The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-10-08

~ Ou the JdDle.
When the meal was over the proprl-
etor called us to witness what had
happened to the far wing of the ho-
tel. 1t was demolished
Alert" had just been sounded and
the soldiers were running through the
streets. We ran out in time 10 see a
building fall half a block away, COM
pletely filling the street by which we
entered the town an hour earlier.
In few minutes we heard the sharp
crackle of infantry about half a mile
away and had sudden desire to get
away before the automobile retreat
was cut OFF. Just then we heard the
sound of an aero engine overhead. 1t
was flying so low that through a
glass we could easily see the whir-
ring propeller.
Germans Fire at Aviator.
The machine was mounted with a
rapid-fire gun, which was trying to To-
cate the German gunners, who i'm
mediately abandoned the destruction
of the town in an attempt to bring 1t
down.
For ten minutes we saw shells
bursting all about it. At times it was
lost in smoke, but when the smoke
cleared away there was the mono
plane still blazing away, always
mounting to higher level and finally
disappearing toward the French
lines.
There was another lull in the can
nonade and we were permitted to
pass down the street near a river,
where, by peering around a building
we could see where the German bat
teries were secreted in the hills. We
were warned not to get into the street
which led to the bridge, as the Ger
mans raked that street with their
fire if a person appeared. We then
took advantage of a lull in the fir
ing and departed to the south at 70
miles an hour, to beat the shells II
any were aimed our way as we
crossed the rise in the hill.
Shells Strike 100 Years Apart.
We passed the night at village
where considerable execution had
been done by German shells. We saw
one curious effect of them. In a
historic building near the city hall
there was a shell imbedded in the
wall with q plate fixed beneath 1t
showing it struck there in the year
1914. Just next to it was an unex-
ploded shell of 100 years after stick
ing in the wall.
We again struck out toward the
battle line, but when we were with
in sound Of the firing the authorities
decided we had seen enough of war
and detained US for two days as
guests of a regimental staff, which
was quartered in courtyard. There
we we're privileged to see how the
French soldiers lived and became such
hardened fighters as they were prov
ing themselves to be. We ate with
them and slept with them in the straw
until orders came to send us to Paris.
AS we we're leaving our cowyard the
authorities grabbed another group OF
correspondents, four in number, head
ed by Richard Harding Davis. They
were ordered to accompany us to
Paris instead of passing several days
in the straw sampling hardtack and
army fare.
Tells of Horrors of War.
London,-The Standard correspond
ent, F. st. Beaman, writing from a
town in France, says:
"The fearful horrors of war can
never be grasped by seeing the care
fully tended wounded who come back
to England and hearing their tales,
however gruesome, while there is
scarcely a day in any of the French
towns near the armies that does not
bring with it some live terror from
the front. One example will suffice
to point out this truth. Four days
ago the hospital corps and volun-
teers were notified that a convoy was
expected. Towards midnight it ar
rived, bringing French and German
wounded. The latter we're abandoned
by the Germans in Senlis when they
retreated after setting fire to the
town.
1--WE had had many trains OF wound
ed before, and all necessary arrange
ments were made as usual, but when
this convoy arrived even the most
hardened had to summon all fortitude
to the task of emptying the carriages.
| When man had broken leg or
arm or a bullet through his lungs the
skilled ambulance staff soon had him
comfortably backed, but here were
human vestiges SO mangled that 1t
was difficult to find place to touch
them without causing screams and
means. An insufrerable charnal house
, stencil pervades the whole night air
Laid Out Four Days.
Most of the wounded had lain fol
four days and nights where they had
fallen before being picked up, ant
had not yet had their wounds exam
ined. much less dressed. Under the
burning sun and myriad of flies ano
under later rains they had been left
to suffer the torture Of pain, hunger
and thirst until it was marvel they
still breathed.
"The state of their wounds cannot
be guessed and does not bear descrip
ton. It was three o'clock in thu
morning before they could be dis
posed of in hospitals. Even q
hours later all had had first dressing
The Germans were far the worst cases
for the French fire seemed to have
been much more destructive, and
when it does not kill outright ravagei
horribly. After four days many died
and we had to shift them again. suct
of them as could be moved"