New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol 2, No. 2, May, 1915 | Page 7

the Upper San our troops
have advanced successfully, forcing the way with rifle fire and with the
bayonet. In the course of the day we took 2,500 prisoners, including
fifty officers and four machine guns.
In the direction of Munkacz the Germans, in close formation, attacked
our positions at Rossokhatch, Oravtchik, and Kosziowa, but were
everywhere driven back by our fire and by our counter-attacks with
severe losses. In Galicia there has been a snowstorm.
Przemysl.--On the night of the 21st there was a fierce artillery fire
round Przemysl. Portions of the garrison who once more tried to effect
a sortie toward the northeast toward Oikowic were driven back within
the circle of forts with heavy losses.
_Note.--This portion of the communiqué was evidently drafted before
the fall of Przemysl took place, and the communiqué proceeds:_
In recognition of the joyous event of the fall of Przemysl the Czar has
conferred upon the Grand Duke Nicholas the Second Class of the Order
of St. George and the Third Class of the same order on General Ivanoff,
the commander of the besieging army.
[Illustration: Map of the Siege of Przemysl. The small triangles indicate
outlying fortified hills with their height in feet.]
COLLECTING THE ARMS.
_By Hamilton Fyfe, Correspondent of The London Daily Mail._
PETROGRAD, March 23.
Advance detachments of Russian troops entered Przemysl last night.
The business of collecting the arms is proceeding. I believe the officers
will be allowed to keep their swords.
Great surprise has been caused here by a statement that the number of
troops captured exceeds three army corps. Possibly on account of the
snowstorm no further telegram has been received from the Grand Duke

Nicholas, and no details of the fall of the garrison have yet been
officially announced. I have, however, received the definite assurance
of a very high authority that the force which has surrendered includes
nine Generals, over 2,000 officers, and 130,000 men. In spite of the
authority of my informant, I am still inclined to await confirmation of
these figures.
The leading military organ, the Russki Invalid, says that the garrison
was known to number 60,000 men and that it had been swelled to some
extent by the additional forces drafted in before the investment began.
The Retch estimates the total at 80,000, and a semi-official
announcement also places the strength of the garrison at that figure,
excluding artillery and also the men belonging to the auxiliary and
technical services.
There is an equal difference of opinion regarding the number of guns
taken. The estimates vary from 1,000 to 2,000. What is known for
certain is that the fortress contained 600 big guns of the newest type
and a number of small, older pieces.
The characteristic spirit in which Russia is waging war is shown by the
service of thanksgiving to God which was held immediately the news
of the fall of the fortress reached the Grand Duke's headquarters. The
Czar was there to join with the staff in offering humble gratitude to the
Almighty for the great victory accorded to the Russian arms.
The first crowds which gathered here yesterday to rejoice over the great
news moved with one consent to the Kazan Cathedral, where they sang
the national hymn and crossed themselves reverently before the holy,
wonder-working picture of Kazan, the Mother of God. In spite of the
heaviest snowstorm of the Winter, which made the streets impassable
and stopped the tramway cars, the Nevski Prospekt rang all the
afternoon and evening with the sound of voices raised in patriotic song.
Przemysl is admitted to be the first spectacular success of the war on
the side of the Allies. It is not surprising that the nation is proud and
delighted, yet so generous is the Russian mind that there mingle with
its triumph admiration and sympathy for the garrison which was
compelled to surrender after a long, brave resistance. Popular
imagination has been thrilled by the story of the last desperate sortie,
which will take a high place in the history of modern war.
When toward the end of the week the hope of relief, which had so long

buoyed up the defenders, was with heavy, resolved hearts abandoned,
General Kousmanek resolved to try to save at all events some portion
of his best troops by sending them to fight a way out. From the ranks,
thinned terribly by casualties and also by typhus and other diseases
caused through hunger and the unhealthy state of the town, he selected
20,000 men and served out to them five days' reduced rations, which
were all he had left. He also supplied them with new boots in order to
give them as good a chance as possible to join their comrades in the
Carpathians, whose summits could be seen from Przemysl in the
shining,