AUSTRIAN LOSSES ASSUMING COLOSSAL PROPORTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15717, 18 September 1914, Page 5

AUSTRIAN LOSSES ASSUMING COLOSSAL PROPORTIONS.

CASUALTIES ESTIMATED AT A QUARTER OF A MILLION I RUSSIANS TAKE HUNDRED THOUSAND PRISONERS.

ROADS BLOCKED WITH ABANDONED MATERIAL OF WAR.

'Received September 17, 5.50 re.)

Petrograd, September 16. A semi-official statement says that it is difficult to estimate correctly the Austrian losses, which are assuming colossal proportions. It is believed that 250,000 have been killed and wounded, and 100,000 taken prisoners.

Everywhere roads arc blocked with artillery and* parts of transport columns that have been abandoned in the Austrians' hurried flight. Several steamers and a gunboat on the Vistula have been destroyed.

Advices from Rome state that 60,000 wounded have reached Vienna, where there is an insufficiency of doctors and medical appl.ances.

ROUT OF THE ENEMY IN GALICIA COMPLETE.

GERMANS FAIL TO SAVE THE AUSTRIAN ARMY

Wellington, September 17.

The High Commissioner reports from London on September 16: — " Russian official sources state that the rout of the Austrian army in Galicia is complete, though full details have not yet been received. The Austrian losses since the taking of Lemberg are estimated at 250,000 killed and wounded, 100,000 prisoners, and 400 guns. Many colours and vast quantities of stores were also taken.

" The Germans made desperate efforts to save the Austrian army, but failed completely. At one point the Germans lost 36 pieces of heavy artillery, and at another several dozen pieces of siege artillery."'