Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-08-13
THREE E-F|FTHS OF KAISER'S FORCES
EITHER KILLED Or TAKEN PRISONERS
IN Yesterdays BLOODY ENCOUNTER

zone.
Upwards of 200 dead German sol
diers were counted in space of so
yards square.
A church, a brewery and some
houses in Haelen we're set afire and
two bridges over the Demar were de-
stroyed by Belgian engineers.
Great quantities of booty were col
lected on the battlefield and this has
been stacked in front of the town hall
of Diest. Many horses also were cap
tured.
The strength of the German column
was about five thousand men.
When a patrol of carbineers first
signalled at the approach of the Ger
man troops yesterday at Haelen the
Belgians manned the trench and a
fire greeted the German soldiers. The
German guns were brought from the
rear and the Belgians we're obliged to
go back.
Reinforcemenuts were quickly
Brought up however and the Germans,
in spite of the numerical superiority,
were repulsed, suffering severely.
An official communique issued today
confirms yesterdays success OF the
Pelgan troops over the German at Haze
len. 1t says the German casualties
we're very heavy, three fifths Of their
troops engaged in the encounter being
killed or wounded. while the Belgian,
casualties are reported as relatively
small
Another official communication to-
day says:
'The Belgian cavalry division this
morning took up the offensive against
the Germans who were defeated in
Yesterdays battle of Haelen with the
object, it is believed, of picking up the
dead and wounded and collecting the
abandoned material of war
mo German surprise was expected
and there are no reasons to fear any
German cavalry movement on Brussels
from the south, all roads leading to
the capital being guarded by the Bel
gian army and the civic guards"
According to Lezoir German cas-
ualties during yesterdays fighting in
the vicinity of Haelen totaled about
1000, equally divided between killed
and wounded.
The Belgian casualties are not pre-
cisely known, but are declared TO
comprise only a few dead and many
wounded.
The newspaper adds that the Ger
man troops reformed after being re-
pulsed and that firing began again at
s o'clock this morning when fresh
Belgian troops were sent to the front
in support of their comrades who had
fought throughout yesterday.
The German troops in other parts Of
Belgium are understood to be gather.
ing in all the railroads cars they can
find A passenger train near Warren
mes was halted by German cavalry
patrol and the passengers left in tbs
open country, the train with it's en-
gineer being taken toward the German
lizes.
The German troops in Luxemburs
are said to be starving and many O
them are reported to have droppe;
unconscious owing to their privations
In some of the dead officers pockets
potatoes were found, while the soldiers
are said to have dug up unripe turnip
and eaten them.
A party of 500 German prisoners al
rived today at Ath, in the province O
Hainaut Many of the soldiers belong
ing to the German Uhlands found dea
n ia Belgium were declared, after a pos
:, mortem, to have starved to death.
e A Belgian official communicate
g today says that German force prt
ceeding in the direction of Egrezee,
e the north of Namur, was attacxe
L and repulsed this morning by the Be
n gian troops. The Germans suffere
d severe casualties. The Belgians ca,
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