Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-08-18

country, and darkness favored the at
tackers.
In my opinion there were no siege
guns in action. The Germans used hlgh
explosive shells that burst with extra
ordinary vividness.
About o'clock in the morning in
fantry fire broke out in the woods TO
the west of the river Ourthe, between
Imbourg and Boncelles. 1t was i'm
possible to distinguish anything except
the flashes of the rifles. About this
time l heard the infantry fire in the
west.
The country in the vicinity of the
forts had not been cleared, evidently
having been hastily fortified.
The Belgian infantry, the Ninth and
Fourteenth Line Regiments, held the
country between Forts Fleron, I'M
bourg and Boncelles. The Ninth reg
iment bore the brunt of the attacks,
which 'e repelled.
With the first rays Of daylight
(about o'clock) l was able to make
out troops in the German line Of bat
tie. They were fighting in close order.
l could not believe it, as this seemed
too old fashioned tactics, but there
could be no doubt as to their forma-
ton.
The engagement attained it's fiercest
stage at 5 o'clock. Fort Fleron was
silenced. l was afterward told that
German fire had smashed the machin-
cry Of the disappearing gun carriage.
Toward o'clock there was a lull.
The nature of the country to the
south favored the concealment Of the
Germans.
l would not attempt to estimate
closely the attacking force. 1t might
have been a division of 10000 men and
1000 or 5000 cavalry. They occupied
the intervals between the fortresses,
and had as an objective the bridges
south Of the city. The attack was
checked all along the line by the Bel
gians, whose Ninth regiment fought
like demons.
My own adventures were many. The
most stirring was my arrest by a Ian
Ger, who kept a revolver pointed at the
pit of my stomach while l explained.
Four times l was arrested and
brought before the authorities. When
/ got back to town the crowd swar1ned
the streets They would one minute
German, and the next loudly acclaim
me.
Panic stricken refugees continued
throughout the day to flood the city.
spent a whole night in the cellar Of
their home. A shell exploded in the
kitchen.
Has any Of the family been injur-
ed?" some one asked.
Yes, monsieur, the poor cat Is
dead"
This influx frightened outsiders and
had a very baleful effect on the people
of Liege Motors carrying wounded
soon began to arrive. These stopped
before hotels or establishments turned
into hospitals.
Fifteen beds ready" Ten beds for
wounded here" were signs posted on
the doors Of many houses The Palace
of Liege became the centre Of attrac-
tion.
The Germans demanded the imme-
date surrender Of the forts and the
city. The Belgians had asked for "a
hours to consider the proposal. The
Germans refused and threatened to
lombard the city at once. These and
a dozen other reports were heard and
credited. Suddenly a loud explosion
set every heart humping. Had the
bombardment commenced? No, the
Belgian engineers had blown up the
arches Of the bridge. 1t soon became
known that the Belgian commanders
had refused to give up.
The city was crowded with refugees
fleeing with the little property they
could gather. / carried a woman OF 80
into a third class car. A sister or
Mercy was her attendant. Before we
were halfway to Brussels a priest had
given her extreme JUNCTION.
Opposite me sat a man with four
-weeks-old puppies. In the next
car were herded a score Of German
prisoners, their helmets covered with
cloth and the insignia gone.