The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1914-12-29

next day the German troops rushed
past the house, solid wall of men
SO close together that they obliter-
ated the flower garden and the adjoin-
ing young shrubbery as completely as
if steam roller had passed over
both.
/ cast hasty glance in the opposite
direction, specializing if even yet !
could escape that way but at cross
roads near the house / saw four Hun
garian hussars who sat motionless in
their saddles. They formed square,
each man looking down road, with
rifle unslung, the butt resting loose
ly against his bright red riding
breeches, and with finger on trigger.
l realized that it would be a mad
race down any of these roads and that
wild scamper through the adjacent
fields would be bad for my health.
Finds Himself at the Front.
Turning again to look at the Ger
mans, l reflected with secret exulta-
ton that my most sanguine hopes as
a war correspondent had been real
lied. For a long time the wisest
heads in the Russian foreign and war
Offices prevented me from getting to
the front. Now with a rush, like a
Niagara, the front had come to me.
The Germans were no beauties as
they advanced in their "pickelhauben"
(helmets) and grayish uniforms, look
ing as if they had nCt shaved or
washed for weeks. 1t was with no or
binary curiosity that l gazed at that
formidable host which had wrought
devastation from Antwerp to Warsaw,
before whose cannon first-class for
tresses had gone down like houses Of
cards, whose monstrous armies were
measured not by miles but by de-
grees of latitude
Meanwhile, the tide of battle rose
higher and higher around us. 1t was
impossible to leave the house, whose
walls were dashed by a spray of shrap-
mel and rifle bullets. 1t was cracked
in several places from the foundation
to the roof by the conclusion of 81
gantic shells.
Sees Battle Approach Warsaw.
l mounted to the roof and observed
the distant lights of Warsaw, which
were not lowered despite the terror
of aeroplanes and Zeppelins. South
of Warsaw l saw great irregular
line of foam tipped shrapnel explo-
sions, the boiling edge of Teutonic
sea of iron and blood
At one point the line bent sharply
outward and approached perilously
close to the Polish capital The line
moved closer and as looked l felt
sure that Warsaw had gone like Ant
werp, Brussels, Liege and Maubeuge.
Then the line fell back and the red
tide of war ebbed and flowed like a
crimson ocean.
My reflections were interrupted by
the whiZ of bullet and then shrapnel
bursting above the chimney sent me
inside.
Suddenly the darkness was lit up by
a tremendous glare. The Saxons had
retreated, setting fire to the village.
"A yOuAS PlCdOdht AdSCQ 4suoo1oA OA1COA
entered the house, went to the cellar
entrance and regarded the women
and children in silence. He seemed
deeply moved.
What a CHASTITY time they must
have had!" he said
Then he quickly commanded us to
clear out at once, as the Germans
would probably return and the house
would surely be smashed. He began
speaking in Polish and ended in Rus
sian. He gave us a soldier to guide
us.
1t was a strange, frightened process
sion of men, women and children. AS
we crossed hill southeast of the rail-
way line the fight behind us recon-
menced with great fury.
Young Count Potoski Killed.
The Germans retook the house,
which was burned and obliterated, and
the young officer was killed. His
death sent thrill of grief through all
Poland, for he was no other than the
brave young Count Potoski, head of
an ancient family of Polish aristo-
Gratis.
The fate of the mansion in which /
found succor is typical of thousands
of similar homes. From Warsaw
to Kalisz, Cracow and Chenstohov,
Poland has suffered almost as much
as Belgium. Where the Germans have
not been the Austrians have been.
The Lublin government was devas-
tated.
During the battle of Warsaw alone
hundreds of hamlets and mansions
were flattened In this steam roller
war. They were taken and retaken
by the opposing forces. In back gar
dens, narrow stairways and private
chapels men fought like fiends.
Over a wide area south of War
saw the struggle ragged for ten days
and nights in village streets and iso-
lated houses, backward and forward,
like a roaring food. The Germanic
flood finally ebbed. but with its stu.