Eastern Campaign

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 153, 24 November 1914, Page 5

Eastern Campaign

INSTERBURG PANICSTRICKEN. PItZEMYSL OFFERS TO SURRENDER. THE TERMS REFUSED. Received 23, 7 p.m. Rome, November 22. The Tribune announces that 40,000 East Prussian fugitives have arrived at Insterburg, where the entire population bectiri e panic-stricken, is prepaiing to fly. l It is stated that the Austrian commander of Przemysl offered to surrender on condition that the garrison was left at liberty. The Russians refused. Four Austrian Army Corps which escaped from the battle of the San are now at Przemysl.

THE SIEGE OF CRACOW. AUSTRIAN RETREAT CUT OFF. Rome, November 22. The military governor of Cracow has expelled the civilian population. Fifty thousand Poles have fled in all directions. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Paris, November 22. Le Matin is informed that the' Russians are cutting off the retreat of the Austrians in Hungary, and 80,000 run the risk of becoming prisoners. Budapest is alarmed because it will be unable afterwards to resist invasion. CHOLERA-STRICKEN PREZEMYSL. THE GARRISON DECIMATED BY DISEASE. SIEGE BY EXHAUSTION. Received 23, 10.10 p.m. Rome, November 22.

The defenders of Przemysl arc decimated by cholera. The victims are buried in quicklime in huge pits on the outskirts of the town. The epidemic necessitated the destruction of a great amount of provisions. The Russians are exhausting the garrison prior to the final nssault, possibly on the day of the Feast of St. Nicholas, on Gth .December. The garrison, by t.wo desperate sorties, reached the main body of the Russians seven miles from the city, but when they found they were between cross-fires the; were obliged to retreat.

A correspondent of the Zeitung Am Mittag, who entered Przemysl after a four days' motor ride over unspeakable roads, learned the story of the siege of that place. The first shots were fired on September IS, the city was surrounded on September 20, and an unbroken bombardment, with many desperate sorties, ensued until October 2, when the, Russians sent a white flag and demanded the city's surrender. IThis was refused.

The attack reached its height on October 5. The Russians seemed utterly contemptuous of death, and stormed again and again. Thev seem to have learned much from the Japanese war, for they attacked with great skill. The men wpre especially trained for fortress work. Hills of corpses outside of the works testify to the furious attacks they made. The Austrians estimate that 40,000 men fell, and many prisoners have been taken. The Russians succeeded in carrying temporarily one of the outlying works. Eleven battalions succeeded in approaching the works without being detected, lieeause of damage to the searchlight, and suddenly mounted the walls. The garrison retired to the casemates, from which they defended themselves with machine-guns and rifles. The Russians forced their way to the casemates, and a hand-to-hand struggle with bayonets, gun butts, and hand grenades ensued. When reinforcements, which had been hastily telephoned for, arrived, the attacking party was. alTcaily retiring, leaving 300 dead and wounded in the casemates, and 150 corpses on the wall. The Russians were still in contact with the. fortress, on one side, and cannonading was in progress when the correspondent left. Rockets, light shells, and searchlights illuminated the land before the fortress, and the night was made as bright as day. It was a majestic sight, says the correspondent, as the troops marched through this light zone. —San Francisco Chronicle.

SUPREME DETERMINATIONTHE RUSSIANS GAIN PARTIiAL SUCCESSES. AtTKTBTANR EVACUATE NEWSANDEC. Received 23, !),40 p.m. Petrograd, November 22. Official: Fighting on the Vistula and Warta continues'with supreme determination. We gained partial successes, and captured 2(100 prisoners and several quick-firers. On tlie Czenstoehowa-Crneow front we forced the Austrians to evacuate Newssindee.

AT JAROSLAV. •Taroslav, the first big town oil this route. is now entirely in tlie hands of the Russians, and seems a worthy recompense for their efforts. It appears tliat as soon as our forces approached the town with their unexampled impetuosity and the first shots were fired, SO,1)00 Austrians were seized by mad pnnie, flung down everything they had, and positively galloped a-wav. - At present all the spare room in the fortress is crammed with our trophies. There are several broad ramparts of the height of a man covered with black tarpaulin, and here arc heaped up piles of high-explosive shells and charged shrapnels, stacks of rifles, and mountains of packets, each containing two cartridge clips. The rifles are excellent. Though they are somewhat heavier than ours, the breech mechanism works very smoothly, so that they can be tired with great rapidity. In .Jaroslav, which is a bright, clean town, picturesquely situated on the left bank of the Sail, life. is now quite normal. Tim population is very well disposed, and regards the Russian administration with confidence, if not, indeed, with delight. Beyond Jaroslav all is I once more devastation and ruin. Hero are no passable road- m ] fn fr-n-nl fr,,..