The Delta independent., 1906-05-25

The center would then attack. press the
French back upon the river, and before
they could get across strike them on both
Lowenberg fell the special task Of moving
further up the Marine to Monte Pelier the
could cross, Here the south bank fell
away and the north bank rose In three
hills, the center of the trio being really a
commanded the bridge below and the
banks of the Marne for some distance;
this far. and the main danger was in the
possibility of an opposing force reaching
the s.i1 h,li before We could get there; r.r,
through ts at the el's night Is and Be before S dawn @
to the base of the Monte Pelier. Here We
encamped to await the signal TO advance
and The nrryal Of regiment OF aTtfiery; ar stE,
away to the east The battle had opened.
Hourly 1t grew, heavier. The sharp.
eahdsd d oft Wsh the roll o TSes and the
%ierd howl OF the new multiplea ribbon
stream Of explosive bullets. bursting on
the slightest impact and tearing their vic
Tins horribly. Presently the great twelve
inch guns on the high banks came into
play. Their booming reports echoed
through the heavens, bespeaking .enor,
nous projectiles. The din was fearful. l
range
guns belched out their tons OF iron and
The mortars their pots OF acid FIRE and
that / Earned the fuli extent Of The devil
ishness OF mans inventive ingenuity IN
providing means for the destruction OF
Then came our signal. High in the air
10 the east; appeared a shower OF golden
OF an aerial projectile was borne to our
ears. The sparks paled and fell. and from
fnYN IL, French re- ret g. a
the river and that Monte Pelier must be
taken" said Lowenberg. lie gave an
artillery had not Come-it never came. as
n matter OF fact. Some one had blum
task. and We moved toward It with
The woods came to an end. In from, of
dark. rock-strewn mass. its shadows Inky
black In the starlight Lowenberg,
a. W. enerEeS Dir from III. woods. % ths ,roops at1c
pressing behind. there was a Hash directly
In front OF US and "A sharp report. bull
and report, another and another, each
further up the hill Silence Zen. broken
We saw tina, our advance was known 10
time to stop.
We had covered half of the distance and
were climbing steadily when the whole
top OF the hill lighted up and a hail OF lead
down. struggling mass OF men and
horses. II was no place for cavalry.
Again ana again came that terrible fash.
The crashing report as OF thousands OF
rifles and tho song OF lead in our ears was
terrible. The storm was too heavy. ON
cors and men alike threw themselves on
the ground and sought shelter behind the
bouldcrs with which the hill was strewn.
or IN Expressions In the ground. The IRE
,oistcd great scarchilShts that revealed
our ranks, The sharp white rays dazzlcd
our eyes and We could see nothing. Some
eight thousand troops huggcd the ground,
sheltered and unshcltcrcd. Men Groaned
and cursed and shrickcd in agony.
Horses. maddcncd with palm and fright
staggered TO their feet and went Ealloping
down the hill. killing and mniming many,
At brl,f and regular intervals came that
sheet OF namc and the hail OF bullets, II
Was death TO retreat and death TO remain.
So We lay until daylight
As the dawn broke and the sun lit the
sky the French continued their dcstruc-
tion In more diabolical fashion. From
the top OF the hill they rolled great balls
of tough paper, which broke on the rocks
and scattered burning acids and noSious
gases. Directly above the point where we
three lay there was well-dcfncd hum
mock which detected these hldcous imp!c-
ments OF warfare. else | should not have
were not 50 protected few escaped. The
whole side OF the Hill, for half mile. was
covered with dead and dying.
DURING the night the firing on the east
had diminished. but with the dawn Il
opened again. and the heavens were rent
with the crash and roar OF mighty guns.
which continued all day without IntermIs-
sion. The firing above US ceased, how
ever. and the horrible balls OF acid came
no longer. Iowenbcrg concluded that the
that nm attack was again possible. A sim