, hosting
heavy guns thousands of feet up perpendicu-
lar cliffs, making his men crawl up mountain
sides like flies on a wall, conveying provisions
and instruments with which to build trenches,
dugouts and other Notifications, all under the
very eyes of the Austrians whose view was
sometimes blinded by snow, but never OBJ
structed by even much "A dead pine tree.
And when all those preparations were ac-
complished, the sons of Italy, who by a spe-
cial Gispensation remain like laughing, care
free children from the cradle to the grave,
went at the grim business of winning a great
victory over the Austrans with hand gren-
AIDES and bayonets.
The most arduous part Of their task is done.
They have reached the Carso plateau. Now
there will be fighting on level ground, behind
Austria's most formidable stronghods, and
then the descent toward the Trieste Laibach
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