Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-11-11
SERBIAN CITY IS
REDUCED To RUIN
MONASTIR, FORMERLY A TOWN OF
FIFTY THOUSAND, is BATTERED
TO PIECES-''WORSE THAN YER.
Dun"

TO PIECES 'WORSE THAN YER
DUMP
M0NASTIR, Serbia, Nov. -(Staff
Correspondence of the Associated
Press) This martyred city of the
Serbs. under continuous bombardment
from the Bulgar batteries only two
miles away, was visited for the first
time today by civilian, on orders
issued by General Grosetti, command
er-in-chief on the Monastir front of
the Army of the Orient It is seldom
that a press dispatch goes from Ser
bia these days, for practically the
whole country has been swept clean
by the Austro-Bulgar hordes, and on
| ly this little corner in the south
west, retaken last November, is hold
ing out against the terrific lombard
ment.
1T is worse than Verduns said
Lieutenant Colonel Dose of the staff,
who was on General Petain's staff at
Verdun during the worst days.
Monastir lies in a cup-like hollow,
and by reason of its being on Serbian
soil it is the center of the bitterest
strife between Serb and Bulgar. 1t
was one of the last points abandoned
by the Serbs in their exodus before
the rush of the Austrians in 1915. The
Bulgars held it last year through Au-
gust. Then the new Serbian army,
reorganized, gave their first attention
to getting back this city. But their
newness was against them and they
were badly repullsed But in Octo-
Der the Serbs got their revenge, max
ing mass attack with the French
and Russian divisions.
The fight of Serb against Bulgar
was one of the bloodiest of the war.
1 The Serb took the strategic key of
Mount Reconsideration which today
marks the burying place of 10000
Bullgars. Monastir was again taken,
but the Austro- Bulgars still held on
only three miles north and west Of
the city. General Grosetti cleared
Nhem from the northern hills in a
brilliant attack last March, when the
famous Hill 1,24S was taken. But
they chung to the western hills, and
tlSere they are today raining down
their shells on the old Serbian town
1t used to have $4,000 population, :
now it has 5000 living in cellars.
Entering the street, through the
through the poor quarter, there were
kigns of life, despite the rumble of
the guns. Little girls ran along the
ilJ'eet with jars of water on their
heads, carrying fresh water to the
people imprisoned in the cellars. All
the shops were closed or abandoned
Many of the front walls were ripped
out, and the abandoned stock scat
tered about Almost every third
house was down-a mass of debris.
Those between were askew, with Il
cornice or wing blown off, or the up
per story torn out, or a huge round
hole in front showing where a shot
had cut through before exploding. A
tumbled down cafe showed several
men at the tables They take
chances" said Col. Dosse, but when
an explosion comes they scuttle to
the cellars"
The business section had lost all
semblance to streets with housse. 1t
Is one long stretch of blackened
heaps of debris, with jagged wall or
chimney sticking uD here and there.
! Besides the destruction, the killed,
scattered through the past summer,
runs into the hundreds. Shell fire
and falling walls have not been alone
in running up the death list, for the
Bulgars send a wave of aephyiating
gas every time the wind is favora-
BILE
The run from army headquarters
to Monastir gave the opportunity of
seeing the vast military preparation
on this front Four American ambu-
lance cars also were passed bringing
sick and wounded from the Monastir
front
The camp OF equipment and engl-
neering supplies stretches for four
miles along the route, with vast
stores of munitions and stores. trench
and railway material Soldiers. pris-
toner's, horses, mules and camels wete
sending up great clouds of dust, and
the nearby corn fields had turned
grey with the dust of this. legion OF