Show MEN 0 WAR STEAL SOLDIERS FROM ENEMY United Press Correspondence NEW YORK Feb 12 An An eye witness witness witness' witness witness' wit wit- ness' ness story of how great bl black Ck hulks of ships stole into Suvia bay and crept away with nearly men from rom under the noses of the Turkish guns on Gallipoli peninsula I Is told in ina ina ina a letter brought here today by an English soldier arriving on the Red lIed Star line Our problem says the latter was this to remove from to men guns guns' yaS wagons ns motors horses and thirty-one thirty days' days stores from positions which were continually under fire ire of the enemy We had to tn P embark em em- bark from three or or four beaches belches w exposed exposed ex- ex posed to shell fire and andopen open to the sea completely General Hamilton pu put down his probable casualties at 60 50 per cent of his men It was done without ESS single casualty other than three men one killed and five wounded The evacuation had to tn take place without the enemy guessing that anything any any- ny thing unusual was happening it was as also absolutely necessary necessary that the sea be calm caIrn which s seemed emed impossible hope for as it was late S in December to The first fortnight was spent in I getting off at night and getting the horses stores and guns away Day Dav after atter day and night after night all aU was calm and still sUll but as the moon rose and the nights got lighter it seemed Impossible that the Turks on the hills hUls five miles away could fail to see the ships that stole in after dark to steal away again with great cargoes tues of men and guns During the day things went on as usual there being no infantry attack but hut continual artillery duels In which the two covering battleships took part parl When the last week came the number of men was reduced to the I completely fit all aU the men not j in full health having been removed Large I quantities s of empty boxes were piled plIed I up in conspicuous places and the po made to look as if we expected to stay there all winter On December 13 frequent consultations consultations con con- were held between the generals The night be began gaIt to be bevery bevery bevery very busy The Turks became n much more vigorous and shelled our trenches and the beaches continuously all day but hut fortunately DO not a at all at night They got some heavy howitzers in position behind the hills and they caused us considerable anxiety To help us knock them o out t the moon oon came out but the moist winds kent the clouds very low v and w we could couldn't t tsee see On Thursday the wind changed to the north and freshened On Friday the wind swung again to the south and gradually died away and in the evenIng evenIng even- even Ing lag there came up a thick fog under which the last of of the wagons and the motors were removed leaving only five days' days rations and ammunition men and a few guns Saturday passed quietly and n that t evening we we went to action stations The ship was cleared and fixed with witha a stern anchor broadside to the Turk ish position every gun trained and In readiness to support and prevent a Tur Turkish attack In force on our weak ened line By 7 o'clock the first big transport was in and the embarkation lon begun In absolute silence it continued all aU night The moon was thre three quarters quarters full the night clear but the Turks never moved and as the dawn broke and the last transport slunk away one ventured almost to breathe All Sunday we continued at our station No church no inspection But the day wore on and still the Turks made no sign They shelled the tile beaches as usual and they also shelled a low hill from which every gun and every man had been re reo re- re moved It seemed almost impossible that they could still be he in ignorance of what was going on under their noses hoses The sun went down and with it the wind till the moon rose on a sea flat and oily and raised a slight mist which hung low on the water vater The transport came in again and the tile last men began to leave It If was arranged that the firing line of trenches should be evacuated at a. a m. m the men leaving behind traps and mines with trip wires au bomb throwers and candles and slow matches primed to imitate desultory rifle rine fire The hour of came then and still no sign We wondered where their patrols were and why they had not discovered that the trenches facing them were empty At the last companies were down to the beaches The engineers remained to destroy the stores which could not note he be e removed J Just st before 4 the first fire was started and rapidly spread a mass of leaping flames casting a glo glow of red over oyer the heavens and lighting up the tIO whole sea Still the Turks never moved It was as they had been smitten with blindness as Elisha smote the Syrian About a large motor lighter that had been wrecked some weeks previously and had defied all attempts to was blown up with a tel ter terrific ter- ter rifle report But It was not until dawn rosy fingered was heralding the tile day that the Turks opened fire They rhey shelled the empty trenches and the vacated beaches and drove their heavy explosive shells Into the flaming piles We then opened fire on everything we had left behind sunken behind sunken lighters and ships and ships and it was unique that we and the tue enemy were both hoth shelling the tile same objects obJects Soon they turned their attention to us but hut their shooting was Vas very wild and theY never got within yards of ofUS ofus ofus us and we left them still frantically shelling nothing As we sailed away the glow of the fires tires was still sUll visible and with our departure there came up a southerly gale which was soon ing lug huge seas before us into the little bay |