The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1914-10-05

BRUSSELS. Aug. 16.-Across the
battlefield OF Diest there is a brown
stretch of narrowed ground over 100
yards long. 1t is the grave of 1900
Germans who fell in the fight Of
Wednesday. All over the field there
are other graves, some Of Germans.
some OF Belgians, some OF their
horses.
When | reached the place today
peasants with long mattocks and
spades were turning up the soil.
For two full days they have been
at the work Of burial. They were
sick at heart Their corn is ripe for
cutting in the battlefield but little
Of it will be harvested. The paths
in their turnip fields are sodden with
the blood Of men and OF horses.
The battle ground should be called
Haelen rather than Diest. for it was
in and through and behind the little
village of Haelen that the deadly
test Of strength took place. The re-
suit has been already stated. The
Germans lost three-fifths of their
force Of 5000 men Two thousand
were killed 500 wounded and 800
taken prisoners.
FIGHT WAS FIERCE.
SO far as numbers CO. the fight
was small, considering the enormous
armies in the field; but there is
ample evidence that it was fierce
out Of all proportion to its size, The
battle-ground is roughly three miles
long. Near one end is Haelen. which
was held Tuesday morning by Bel
gian troops On Tuesday afternoon
it was attacked by large body of
Uhlans. artillery and infantry. and
entered late in the evening.
Traces of the fighting in the viii
lage and its surroundings are only
too clear The Belgian troops re-
tired at night across a railway track
and road through some open fields
sloping toward the village to posi-
ton in the woods about mile and
half distant, There they placed
their big guns and began firing at
the enemy
The Belgians showed good marks
manship incidentally, they despise
the Germans poor shooting), and in
a very little time Trey forced the Ger
mans to the alternative Of retiring
or attacking again. The invaders
chose the latter course, and came
into open country by three routes
one over little bridge along the
road, and the third to the right in
the shelter Of the woods and a low
lying lane.
MOVED DOWN ~ GUNS.
Over the bridge they came in solid
column as though on parade. Sud
denly the Belgian machine guns,
masked in the wood. burst into life,
and the solid ranks of the Germans
were cut down by the hail Of bull
lets as corn falls to the scythe,
One hundred Uhlans, who were in
the vanguard along one Of the roads,
charged forward daringly, but II
Belgians came out Of their conceal
ment and held the 100 in check.
Today that spot is Uttered with the
derelict helmets and lances Of the
fighting men.
Those Germans that survived the
machine gun fire charged too, and
the fields all about the Belgian posi-
ton show by their covering of i'm
pedimenta that the onslaught press
ed we'll up to the defenders guns
and to the trenches in the turnip
fields where the Belgian soldiers lay.
On the German left the mitrail
leuses (quick fire shell guns) got to
work in and behind the houses on
the outskirts of the village. Five Of
those houses were burned to the
ground. In shed nearby I found
a peasant weeping beside the bod
les of his dead cows.
SHOOTING NOT ACCURATE.
The German shooting appears not
to have been accurate enough to
cover the advance Of the infantry.
The German lances seem to have
bent in the lancers' hands. One
lance from which took a black
and white pennon was bent like a
bow, as though it's owner had been
shot and in falling from his horse
leaned his full weight upon the wea-
pom as the point struck the ground.
BY afternoon the Germans retired
out of the village and beyond, and
there they are still waiting. as the
Belgians on their side are waiting
for the next attempt to pierce their
gallant line.
1t would be easy now. at the
even Of the war. to write
of its tragedy, the villagers have
such a tale to tell of loss; besides
which they remember that all the
200 men in the long grave had
wives. sweethearts and parents Of