THE WAR IN THE EAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2252, 29 April 1897, Page 15

THE WAR IN THE EAST.

TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER OF GREEKS.

Athens, April 19. Two thousand Greek troops are approaching Pt-evesa by land. Four Greek gunboais are attacking Salakhura. a Turkish town on the north eboie of the Gulf of Aita. The Greeks repulsed si fresh attack upon Analipeis. Tha Greek ironclad Spetsia assisted a flotilla of gunboats inside the strait in bombarding Prevesa with so much effect that the town is now in ashe?. Two Turkish shore batteries have been silenced, but a third, ccramandirig th<3 town of Arts, is still replying to the lire of the fleer. After two days' desperate fighting the Turks captured the wholo cf the Milun?. Pass. The losses were enormous. Furious figbtirjg is going on round tho Gulf of Arta. Daaperate hand-to-hand fighting between the Turks and the Greeks fit Giveni, on the northern frontier, resulted in the repolee o£ the Turks. The Greeks are attackicg Vigalia, and have caotured cne battery. The Grecian foices are also invading Epirus afc several points. / Many shells fired by tbe Turkish artillery during the recent hat 1 lea failed to explode. The t Greek invgulars are menacing the. Salonica railway with a view co blocking Die arrival o£ Turkish reinforcements from OonStantinople. Later reports show that the fi.gbfirg in the ■vicinity oP Gaveni proved disastrous to the Greeks. Tha Tuiks eventually repelled the attack on Vigalia, and captured one the G.ecian batteries. The Turkish forces are now, in turn, inTading districts in Epiru3 held by the Greeks. April 20. Further particulars of the battle at Maluna Pass state that the struggle was fierce and stubborn. The Turkp, commanded by Edhem Pasha in person, slowly gained the heights and occupied the chief defiles of the pas?. They fonghfc with great decision. The artillery, under R"zi Pasha, fired with remarkable accuracy at a range of 900 yds. Tbe whole pass rang with the roar of artillery and the continuous firing of infantry. The men calmly replaced their dead comrades and faced the showers of bullets. Edhem remained gravely impassive, and received the reporfcfi of his generals ac to the state of the battle on scraps of blood-stained paper. Th 9 hilltops and northern side of tha pass are strewn with dead Greeks Fearing an extension of the battle to ElasEona in Thessaly, the residents of that town took to flight. The victory gained by the Turks at Malnna gives them command of the road leading to tbe Greek headquarters. FightiLg at Karya contiaues, and 200 Turks and 1000 Greeks have already been killed. The armies are eugßging each other from opposite hillsides, and the artillery fire is especially heavy. Beportß from Elassona state that fighting has commenced afc Janina, in Albania. A fierce struggle at D-imasin ended in the defeat of the Turkp. The Greeks oho repulsed the Turks at Negeros, on the northeastern frontier. Tha fall of Prevesa is believed to be imminent. The residents of Arts, fearing that the tc wa will be bombarded by the Greek fleet, have fled to the country. The Porte has declared the Gulf of Arta blockaded. In the battle fought at Oritzvali tho Greeks firßt repulsed the Turks, but afterwards retreated to Mati. The Turks captured the heights of Skumpa. The Greeks have captured five Turkish blockhouses at Nezsro. Heavy fighting has taken place on tbe Bogozi River. The Greeks are returning to Malnna Pas 3. The Turks allege that the Greeks were drunk while fighting was going on. The Turkish Governor of Crete has caused the island to be placarded allowing the Greek troops 15 days to depart. The Gresks have recaptured Grit6ovali, in tbe vicinity of the Maluna Pass. The Turks renewed the attack on the Eaveni Pass and penetrated the entrenchments for a distance of 100 yards. The Greeks offered desperate resistance, and tbe fighting was of the bitterest character, the carnage being fearful. The Dake of Sparta, who at the outbreak of hostilities went to the front to assume command of the Greek forces, has returned to Laris3a, the chief town of Thessaly. The Turks are now bombarding Tirnovo, In Macedonia. Latest reports from the front state that the Greeks are in full retreat on Larissa, pursued by the Turks. They are suffering terribly from tbe heavy artillery fire directed upon them by the pursuers.

| The Turkish soldiers are highly elated at ■ their successes, and are singing and laughing ' like children. | The Greek National League irregulars are i in the neighbourhood of Silonicß. i The bombardment of Arta by Turkish batteries caused great destruction, and half the town is in ruins. ' Following tbe Turkish notification thnt tha Greek forces were allowed 15 days in which to leavo Crete, the Greek Government have asked the Powers to withdraw tbeir ! forces from tho island.