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Show TERRIFIC FIRE . OFJTALIARS Milan, Aug. S. News from the Italian Ital-ian front has caused general rejoicing) here. I have not seen Milan so cheer-j ful and happy in a long time The citizens citi-zens everywhere are happy because Italy has Joined in the great advance of the allies. Her guns arc booming on the Isonzo as an echo of the great Russian offensive. There was a unison uni-son of attack on tho Dniester and Isonzo which meant defeat for the Austrians in both places. The Italian offensive began on August Aug-ust 4 with a vigorous action directed mainly against two points. Pierta and Rossa, on a rocky ledge about two miles southeast of Monfalcone, and an attack extending from Monte Cosich to the rocky spurs about the valley of the Seltz. The Italian batteries opened a terrific bombardment along the en. tire lino and for a good distance beyond be-yond along the Isonzo front. Under cover of this hail of shells, which staggered the Austrians, the Italian infantry charged with superb elan and captured one after another ther first and second systems of defense. de-fense. At first the Austrians made a great resistance, but afterward were seized with panic and fled, aoan. doning a large number of rifles, machine ma-chine guns, cannon and munitions. The fighting was most violent before Gorizia and in the Monfalcone section. A number of Hungarian and Croatian units refusing to surrender, were surrounded, sur-rounded, while the bulk of the Italian forces continued their advance. Bis-soolati, Bis-soolati, civil commissary for war, was present during the action'. Prisoners are continuing to come In by tho thousands. The operation is in pro. gress on a front of sixty-two miles. The Secolo gives a graphic description descrip-tion of the opening action from a correspondent cor-respondent at the front. It says: "The Italian artillery at 7 o'clock in the morning opened fire all along the line from Monfalcone to Palva. The ground was pulverized by Bhells which fell thick and fast, blowing rocks asunder, demolishing many trenches and dugouts, tearing wire defenses and belaboring entire mountainsides with a cyclone of convulsive explosions. explo-sions. 1 "This time it was titantic more concentrated, more violent and per-Blstent per-Blstent than ever, aB if the Italian ar. tillery had learned Its lesson from the , .iSLB batterIes on the Somme. The defenses changed outline and I gradually vanished. PHe8 of shattered shat-tered rocks formed in the ravines and gullies below, with Jumble of barbed ilift lS "d trees' as thoueh an earthquake m successive waves was passing." |