Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-12-13
VISITED THE: FRENCH
IN THEIR TRENCHES S
Wonderful Subterranean Settler
ments in Northern France
Described.

Paris, Dec. ia correspondent
writing from Northern France sends
the following: n
81 passed today visiting the French
in their trenches, and their wonderful
subterranean settlements with my
friend the gun captain. We left the
artillerists' post aat eight o'clock in
the morning and started across the
countryside, which seemed to be de-
serted. On the roads are only SOL
diers and transport vehicles, which
splashed us with mud from head to
foot. We could see Arras in the dis
lance and the half destroyed tower of
st. Eloi.. VIZ
Photograph wires borderad the
road, following which we soon came
to the village. where the staff head
quarters are established. These the
Germans occasionally %bombarded.
81 was surprised to see no sentry
Suddenly, however, the sound of our
feet brought one, like an insect way
laying it's prey, from a hole at the
roadside. After being .reassured, he
invited us to inspect his subterranean
shelter, and we descended a ladder
Of nine lungs.
The sentry's Hole.
"Tha hole in which we found our
selves certainly was not sumptuous,
but a mirror was hanging OF the wall,
and for furniture there was a bench
covered with straw. The sentry could
here be, safe and smoke his pipe safe
from the rain and the German shells.
"This was only the beginning of my
visit to the subterranean town., which
lay a little beyond the village. The
only exterior tokens of it on hercold
bare fields were a few slight mounds
Of earth and an occasional wisp Of
thin blue smoke, seeming to rise from
the soil. E
Here is a house which,; it appears,
is luXuriously furnished. Ten feet be-
low the surface it has three rooms
a Kitchen, reception room and a bed
room with tiled floor and ceiling, very
modern, and, as a soldier who enters
this house daily confided to me with
a mysterious and respectful air., it
has real beds with sheets v y
WV I'LL INV w q Al5Au6 OpCiA
trench and across the plain were low
mounds, indicating the residences of
officers or stretcher bearers. One of
these houses was named a summer
cottage, Kerr Amour Kerr being
the Breton word for house and
amour the French word,for love.
"Two bearded healthy looking"
.stretcher bearers sat smoking pipes
at the entrance under a low tllatch'
roof, projecting like a porch. They
did me the honors of their home ex-
planning apologeticslly that they were
smaking fire for the first time and
that the chimney was smoking m
what.
"We descended a ladder of fifteen
rungs. Narrow glass windows in the
roof level with the ground and on the
side away from the Germans gave a
soft diffusad light. There were two
straw beds in inches and a circular
space dug deeper than the rest, con-
tanning a tabla'and two chairs, served
as kitchen, dining room and parlor.
|. "The trenches hereabouts are all
very comfortable, for the clay soil
keeps out the rain. But one must
know how to build them. Yesterday
two newcomers were s%uffocated un-
der a landslide.
bad construction" said the
.stretcher bearers contemptuously.
81 complimented them on their W
technical skill and their thick planks
scientifically supporting the earth Of
their ceiling, which echoed to the
sound of cannon.
"Then the inhabitants Of Kerr
Amour prepared to cook dinner and
we went to visit an infantry trench in
course of construction. The roof was
of carefully packed dirt covered with
sod for ~concea.ment. The only light
came from the loopholes formed by
the prolongation of the roof beams
set on flat stones about two feet be-
You'd the trench itself.
"We passed about 200 men carry
ing picks and shovels instead Of rifles
and finally reached the artillery. My
guide and his men spoke of their
piece with great respect. It is better
tended than their horses and it is
creased and cleaned with minute
care.
every one at the front wears a
The gunners here received
me cordially and permitted me to
caress the cannon. The copper shell
cases are slowed in the ground and
one was offered me as a souvenir.
The men regretted that they were un-
able to fire a few shots in my honor.
Confidence here reigns supreme.
"We know how to make war now"
said a young officer pensively:, IF
had only known at first! But wei
lacked experience and did not even
know how to hide our cannon proper
ty."
Half a mile ahead of us on a crest