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Show PROGRESS OF THE WAR. The most brilliant and at the same-time same-time most surprising triumph sinco Rumania Ru-mania began hostilities was the victory vic-tory of the Germans and Bulgarians at Turtukai, on tho south bank of tho Danube, thirty-nino miles southeast of Bucharest. While the Ku manians struck ofK into the mountains of Transylvania Tran-sylvania the Germans am) Bulgars launched an offensive from the rear. They battered down the back door of Rumania, so to speak. A glance at the map will show that the German advance was made along a front of about 125 miles from the Black sea to Turtukai. The Bulgars held tho Black sea wing while the Germans and Bulgarians to the westward west-ward advanced on the center and on the extreme left at Turtukai. The Bulgars took tho norts nf RnlHt mj Kaliakri and the fortress of. Dobric, about twenty-five miles inland. At the center of the line the Germanic allies occupied Kurthunar and Akkadunlar on the road to the great fortress of Silis-tria Silis-tria on the Danube. At Turtukai (Tutrakan) the fighting continued for several" days. At this point the Rumanians had constructed powerful defenses around the older permanent per-manent defenses aud believed that they had established nu almost impregnable position with which to guard the pass-ago pass-ago of the Danube at the nearost point to Bucharest. How grievously they were mistaken the Teuto-Bulgariau army demonstrated in a 'brief period. Concentrating their heaviest forces in this region, the invaders drove back the Rumanian outposts and began to deluge the fortress with myriads of shells, for several days the Rumanians withstood the attacks and constantly-counter constantly-counter attacked so that, no doubt, both sides suffered heavy losses. Finally the invaders surged over the outer defenses while continuing to bombard bom-bard the inner. and permanent defenses. Tho garrison attempted to cross the river, but were effectually restrained by a barrier fire. Caught in a trap they surrendered their entire force and 100 guns. The Germans claim 20,000 prisoners taken at Turtukai, ..but this probably refers to all the operations in that region. The ability of the central empires to strike such a stiff blow from Bulgaria Bul-garia was a surprise to the Russians and Rumanians. The Russians were hastening has-tening southward while the battle at Turtukai was in progress. Indeed, their outposts had already come in contact with the Bulgarians in the Black sea regions, but they were unable to exert sufficient pressure to influence the results re-sults at the Danube bridgehead. It was not until after the fall of Turtukai that the Slavs were able to bring to bear the full weight of their military mili-tary preparations. They were handicapped handi-capped by the fact that they did not begin their march across Rumania until the government at Bucharest declared war on Austria-Hungary. Even at top speed, going by rail and by boat on the Black sea and the Danube, the Muscovites could not concentrate swiftly swift-ly enough to prevent the initial disasters disas-ters nloncr the T) m!nc rtf In the last few days the Russians have arrived in front of Dobric and a great battle is said to be in progress, although' no details are furnished. Berlin Ber-lin states that the Russians have been attacking for several days and that all the assaults have been repulsed. The Slavs appear to be operating with their naval forces against the Bulgarians, for their destroyers entered the harbor of Baltjik and destroyed many barges bearing food to the Bulgar forces at Dobric. All of the country invaded by the Germanic allies was under Bulgarian sovereignty until the Rumanians, with the consent of Russia, occupied it during dur-ing the second Balkan war when the Bulgarians were at war with the Greeks and Serbs. Up to date the invasion has extended no farther beyond the new frontier than twenty or twenty-five miles at most points, although in places a salient has been established thirty or forty miles within Rumanian territory. terri-tory. The strategic value of the invasion lies in the fact that the Germanic allies al-lies were able to strike a serious hlow before the enemy was prepared. The ground gained is not considerable and even the capture of tho bridgehead at Turtukai does not get the invaders across the Danube. Moreover, the fortress fort-ress of Silistria is a big obstacle to be overcome before the invasion enn amount to much. But once across the Danube the Germanic, allies would have in their grasp the termini of several railways centering in Bucharest. The Rumanians have gained a greater amount of territory than thev have lost. While the depth to which they have - . j penetrated into Transylvania is uneer-l uneer-l tain, they have advanced ail alor.g the j frontier of more than -1 ' ' 0 miles. They j have occupied tho cities of Kronst;i,it. Hennannsladr. and Orsova. The Aus-j Aus-j tro-f hingarian troops appear to have retreated wirhout much lighting, .save at Or.sova, which was the right flank of the new line they intended to lin.. They have lost this terminal and must rearrange their flank. In the Carpathians to the northwest j of Rumania the Russians have been making progress and are advancing in concert with the Rumanians to the south. Synchronizing with these movements move-ments the Russians began an oll'ensive in Galicia. They moved against ZIoc-zow, ZIoc-zow, thirty-seven miles east of Lem-berg; Lem-berg; Br.ezany, forty-six miles southeast, south-east, and IJalicz, sixty miles south. Imperially' Impe-rially' in the region of Haliez did tho Russians make gains. That city is held under Russian artillery fire and a few days ago was reported to ,bc in flames. In tho last two or three days the Teutons Teu-tons and Turks have been counter attacking, at-tacking, and as a result the Slavs have been checked temporarily. - In the Riga sector the Russians appear ap-pear to be on the offensive. They have crossed the Dvina river near Dviusk and have held their ground against violent vio-lent counter attacks. In the west the French anil English have made uew advances north and south- of the Somme. The English pushed eastward at Guillemont and Guinchy and came within a few yards of the defenses of Combles. To the south of the English the French pushed on rj-am Maurepas and took le Forest. On their right flank the French also gained, wearing down a salient which the Germans had niaintaiued in spite of the offensive begun in July. In this region the French have occupied several villages and a number of strong trench systems. The Serbians have assumed the offensive of-fensive near lake Ostrovo, northwest of Saloniki and have occupied a height held by the Bulgarians. In Albania the Italians have continued to occupy towns and villages east and southeast of Avlona, thus widening their sphere of operations. In Asia Jlinor the Russians Rus-sians and Turks appear to be fighting on about equal terms and a temporary deadlock has resulted. A fleet of Zeppelins, believed to be thirteen in number, raided the eastern and southeastern counties of England aud three of them penetrated as far as London. Two retreated, but a third made a determined attack under the direction of its commander, Captain Schramm. An English aviator, Lieutenant Lieu-tenant William Leefe Robinson of the Royal flying corps, assailed the Zeppelin with gunfire. To escape the crew of the Zeppelin sent out great clouds of smoke, but the birdman continued his attack amid the funics and succeeded in sending home a fatal shot. The airship air-ship took fire and the flames spread rapidly as the gas compartments exploded. ex-ploded. The crew sougiit to bring the Zeppelin safely to earth by turning the prow at a sharp angle downward, but though thetr regulated descent was swift it. was not as swift as the flames. In a few minutes the gas support had vanished and' the frame work dropped to the earth in a Loudon suburb. The bodies of the officer and crew were jiartly destroyed by the flames, but were taken out and given a military burial. |