Adrianople Won By The Allies.

New York Times 100 years ago today, March 27, 1913:
Fortress Is Stormed and Captured After a Terrible Battle Lasting Three Days.
TURKS SET FIRE TO CITY
Blow Up Barracks and Magazines — Flames Devastating Many Quarters.
SHUKRI PASHA SURRENDERS
Hands Sword to Savoff — Mines Destroy a Bulgar and a Servian Regiment.
TCHATALJA ALSO CAPTURED
Town Taken by Bulgarians After Fierce Two-Day Battle — Europe Thinks Latest Carnage Unjustified.
    MUSTAPHA PASHA, March 26.— The fortress of Adrianople was taken by storm by the Bulgarians this morning after fighting of the most terrible character that had continued since Monday.
    Flames are devastating the city at many points.
    After the outlying fortifications had been captured the Turkish troops set fire to all their depots and stores as well as to the arsenal and the artillery park. They also blew up the barracks and a number of powder magazines.
    Most of the population fled.

    SOFIA, March 26.— Shukri Pasha, the Turkish commander m chief of Adrianople, surrendered to Gen. Savoff this afternoon. Bulgarian cavalry had previously entered the city.
    An official account of the operations in the capture of Adrianople says:
    "The commander of the second army received orders on March 23 to attack and carry the outlying positions of the Turks in the eastern section. The following day at 2 o'clock fire was opened in all sections by the field batteries, the Turks replying with siege suns. The duel lasted until 8 o'clock in the evening.
    "Toward 3:30 o'clock the next morning the Bulgarian infantry advanced on the Kumdere, which they crossed at 4:15. At the same time the siege guns opened on the Turkish positions. The enemy replied with a violent infantry and artillery fire on the advancing columns, which, however, pushed forward, and at daybreak, at the point of the bayonet, carried the outlying positions. Twelve guns and 300 men were captured.
    "Simultaneously the troops in the southern section captured Pamukryrty, and carried on an offensive action against Ouktabir and Judjaror, while the Servian Infantry occupied the hill to the northwest of Kadikeui and another Servian division captured Ekmktchikeui. The Danube Servian division attacked Papastepe.
    "The siege artillery tried all day to master the Turkish guns and destroy the forts, under cover of this the troops of the Eastern division continued to advance, and at 19 o'clock reached within 300 yards of a fort where 1,000 men and twenty-one guns were captured. These guns were at once brought into action against the enemy, and other forts were taken.
    "In the course of the night the infantry destroyed a series of artificial obstacles, and at daybreak carried at the point of the bayonet the whole line of forts. The Turks began to destroy their stores, barracks, hospitals, and other buildings, and the city is on fire at several points."

Inhabitants Panic-Stricken.
    At an early hour this morning fires were raging in various sections of the city. The maddened population, whose nerves had been shattered by the almost incessant bombardment for a period of over five months, were fleeing about the streets from one point to another, not knowing where to find shelter. Some of them rushed along the line of forts, daring the heavy infantry and artillery fire that was in progress.
    The great artillery arsenal in the city was burning, and the barracks lying between the hospital and the northern forts were also in flames.
    The entire line of fortresses defending the eastern side of the city was captured by the Bulgarians after a most spectacular assault at the point of the bayonet by long lines of infantry, which were strengthened rapidly by the second or reserve line.
    In the advance on Adrianople herds of cattle were driven forward in order that the danger of mined trenches might be avoided. Soldiers clad in cuirasses and provided with shields cut and divided the wire entanglements surrounding the forts and bastioned walls, which were carried at the point of the bayonet.
    The Mir says that the Servians in the northern and western sections fought valiantly, "although it was not their lot to capture the forts."

Fierce Battle at Tchatalja.
    LONDON, Thursday, March 27.—Adrianople has fallen, after one of the most Stubborn defenses in the history of warfare, and the Town of Tchatalja, according to a telegram received by the Bulgarian Legation in London last night, has suffered a like fate, falling into the hands of the Bulgarians after two days' desperate fighting. The Allies made just as determined an attack on the Tchatalja lines as they did on Adrianople.
    Shukri Pasha, the defender of Adrianople who held the town for 153 days against great odds, which included, besides the investing armies, disease and famine, handed his sword yesterday afternoon to Gen. Savoff, the Bulgarian Generalissimo — not, however, before carrying out his stern threat to destroy the town rather than let it fall into the hands of the Bulgarians.
    From all accounts the arsenals and all the stores and a great part of the town are in flames. It was reported yesterday that Shukri Pasha had taken his own life, but this proved to be untrue, as, after visiting all the fortifications and deciding that resistance was no longer possible, he sent word to Gen. Savoff, to whom he made submission, that he was burning the city.
    Gen. Savoff has appointed a commandant of the city, who will take steps to maintain order. The Bulgarian and Servian cavalry, which were the first to enter the town, will be utilized for this purpose.

Ferdinand to Enter City.
    Gen. Ivanoff, who has been in command of the forces around Adrianople, will make his entry to-day, while King Ferdinand will follow shortly.
    A Sofia dispatch to The Daily Mail says:
    "The first Bulgarian troops entered Adrianople at 9 o'clock in the morning. They found the city in flames and the inhabitants fleeing in terror in all directions.
    "Shukri Pasha not only blew up all the powder magazines and the barracks but also set fire to every large building in the city.
    "The Bulgarians' triumph followed a general assault on the trenches of the Turkish infantry, which were cleared by the bayonet. The Turks fled back to the last line of forts and to the city itself. The Bulgarians manned the captured trenches and attacked the last defenses, turning against them the Turkish guns taken in the first assault. The Turks abandoned the forts and ran in disorder to the centre of Adrianople, the besiegers closely following them.
    "At Tchatalja on Tuesday three Bulgarian positions defeated a large Turkish force which assayed an attack, and drove the Turks back to the Tchatalja lines. Thus the Turkish attempt to take the offensive failed completely."
    A Sofia dispatch, dated 2:30 P.M. yesterday, to a London news agency says that fighting was then proceeding in the streets of Adrianople.
    A Constantinople Dispatch to the same agency says that the Turkish centre at Tchatalja was driven in on Tuesday with a loss of 800 killed.
    The battle which preceded, the capture of the fortress commenced on Sunday night with a ttiree hours' bombardment. The Turks replied with energy, but they were evidently saving their ammunition, as the artillery duel soon ceased.
    The besieging troops in the east advanced at the double quick, under the glare of searchlights, to attack the advanced works at Maslak. After a fierce defense, which lasted throughout Monday the Turks retired from the light forward works and forts. Part of these forces, engaged in covering the retreat of their comrades, were cut off by the Bulgarians and captured.
    After moving forward a short distance toward the chief fortress the Bulgarians rested. It was then observed that, although great progress had been made in the east, the fighting in other sections had resulted in enormous losses to the Bulgarians with small gain of ground.
    Nevertheless, the attack was renewed, and on Tuesday and yesterday the important forts composing the inner ring of defenses were taken after hard fighting.
    Most of the accounts of the battle which have come from Bulgarian sources make no mention of the Servians, of whom there seems to have been a good deal of jealousy among King Ferdinand's troops.

Servians Claim Part of Credit.
    The Servians, on the other hand, who have issued only a brief report of the capture, divide the credit with their allies and are apparently not quite so eager to hide their heavy losses. According to a dispatch received at Belgrade from Mustapha Pasha, the sacrifices were very heavy. The Servian Thirteenth and the Bulgarian Eighteenth Regiments were blown up by mines, and many other regiments suffered great losses. All the reserve hospitals have been put in order to receive thousands of wounded.
    In Adrianople itself there is also much work for doctors and nurses, for the garrison and civilians are known to have suffered severely from famine and disease. The garrison, which was estimated at from 40,000 to 60,000, will probably be found to have been considerably reduced from these causes and the casualties suffered in sorties. The people of the town are said to be panic-stricken, as they may well be, because even in Europe, , judging by the history of previous wars, the occupation of a city is often accompanied by indiscriminate slaughter.
    Europe continues to criticise the action of the allies in carrying the siege to the bitter end, when it was known that the capture of Adrianople was not necessary to bring the war to a conclusion or to obtain for the victors anything not already theirs.
    Jealousy of the Greeks in their capture of Yanina, and a desire to win Adrianople, at the point of the sword rather than by diplomatic mediation, doubtless influenced the Bulgarians.
    Now that the fighting is over, the correspondents and attaches have received permission to go to the front. The capture of Adrianople has caused rejoicing at all the Slav capitals. At St. Petersburg the news was received while the Duma was in session, Dr. Daneff, who was head of the Butgarian Peace Delegation in London, and the Bulgarian Minister, M. Bobtcheff, being guests of the members. The Deputies arose as one man, and the chamber rang with cheers. Dr. Daneff and his companion were carried shoulder high to Catherine Hall, where the Russian and Bulgarian national anthems were sung.
    No news has been received from Constantinople but it is feared that when the capture of Adrianople becomes known another revolution may occur.
    King Nicholas of Montenegro has decided to wait until Saturday to allow non-combatants to leave Scutari. Essad Pasha, the Turkish commander, declares that they must remain in the town.