Blaze in the Balkans

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 134, 24 October 1912, Page 5

Blaze in the Balkans

Battle of Kirk Kilissia The Bulgarians Badly Routed Servia Again Successful A Splendid Greek Triumph Some Horrible Turkish Atrocities

The principal item of interest in to-day's war news is the official report of the defeat of the Bulgarians w>th heavy losses at Kirk Kilissia, where severe fighting has been raging for several (lays, and also a serious' defeat of another branch of the Bulgarian army at Ivresna. The rout on both occasions appears to have been exceptionally decisive. On the other hand, the Servians, after advancing on the plains of Ivossovo, met the Turks in a severe engagement, in which they were successful, although there were heavy losses on both sides. In revenge for their defeat at Kirk Kilissia, tlie Bulgarians ambushed tho Turks in the Kresna Pass, and, Wowing up the bridge over the Sturma, routed them with heavy loss, capturing a large number of officers and men, as well as guns and munitions of war. The Greeks scored another brilliant victory at Diskola, where they met and defeated a large body of Turkish regulars, inflicting heavy losses. Further horrible atrocities on the part of the Turkish Army are reported, they having butchered 147 Bulgarian peasants in cold blood. Turkey is tempting Greece to withdraw from the Allies by an offer of the cession of Crete to her at the close of the war.

THE SERVIAN ADVANCE.

By Cable—Press Association —Copyright. Belgrade, October 22. The King and the headquarters staff have crossed the frontier. The patrols are approaching Kumanovo. It is rumored that the seventh infantry regiment was blown up by a contact mine at Buyanovitz. Many were injured. The third Servian army has advanced to the plain of Kossovo, where it was opposed by 40,000 men, chiefly Arnauts, with ten companies of Nizams and four batteries of artillery. Severe fighting followed, extending from Kaska to Velyaglava and the vicinity of Zenibazar. The losses on both sides were heavy. The Servians are operating from the i north. They have captured the blockhouses round Sienitza and a number of Turkish positions round Kumanova. A general attack on the town begins today. The troops advancing towards Prishtina were strongly opposed, the defence by the Turks, of the Tenehdol [Pass, being tenacious. The Servians captured the entrance to the Pass.

ADRIANOfLE IN DANGER. Sofia, October 22. Bulgaria protests that Kavarna was unfortified, and the bombardment was a flagrant violation of the Hague decisions. Two companies of infantry and a battery of mountain artillery attacked Tamraih. The Turks were without artillery, and abandoned three lines of defence, not waiting the bayonet. The Pomaks, Mahommedan Bulgarians, who were responsible for the massacre at Batak in 1006, meanwhile attacked the Bulgarians in the rear, killing a number. The Bulgarians retaliated by destroying Tamraih.

Sofia. October 22. There was a 3 l / 2 hours' bombardment of Kavarna, but the garrison of eleven soldiers, by a hot fire prevented the Turks from landing. Later, cruisers bombarded the Euxinograd barracks, and the monastery of St. Catherine. At Varna shells fell on the children's home and wherever the Red Cross flag was living, but only small damage was done. The Bulgarian forces are within six miles of Adrianople. VICTORY FOR THE GREEKS. • Athens, October 22. The Turks at Diskata are panic stricken, and are fleeing to Serfidge. The Greeks are pursuing. They captured a million cartridges, and have occupied the heights commanding Gruinbovo, and the heights of Xirovouni in Epirus. BOMBARDMENT OF VARNA. Bucharest, October 22. The Turks bombarded Varna on Monday. The shells did great damage. The inhabitants are terror-stricken and are fleeing to Roumania.

AWAITING THE SERVIANS. Salonika, October 22. , Zeki Pasha, with IO'O.OOO men, much artillery, and many machine guns, is in the Ivumanovo district awaiting the Servians. i RECRUITS FOR GREECE. Capetown, October 22. Three hundred Greeks are leaving for the seat of the war. The siun of £6OOO 1 has been collected to aid their cause. ALLEGED TURKISH ATROCITIES. Sofia. October 22. The Bulgarians took outside Djumaja, three field pieces, and 140 prisoners. They also captured Kirdjaali and a Turkish detachment. The war correspondent of the newspaper Mir declares that tlio Turks at Girueno, near Kochana, bade the Bulgarian peasants lie on the ground, and then shot 147 in cold blood.

TEMPTATION TO GREECE.

A SERIQUS REVERSE. Received 23, 9.50 p.m. Constantinople, October 23. It is officially stated that several thousand Bulgarians and irregulars in Djumaibala district, otherwise known as Jumaya, concentrated in the Krcsna Pass and burnt the villages to prevent a Turkish approach. The Turks surrounded the {Bulgarians and practically exterminated them.

OFFERED CESSION OF CRETE. London, October 22. The Morning Post's Vienna correspondent states that the Servians captured Podujevo barracks, losing three hundred killed, and the Turks six hundred. Renter states that Turkey has offered to yield Crete, and also to link up the Greco-Turkish railway, to induce Greece to withdraw from the Balkan alliance. RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT EPHESUS. Constantinople, October 22. A Smyrna bound train, conveying eight hundred troops, collided with a goods train at Ephcsus. Two hundred and fifty-two soldiers were killed and wounded. The silencing of the Varna forts is officially discredited. The fleet merely bombarded the barracks. By the collision at Ephesus, all the train staff, ard two hundred soldiers, were killed, and two hundred injured.

A BULGARIAN DEFEAT. HEAVY LOSSES AT KIRK KILISSIA. Received 23, 9.50 p.m. Constantinople, October 23. It is officially announced that the Bulgarians were defeated with heavy loss at Kirk Kilissia. THE FIGHT AT KIRK KILISSIA. IMPETUOUS TURKISH ASSAULT. Received 23, 10.15 p.m. Vienna. October 23. A Bulgarian column, larger than that at Mustafa, crossed the wooded mountains at Jamboli and Tirnova, and attacked Kirk Kilissia, apparently ati tempting to storm it instead of waiting for a siege with artillery. TRree forts were, out of date, owing to being too close to the town, but the field works recently thrown up formed a circle twelve miles around the town, including 120 guns. It is oflieially stated that the army at Kirk Kilissia advanced to the east of Tunja village and encountered the Bulgarians. Heavy fighting ensued. An impetuous Turkish assault captured the position, and there , were heavy Bulgar- , ian losses. The second Turkish column was successful in an encounter west of Ivalimandja. The fight was continuing at nightfall. The Turkish advance was irresisitible.

A largo, party of Ottoman Bulgarians, including a number of schoolmasters, have been removed from Adriariople to Constantinople, and will probably be sent to Asia Minor. THE MONTENEGRINS ACTIVE. BOMBARDMENT OF TARABOSCH. ' Received 23, 10.30 p.m. Podgoritza, October 23. King Nicholas has advanced his headquarters to Antivari. General Martinovic's infantry massed on the slopes of Tarabosch. Other infantry are carrying out a secret march on the roads. They blasted the mountains to allow of the passage, of the heavy artillery, which is mounted on the heights around Tarabosch. There was a bombardment lasting four hours, and the fort on the hill is poclc-marked by shell fire, General Larovitch, with the central Montenegrin army, is three hours' march

from Scutari. The Malissori are covering his left among the mountains. THE TURKS TRAPPED. A DISASTROUS AMBUSH. Received 23, 11.30 p.m. Sofia, October 23. A Turkish force, advancing to relieve Djumaibala, entered the Kresna Pass unaware. Two thousand insurgents, who were captured there, blew up the bridge over the Struma, .at the foot of the pass. Confusion followed, and many Turks were drowned. A thousand officers and men, three Krupp guns and one «u,ehine gun were captured.