The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-10-01
HAS BATTLE MOVIE
American Aviator Obtains a Rare
Motion Picture.
BY Daring Exploit, Philip RAIDER Gets
Film Record Of Part Of the Des-
perats Conflict on the Marne
River.


Philip RAIDER. a young American
aviator, who is here by special per-
mission of the French government
was one of the few noncombatant
eye witnesses Of a part of the battle
of the Marne. His story follows:
Accompanied by three French Of
ficers of the aviators, left Paris on the
morning of September for the front
with a moving-picture camera We
took a train determined to go as far as
possible. Before proceeding many
miles we heard cannonading far
away. The train arrived at Lagny'
From Lagny to Meaux is seventeen
kilometers (102 miles). We thought
we would be forced to walk, but we
discovered an empty sand barge and
two horses at the bank of the Marine.
The officers promptly Communicated
the outfit, rousing the bargemen, who
were sleeping on the deck of their
craft.
I'VE started with a single horse
straining against the sluggish current
and about six .. m. arrived at Meaux
The town had been sacked and was
In ruins.
Il slept that night on a lounge in
the mayors Office. The next morning
we continued to ascend the river on
the barge. The river beyond Cham
brey runs parallel to the road on the
left, which is on high ground, and was
cut off from our sight by low hedge.
Suddenly we heard the clatter OF
horses hoofs and 200 yards ahead and
perhaps 500 yards distant from us we
saw the helmets of a dozen uhlans
rising above the hedge. The cavalry
men were approaching rapidly. 1t is
doubtful if they saw US and they might
have passed, but when they were al
most on a level with us crack, crack,
crack, came from the hedge, which
seemed to be fairly alive with French
infantrymen, who had been lying in
ambush. If the French had remained
in shelter they might have annihll-
lated the Germans, but instead they
we're constantly rushing forth. Shots
rang out on both sides, the uhlans re-
plying with an accurate fire before
they were repulsed. They left only
three men on the field, as against
four for the men In ambush.
"The French again disappeared in
the hedges and we glided on toward
Germigny. At Leveque we noticed
| that we we're directly behind the
French lines, which were several hun
dred yards away. At the village the
officers left the boat, but l saw that
ahead the river bent sharply to the
left and encircled the right end OF
the French lines and continued in the
direction Of the German lines, whence
an occasional distant explosion told
the French that they were not per
mitted to go farther.
Accordingly ordered the barge
man to continue up the stream. He
stared at me stupidity minute and
1 then urged on the horse. BY this
time it was middle afternoon. We
crept on until we got to the turn OF
the river, where a sentinel was stand
ing on the bank, but he ignored us
A single freight car on track across
the river gave a disconsolate air to
the scene Half a mile farther on we
reached a deserted house. Here left
the barge and stood on the bank till
l saw the boat slowly disappear down
the stream. Then | climbed the bank
carrying my moving-picture camera
l entered the house and ascended to
the second floor, where had view
of the battlefield from the northwest
window. There was large hollow
at the bottom of which ran tiny
stream. For half mile on the left
on the hills were the French trenches
running diagonaliy forward and hall
a mile on the right was single Ger
man trench running at right angles tc
the line of fire.
Il had hardly arrived and adjusted
my apparatus when a terrible artil
Iery fire burst from both sides, spin
tering the window glass in the house
by the percussion, which was deafen
ing. The German gunners apparently
were less skillful than the French
The French soldiers were more wary
and lay close down in the trenches
but the Germans were continually
standing up. Looking through my
glasses I could occasionally see one
run a few yards, suddenly throw VI
his arms and fall. The accuracy o.
the French guns was something un
canny. With the coming of darkness:
the firing diminished, but all night the
position of the lines was betrayed By
spurts Of fame.
Toward sunrise saw that th'
firing was gradually getting closer tt
my house and l judged that 1t was get
ting too hot. Besides, the French haC
pushed forward their trenches during
the night until they were hardly
quarter of a mile away. Accordingl!
l descended into the basement ant
buried the camera under rubbish, 81
that it would not be injured even IL
case the house was bombarded.
crept out on the side next to the river
which was invisible from the battl
side, and made my way back to thu
French lines"
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