Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
GUNS TRANSFORM
BEAUTIFUL VALLEY
INTO AN INFERNO
Aisne River Losses Colossal =,
Says Correspondent Who
Followed Armies From the
Marne.
LONDON. Sept. 81.

English correspondent, who sends his
story from La Ferte-Nrilon, south of
Scissors. He says.
From the battlefield of Marne / worked
my way northward through Chantilly and
Senlis to Crepy-en-Valois to this valley
of death. came by night through lands
wasted by the feet of tens of thousands
of armed men and by innumerable wheels
of the worlds greatest armies.
Il have seen on this road sights that
convince me that the retreat was not only
swift, but precipitate to a point of actual
panic. 1t, was Asne or destruction. 1t is
necessary to realize that just as the allied
army, on It's way from Mons to Paris,
was in danger of the German hanking
movement which threatened to overwhelm
It, SO was General Won Kluk's right
flank in its retreat from Paris to Aisne
in extreme danger. To avoid annihilat ton,
he fled position of tremendous strength
toward the west. 1t : was absolutely
essential to his safety to gain the position
of Aisne.
zone must not lose sight of the supreme
fact that of the present situation Just
as the junction of the Ourcq and Marne
at Meaux made that town the key of
encounter last week, so the junction of
the Oise and the Afsne at Compiegne has
endowed the latter with cardinal import
ance. Once across the ,Aisne, the German
army had the River Oise on its right and
for tho moment, the danger of being out
fanked was averted.
This was the position on Sunday. Sep
tember 13, the FIRST day of the great
frontal battle.
"The valley of the river became an in
ferno From height to height the great
guns belched forth their fire in terrific
fashion. Huge shells went shreking
across the river and the river meadows,
The army poured a withering fire upon
the allied troops and engineers that were
engaged in building pontoon bridges. The
pontoons are carried on wagons espe-
cially constructed for their transporta tlon'
1t is necessary to bring these pontoons
to the waters edge. launch them and then
lash them together.
ALLIES BEGIN ADVANCE.
THE whole operation of building the
pontoon bridges was carried on while
hell of fire rained down on the men, rifles,
mitrailleuses and the heavier guns con-
trlbuting At one time the enemy's fire
had grown so deadly and had worked
such destruction among the forces en-
gagged in building the pontoon bridges that
the work had to be suspended tempor-
arily.
Finally the allied army, foot by foot,
began to advance toward the river banks.
Thanks to the presence of the small un-
broken bridge, the English troops were
able to effect crossing of the river
comparatively early, while the French.
showing great bravery, began crossing
the river in single file by using the steel
grder. In the meantime, the engineers
renewed their task of pontoon bridge
building, and columns of troops crossed
the river. BY nightfall the crossing of
the river had been effected, and the
enemy was forced to retire.
MONDAY the Germans opened a heavy
bombardment along the heights eastward
toward Scissors. on Tuesday afternoon
a very severe attack was made by the
enemy, who evidently had been rein
forced and who seemed determined to
break through the allied lines between
Vic-sur-Aisne and Scissors. This at
tack was heralded by tremendous out
burst of the heavy German artillery, fol-
lowed by a systematic advance of the
infantry. The infantry of the Allies
aided by machine guns, stood their
ground, however in most splendid fash
ion pouring a deadly fire into the at
tacking Germans. At certain points the
Allies repulsed the Germans at the point
OF bayonets.
with unahated fury this battle con-
tinued all night and throughout Wednes-
day and THURSDAY The Germans We're
hurled at the allied troops in close for
nation, with extreme recklessness as TO
human life Summed up in a word, 1t
seemed a If the German strategy was
weight
GERMANS FALL BACK,
The hrst sign of weakening on the
part Of the Germans was noticed Thurs
day afternoon after their fierce attacks
on that day had been repulsed with huge
losses.
AS night fell on Thursday the Allies
began to drive back the Germans along
the extreme west of the position
from the river bank-that is Noyon, The +
work was slow and laborious and the
Germans contested every inch of the |
way, but the attack OF the Allies was
relentless, and foot by foot the Ger /
mans backed awav At last the Allies /.
gained six miles and took the heights
above the river.
"The Allies took 500 prisoners and a
number Of hne ma chime guns They .
then made several charges on the |
heights facing the terrible fire Of tho .
cnemys artillery from the district of
NONOn' Ldun ana + DntenDN. Inc charges P
fairly staggered the enemy because of
their fierceness and sudienness, and they
their object
"A German prisoner told me that the .
courage and the recklessness of the .
French and British during those charges
amazed the Germans.
AT Scissors was the only place that
only a slight advance was made by the
Allies This was due 10 the fact that
the Germans had artillery placed in the
luarries, which form a strong natural .
position, and by virtue of their big guns
and their position We're able TO hold the
allied troops partly in check
LAS | write the impression exists that
The enemy's resistance Is Weakening
Men in the trenches state that the fire
n the Germans has died down some
what.
"Soissons has suffered terribly II was
subje cted TO daily hombardmcnt bv the
great German guns. Almost irreparabIe
damage has been done TO the famous
Cathedral and 20 the Church OF st. Jean
les Nignes, II is expected that II the
continued the town viii be
'educed TO ruins, but the havoc wrought
IN scissors, so far as the battle of the
Aisne is concerned, matters not at an
once the enemy Is diSi0deed iron, the
tone quarri's tho whole German line
must fan back lust as the right wing
Ell back al Compiegne. II Is "a question
n heavy artIllaFg,