rossed the Danube over a bridge and viaduct eleven miles
in length, forming the only permanent crossing over the river below
the bridge at Belgrade. This structure ranks as one of the big
engineering works in the world, its cost being close to $3,000,000. It
consists, first of a bridge of three spans, 500 yards in length, then
follows a viaduct eight miles in length, resting on piers built on
islands, and finally comes a bridge 850 yards in length, of five
spans, crossing the main channel of the river, which here is a hundred
feet deep in places. Such is the famous Cernavoda Bridge. Toward this
important point Mackensen's first move was obviously directed.

On September 3, 1916, a Rumanian dispatch announced that Mackensen was
attacking in full force along his front below Dobric and that he had
been repulsed. But as developed within twenty-four hours Mackensen was
not repulsed. On the contrary, he was advancing, as was shown the next
day when he had extended his lines to a point eight miles northwest of
Dobric, while the full length of the frontier was well within his
front. On the following day, the 4th, Dobric was attacked and easily
taken, and the combined forces of Bulgarians, Turks, and Germans
hurled themselves against the outer fortifications protecting the
south end of the bridge at Tutrakan. Fortunately for the Rumanians
they were now reenforced by a considerable body of Russians, and the
Bulgarians were temporarily checked, the heaviest fighting taking
place in the neighborhood of Dobric. But the Rumanians and the
Russians were plainly outnumbered, at Dobric they were gradually
pressed back, while at the bridgehead they were severely defeated. At
this latter point the enemy showed his vast superiority in artillery,
which he had concentrated here for the purpose of demolishing the
fortifications. After nearly a dozen assaults, each following a
furious artillery preparation, the Bulgarians finally, on September 6,
1916, drove the Rumanians back and took the fort. It was at this point
that the German and Bulgarian dispatches claimed that 20,000 Rumanians
were taken prisoner, but dispatches from Bucharest stoutly denied
this. However, as was admitted later, the total losses of the
Rumanians could not have been much less.

After the fall of Tutrakan the Russo-Rumanian forces, under the
command of General Aslan, retired northward, and a lull came in the
fighting on this front which lasted almost a week. On the 8th