A DESPERATE BATTLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3683, 19 November 1912, Page 5

A DESPERATE BATTLE.

THE ASSAULT ON TCHATALDJA.

TREMENDOUS DUEL OF BIG GUNS.

POWERS' WARSHIPS STANDINC BY.

OTTO A 1 AN LINES INFESTED

WITH FEVER,

A HARROWING STORY

[UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT] (Received Nov. 8, > 5 pin , v CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 18. the Bulgarians began a general attack on Tchataldja this morning, wbjY rL a heavy cannonade was heard. lho foreign warships have lauded bluejackets to guard the streets leading to Porn. Though the Bulgarians have been firing shrapnel daily the attack on Tchataldja was delivered at 3 o’clock (Sunday morning. -Six British torpedo boats and gunboats were lying close to Bsynk and Ghedmedje ready to shell the“ Bulgarians if they attempted to cross the shallow lake. The artillery duel has boon continued all day. Nazim Pasha, reports that he has repulsed the centre and left attacks and has destroyed three Bulgarian batteries. Military precautions liavo been taken and the city is posted. Mussulman refugees are arriving at 1 the Bosphorus villages from the firing line. The Ambassadors met at the Austrian Embassy and discussed safety measures. A thousand cases of cholera are reported at Tchataldja daily. Tlie mortality is 50 per cent. Numberless cholera-stricken soldiers no moaning in tho trenches. Alrioza Pasha (commander of the First _ Army Corps) is affected with the disease and is in a hopeless condition. Thousands of sick and hundreds of dead are lying on the station platform . Three thousand cholera patients remained in the railway carriages at San Stefa no for 2-1 hours foodless and waterless pending a. decision as to their destination. Ultimately they were sent to a quarantine station. It is regarded as impossible for the Bulgari ans to occupy the Turkish lines for fear of infection.

“TIMES” CORRESPONDENT’S STORY.

BULGARIANS UP AGAINST TOUCH PROPOSITION.

TURKISH ARTILLERY WELL

PLACED

(Received Nov 18. 9.40 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 18. The ‘‘Times” correspondent at Tchataldja states that tho position of the Bulgarian artillery is less advantageous than that of the Turkish. The black background of the hills disclosed the. flash of the Bulgarian batteries, which wore-soon unmasked. The Bulgarians also threw their shells.too high and Turkish casualties are slight. A Turkish warship has joined in the duel', and is firing heayy broadsides, capping the Bulgarian right with great pillars of spurting mud. The fire is the heaviest artillery combat since the Japanese pounded Grekoff’s rearguards at Lio Yang. Small groups of Bulgarian infantry dribbled loosely but gallantly forward, hut the Turks’ guns found them nicely and the movement failed. The Turkish machine guns stifled a smaller movement in the direction of the Hemodieh forts.

WHAT THE OFFICIAIS THINK.

PEACE URGED AT ANY PRICE. SPIRIT OF FATALISM IN THE CAPITAL.

CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 17. A spirit of fatalism prevails in Constantinople. All officials 1 arc apparently resigned to the idea that European Turkey, including Rouvnania, is hopelessly lost. Nevertheless, troops arc still being ordered te the front, and frantic efforts are being made to reorganise the army, with a view to better terms of peace. Nazi in Pasha, is urging peace at any price, in the solo hope of saving Constantinople from the presence of invaders.

All the correspondents are agreed that no atrocities marked) the, Turkish retreat. Villages were only burned when necessary to prevent the enemy finding provisions and shelter. Excited crowds occupy the housetops, listening t-o the firing, which is audible, throughout the city. Turkish warships were engaged a ! i Saturday shelling Bulgarian detachments along the coast of the Sea of Marmora.

Refugees state that a portion of Rodosto has been destroyed by fire. A largo number of cholera have been placed m a mosque at St. Sophia, and surrounded ly an army cordon.

MONTENEGRINS OCCUPY SAN GIOVANNI.

THE SALONIKA EXPLOSION

(Received N-ov. 18, 5.5 p.m.)

' ■« LONDON, Nov. 18. Cettinje reports that the Montenegrins' have occupied San Giovanni.

■ The explosion at Salonika killed 312 Turkish prisoners and injured 430. It is believed to he an act of vengeance on the part of two Bulgarian band leaders—Sanda.sky and Mendjoff - —for Turks destroying their bands. All the houses in the vicinity of Salonika magazine were destroyed. . The magazine contained Servian am-' munition. A shell exploded in the magazine of the van of Martinivitch. The Montenegrins are closing in on Scutari. There was a severe fight before reaching San Giovanni, and Montenegrin losses were heavy. The Turks fled towards Alessio.

THE QUESTION OF CUNS.

GERMAN NEWSPAPER NETTLE!)

BERLIN, Nov. 17. The ‘‘Cologne Gazette,” which is nettled at the suggestion that the Krupp (German) guns are inferior to the Creusot (French) guns, states that the Bulgarians are careful to use French powder.

NIPPED IN THE BUD.

PLOT TO FORM TURKISH REPUBLIC. WELL-KNOWN YOUNG TURKS IMPLICATED.

(Received Nov. 18 9.40 p.m.) CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 18. It is reported that there have been 200 arrests "in connection with a plot to create a Republic under ShevketPasha. The arrests include Tabaat Bey. r aptain Dgampoulat and several Young Turk ex-Deputies. One of the latter mortally wounded a policeman and was thereupon eourtmartialled and sentenced to death. • Several were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. Djavid Bey escaped aboard a Russian vessel.

AGAINST WAR. INTERNATIONA L SOCIALIST DEMONSTRATIONS.

(Received Nov. 18, 9.40 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 18

An International Socialist demonstration was held in London, Paris and Berlin against war. The London meeting shouted Mr Barnes down and characterised him as a “Labor joker” and asked him “who said workers?” Air Ramsay MacDonald addressed the gathering and said Europe had failed to. impose peace on the Balkans which might have been done. Therefore the workers would not prevent the allies from taking advantage of theh liberty they had won.