The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-11-19
FIGHT DESCRIBED
BY EYE WITNESS
Bloody Struggle for Possession OF
Railway Embankment, Germans
Finally Winning by Force Of
Numbers-Retreat Of tho
Beloians to Antwerp.

Chtcago.-The Tribune prints the
following cablegram from q. Alexan-
der Powell, dated Antwerp, Aug. ~:
The helmeted legions Of the kaiser,
driven out of Malines on Tuesday,
were reinforced yesterday and before
their overwhelming onset the BEL
gians sullenly gave way and retreatea
with chins on shoulders.
write of what l saw with my w
ewes, as / had the distinction of being
the only American correspondent per
mitted to accompany the forces, the
government placing a military car at
my disposal.
over 100000 in Battle.
The battle O Malires, in which four
Belgian divisions. totaling 10000 men,
contended with "a considerably
stronger force of Germans, was fought
in that wonderfully beautiful region
five miles south of the famous city
and a dozen miles from Brussels.
To get a clear conception of the bat
tie one must picture q 5O-foot high
railway embankment, its steeply STOP
ing sides heavily wooded, stretching
across a smiling. fertile countryside
like a monstrous green snake. On
this line run fast trains from Ant
wern to -13ussels. Malines, with Its
historic buildings and famous catne'
dral. lies on one side Of this embank
ment. and Wilworde on the other
four miles separating them.
B~elaians Take Offensive.
On Tuesday the Belgians, believing
the German communications to b.
poorly guarded and the German garrl
son in Brussels too weak to assls
them, rashly sailed from the sheite
of the Antwerp defenses and tn
offensive like a terrier striking a pull
dog.
They drove the Germans from Ma
lines. but the Germans brought up
fresh army corps and yesterday morn
ing the elgians found themselves !
a perilous position. The battle hlnge
on the possession of the embankmen
and was fought along a ten-mile from
Begins With Artillery Duel.
The battle began at dawn with a
artillery duel across the embankmen
BY noon the cannonade was terrifl'
The Germans got the range and a raj
of shrapnel burst about the Belgia
batteries, which limbered up and r
tired al a trot in perfect order.
l could see dark blue masses OF BE
gian infantry falling back, cool as 9
a winters morning. Through a mi
take two battalions of carabineers d
not receive the order to retire ar
were in imminent danger Of destru
ton.
To reach them q messenger won
have had to traverse q mile OF OPP
road swept by shrieking shrapneE
colonel summoned o gendarme al
gave him the orders and he set spu
to his horse and tore down the .roa
/, an archaic figure in towering bearsk1
Rider Reaches the Troops.
II was q ride into the Jaws of deaf
He saved his troops, but al they I
back the German gunners got y
range and. dropped shell upon sh
into the running column. Road a
fields vere dotted with corpses III b
Igian blue.
Several times the Germans attem
ed to carry the embankment with b
onets, but the Eelgians met them W
blasts Of lead which shriveled the 81
columns like autumn leaves
AT noon the Belgians and Germs
were in places only so yards aps
and the rattle Of musketry SOUND
axe . boy drawing q stick along
palings of . picket fence
Zeppelin Hovers Overhead.
During the height Of the battle
Zeppelin slowly circled over the n
IKE q great vulture awaiting q feas
By four o'clock all the Bele
troops were Withdrawn except -
screen to cover the retreat. /
anxious to witness the German
tvanf.e and remained on the rail,