THE CARPATHIAN FIGHTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 243, 23 March 1915, Page 7

THE CARPATHIAN FIGHTING.

STRUGGLES WITH WOLVES AND BEARS.

Francis llohair (the Hungarian playwright, author of "The Devil,") who is acting as war correspondent of the Az Est, has contributed to that journal a vivid account of the fighting in the Carpathians. He describes the taking of an ancient fortress i now a ruin but with walls Oft thick, built on a slope one thousand feet high, and thus giving excellent positions for mountain batteries and machine-guns. There are dozens of such picturesque and romantic ruins in the Carpathians, erected by the nobles as a defence against the Poles and German or Slavonic vagabondising tribes, who broke iu whenever they were moved by the desire to rob and plunder. One of these ruins, says the report, was liehl by three companies of infantry and a mountain battery. The small force held the place for two weeks against the Russians, who were put to terrible trouble thereby, for they could not pass on the road below. The Austrians dug themselves in around the ancient walls. They were subjected to a terrific bombardment for a fortnight, and the walls_ which had withstood the attack of Turk and Tartar, melted away like snow under the Russian artillery fire. Tiie trenches around them stooil the storm, but not the walls. Nevertheless, it took three regiments to dislodge this small force from their snow-bound entrenchment up in the fortress. "The reason why we lost bo many prisoners in the Carpathians," continues the report, "is because such detachments as tne one I mentioned above, who were lioldin<i certain points, had no chance of gating away when at 'aet surrounded or reached bv a considerably larger force—and this always had to be large. Retreating from a height through shining white snow_ with the enemy behind you on top, plunging knee deep in snow, and every dark figure an excellent target, is certain death. When these detachments were caught, they, had 110 choice but surrender. And they eould do it with a good conscience for they must has accounted for live times as many of the enemy." In a report on the fighting in the .Carpathians an amusing story is told by the correspondent of another Hungarian paper. The opposing trenches at one place were on two hillsides, some four hundred yards apart. One morning a Russian snipuer 'nuMcn among tile bushes came out with a loud yell, and on both sides the soldiers began to peep out to see what the trouble was. They beheld an enormous black bear slouching along midway in the valley. The business of war was forgotten, and, creeping up from the trenches Austrians and Russians sent a volley after the unfortunate bear. Hit by several bullets, it stumbled and fell. As soon as it was dark, some Austrians went out to fetch the bear ill. but when they got to the spot they found that the Russians had been there before them.

There are a large number of boars and park* of wolves, especially in tlie southeastern ranges of the mountains, and very often the advance guards or reconnoitring parties have to fight for their lives with these ferocious beasts, who, driven by hunger and made furious by the sound of cannonading. ave ready to attack any number of men.

In the northern Carpathians, there are some regions rich in ice-caverns, with icicles liaiifji n#r from (he roofs as big as a man, the walls white like Carrara marble. Fantasticnly-shnped large halls anil smaller spaces open into one another, and the floors are smooth and so slippcrv that one cannot walk in them in ordinary boots. A Avar correspondent mentions flint. a company of infantry had to spend five days and nights in one Of these ice-caverns, the enemy being unaware of its existence, though camping onlv some two hundred y;\rds away from the owning. At last, not being able to hold out, anv longer, the cold and damp being unbearable, they deeded to draw the attention of the Russians to the plncc, They fired a few sin's, ami were at once detected. The Russians rushed the cavern, but could only -"Mite!' one by one_ and were either killed or taken prisoners. This company took 400 prisoners, and. dispersing the rest of the llussian.s. they were able to leave the "tomb of iee." Tf. can tlvs be easily imagined what ditilcultie; Ihe liu=-, : nn Army »hsi3 to overcome ill order In make an ad'.ar.ee against such resistance in such a country. It is simply guerrilla warfare on immense scale, i~>nv hundred thousasg meg to conduct it.