Close In On Adrianople.

New York Times 100 years ago today, November 6, 1912:
Continued Bulgar Successes — Correspondents Semi-Prisoners.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Wednesday, Nov. 6.— The Bulgarians are closing in on Adrianople. Some details of the siege are given in a dispatch to The Times, dated Mustapha-Pasha, Oct. 31, which says:
    "Within a few kilometers and in full sight of Adrianople from the last hill overlooking the valley of the Maritza, the whole theatre of operations is spread out. There has been no assault, yet Tuesday's cannonade meant that Yurush had been taken by the Bulgarians.
    "The Turks from Tarash Fort attempted to dislodge the Bulgarians, but failed. The Bulgarians are massing on the slopes around Adrianople, whence it appears that the town lies as in the hollow of a hand. The road to the south is filled with a continuous procession of men, siege guns, Howitzers, and ox-wagons, which diverge into the hilly ground when nearing Adrianople.
    "Troops are crossing the Maritza at two places. A captive balloon hovers high up, and aeroplanes soar out from Mustapha-Pasha. The weather is perfect for transport. A brilliant sun lights up the white minarets and houses of the city around which the deadly cordon is drawing in.
    "Late in the evening, on the way home, a fierce glare from several burning villages lit up the valley, and a searchlight from Adrianople kept sweeping over it.
    "As I returned, a little procession of ox wagons filled with wounded, accompanied by men on foot, with bandaged hands, arms, and heads, was entering Mustapha-Pasha.
    "The censor allows no details of the fighting to be sent."
    In another dispatch of the same date the same correspondent says:
    "Another severe engagement took place yesterday near Adrianople. The Turks endeavored to occupy a neighboring height on which the Bulgarians had not take up a position. They succeeded in bringing up several battalions of infantry supported by artillery and opened a sustained fire. The Bulgarians attacked and dislodged the enemy, who retired.
    "The battle on the 29th, when the Turks attempted to break through the besieging forces, lasted all day, and was a sanguinary conflict. The Turks, whose strength amounted to about 20,000 men, were massed on both banks of the River Maritza. Numerous charges and countercharges with the bayonet took place on the left bank and heavy casualties resulted on both sides. Finally the Bulgarians made a violent general bayonet charge, completely arresting the Turkish movement. "The enemy abandoned their positions one after the other and retired within their lines, supported by their artillery. The Bulgarians did not follow up the pursuit. The battlefield was strewn with killed and wounded. A military balloon rendered important services to the Bulgarians during the engagement."
    The Times's correspondent appears to have been exceptionally lucky. Other correspondents at Mustapha-Pasha are occasionally taken out under Bulgarian escort with the military attachés and are allowed to make a rapid visit to some position, and are then sent back, one of them says.
    "No news is communicated to us, and thus we find ourselves more in the dark regarding the development of events than if we had never left Sofia."
    Another correspondent says: "We are kept within a mile of Mustapha. Several of us broke bounds yesterday and accidentally witnessed a portion of the operations. We were warned that a repetition would mean expulsion, and we are not allowed to send reports of what we saw."
    Bennet Burleigh, one of the unlucky semi-prisoners at Mustapha-Pasha, mentions that the Bulgarians march singing military choruses. One of them, "My Motherland," has something of the ring of "Maryland," and the effect is grand as it is sung by marching thousands of bearded men.