Show CAPTURE FORTRESS stronghold OF FALLS AFTER FIVE DAYS OF FURIOUS FIGHTING thousands of turks taken prisoners when fortress fell and great stores of munitions are captured by russians london led by grand duke nicholas the russian array army ol of the caucasus has captured the great turkish fortress of Erz erum in east asia minor the following official statement was riven oven put wednesday night in petro crad grand duke nicholas has telegraphed grai phed to the emperor as follows god has granted to the brave troops of the army of the caucasus such great he hea that has been taken after uve five days of url unprecedented assaults 1 1 I axa am inexpressibly happy to announce this victory to your imperial majesty thousands of turks were taken prisoners sone when the fortress tell lell and great stores of munitions and supplies tell fell into the hands of the victorious troops it Is believed the blow Is the most serious yet struck at turkey early relief of the british forces operating in mesopotamia including the garrison ol of rut kut el amara is predicted the f tall of 0 is expected to open the way for a huge advance by the russians through eastern armenia in the spring constantinople itself might hel bet imperiled dy by this drive it Is sald said tho the russians hope to bring turkey to her knees more than turkish troops were locked up in with the investment of the fortress according to 10 some dispatches two noted german soldiers field marshals von der goltz and limon von sanders have recently been reported at Erz erum it ts Is not ant yet known whether they escaped but they probably directed operations from another vantage point boint the russian campaign was alleged in military history the ad vance was pressed across a bleak and rugged country over mountains and through narrow defiles in arctic cold russian official reports state that at places teh soldiers fought their advance through snow fifteen feet deep the italians are stul still using their guns gulls and aad infantry in attempts to retake from the austro hungarland hungarians the positions recently captured on monte non nonfood Ro afoon foon but all attempts have been rl repulsed pulsed with heavy losses according to vienna |