Adrianople Carnage Worst Of The War.

New York Times 100 years ago today, March 31, 1913:
Allies Lost 30 Per Cent. of the Troops Engaged in the Final Assault.
POWERS TO ENFORCE DEMAND
Plan Naval Demonstration if Servia Does Not Yield Albania — Montenegro Defiant.
    BELGRADE, March 30.— The first trainload of wounded Servians arrived here today from Adrianople. The story told by the men shows that the fighting which preceded the capture of the city was the most terrible of the war. The Turks fought with the courage of despair, but the perseverance of the Servians and the excellent leadership of the commanders resulted in their gaining the day. Some of the men were severely wounded, but the majority are suffering only from slight bullet wounds.
    One of the wounded officers said: " The siege of Adrianople was an unbroken chain of suffering for the besiegers, which reached its highest degree during the bitter cold of January and February. The snow lay six feet deep, and the sentries died at their posts. The skin of every soldier was parched by the intense frost, while in the trenches the men had their feet cut by the sharp ice breaking every morning under their steps. They slept in mud and water, covered only by canvas, which was often blown away.
    "Some days dozens of men were frozen to death. There were snow plains for twenty miles around. No wood could be found, and even when it was brought fires were forbidden, so as not to betray our positions to the enemy."
    All the officers agree regarding the terrible losses sustained during the final attack. The Fourth Battalion of the Ninth Infantry lost 30 per cent. of its men, which was about the average for those regiments which attacked the important forts. The Turkish guns kept up a terrific fire, and the Servians made three attempts against Papa Stepe before they succeeded in taking that position, and then did so only at a tremendous cost of life from the fire of the Turkish machine guns Fort Topyolu was another hard nut to crack. When within 500 yards the Servians, who were accompanied by a Bulgarian regiment, met such a terrible fire, with mines exploding and men falling, that the Bulgars retired, leaving the Servians alone in the position.

Regiment Lost All Officers.
    The Servians again advanced at night, creeping like cats and preceded by hand-bomb throwers. The Turks did not discover them until the bomb throwers were upon the trenches. The Bulgarians then came up under command of a Sergeant, having lost all their commissioned officers, but again retired.
    After the fort had been taken the Turks repeatedly made counter-attacks, and with their machine guns inflicted heavy losses upon the invading forces.
    The press unfavorably discusses Russia's action in joining with the other powers in presenting a note to Servia and Montenegro with regard to Scutari and Albania. It was hoped until the last that Russia would withhold her support of the note.

    SOFIA, March 30.— Shukri Pasha, the Turkish commander at Adrianople, said to one of the officials accompanied him to Sofia: "I waited for the assault when we were at the end of our food. On the reduced rations we could have held out for twenty days at the most, according to the number or rations we distributed. I estimate the number of the garrison toward the end at 60,000."
    The transportation of the troops from Adrianople to the Tchatalja lines has begun.

    LONDON, March 31.— The correspondent of The Times who went to Adrianople after the fall of that city sends the following dispatch:
    "Complete order has been restored save in a few spasmodic cases, where fanatics have taken refuge in the house and fire upon the Bulgarians.
    "The bombardment, according to an eyewitness, was truly terrific, but the gunners remained at their posts until daylight Wednesday. The sustained and accurate fire forced the Turks to retire, and the fighting became general as soon as the Bulgarians came into the town, owing to the fact that the white flag was not hoisted on Shukri Pasha's headquarters, and the allies entered as captors of the town.
    "It is officially stated that 30,000 prisoners were taken and immense stores captured. The Turkish losses are estimated at 10,000. The Bulgarians lost 7,000, of whom 1,000 were killed."

Austria Is Losing Patience.
    The stubbornness of Montenegro in continuing the bombardment of Scutari, contrary to the wishes of the powers, and the dilatoriness of Servia in withdrawing her troops beyond the line decided upon as the frontier of the future Albania, will, if not overcome by more peaceful measures, lead to a demonstration and blockade of the Montenegrin coast and the ports of Albania occupied by Servia.
    Austria-Hungary is losing patience with her little neighbors, and is urging the powers to take action to enforce the demands contained in their notes to Servia and Montenegro. When the naval measures are taken, it is expected that this duty will be allotted to Great Britain, Italy, and Austria. Russia, although she joined in the collective diplomatic action, will not participate in the coercive steps. Servia has expressed her intention of complying with the powers' demand to evacuate Albania, but has made no movement in that direction, and the Austrian Government complains that instead of doing so she is sending more war material to that territory, probably under the idea that she will not be forced to leave until peace had been concluded.
    Austria, however, insists upon the immediate withdrawal of the Servians from the country which, under the powers' decision, cannot be Servia's, no matter what the result of the fighting is.
    The powers presented another note to the administration at Cettinje to-day notifying Montenegro of Turkey's consent to the departure of the civilian population from Scutari and announcing that a representative of the powers would take the news to Essad Pasha, the Turkish commander there. The Minister who received the note said that he would have to submit it to the Cabinet, but it is learned from an authoritative source that Montenegro will not agree to the proposal.
    A Vienna dispatch to The Daily Mail says: "Austria has three army corps on the Herzegovinan frontier ready to enter Montenegro should the pressure from the powers, which it is intended to repeat and intensify, be ineffectual."

Bulgars Suffer a Repulse.
    A Hademkeui dispatch to The Daily Chronicle, describing the fight at Biyuk Chekmedye, says that the Bulgarians hurled 20,000 men against the Turkish advanced position, and during the darkness carried it with the bayonet, the Turks retiring upon their main position. At daylight the Turks bombarded the captured position and prevented the Bulgarians from entrenching. Subsequently the Turks delivered a counter attack, 6,000 infantry storming the position with the bayonet.
    After toiling up the muddy slopes the Turks flung themselves upon the Bulgarians and a desperate bayonet fight ensued. The Bulgarians were driven out of the position down the slope on the opposite side.
    The Bulgar attack on the west wing near Tchatalja was also repulsed.

    CONSTANTINOPLE, March 30.— The fall of Adrianople has created a feeling of the deepest dejection in all sections, which lias tended to increase the unpopularity of the Government.
    The fall of Adrianople has created a feeling of the deepest dejection in all sections, which has tended to increase the unpopularity of the Government.
    The British Vice Consul at Adrianople sends a message that all the Consuls and foreign communities are safe and well. His report says that the Bulgarians took only 15,000 prisoners, the rest of the garrison being in hiding.

Montenegrins Press the Attack.
    CETTINJE, March 30.— Since yesterday the Montenegrin artillery on the main front before Scutari has been developing great activity. The Turkish positions in the plain before the town have been heavily bombarded, and the Turks have been driven from their intrenchments near the River Kir by the persistent fire.

    ATHENS, March 30.— Immediately after the funeral of the late King George, which will take place on Wednesday, King Constantine will go to Salonika and remain there until peace has been declared. As in the case of King George, King Constantine's presence may be taken as a notification to Bulgaria that Greece intends to hold Salonika as part of her spoils of war.