Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-29


to the front was taken by the CORE
through the German fortresses Of
Mayenoe, Saarbrucken and Metz
through the frontier regions between
Metz and the French fortress line from
Verdun to Toul, into the actual bat
terry positions from which German and
Austrian heavy artillery were pound
ing their eight and twelvc-inch shells
into the French barrier forts and into
the ranks of the French field army,
which has replaced the crumbling for
tif1catlons of steel and cement with
ramparts of flesh and blood.
Impressions at the end are those Of
some great Industrial undertaking.
with powerful machinery In full OPP
GRAFTON, and endless supply trains
bringing up the raw materials for
fabrication rather than of war, as
pictured.
From n point of observation on a
, hillside above st. Mihel the great bat
tlefeld on which German army is
endeavorinR to break through the line
of barrier forts between Verdun and
Toul and the opposing French forces
could be surveyed in It's entirety. In
the foreground lay the level valley Of
the Mouse. with the towns Of st. MI
hiel and Bannoncour nesting upon
the green landscape. Beyond and be-
hind the valley rose tier Of hills, on
which the French at this writing OBJ
stinately hold an intrenched position,
checking the point of the German
wedge while the French forces from
]
of the triangle trying to force it back
across the Mouse and out from tho
vitals of the French fortress line.
ARMIES FIGHT UNDER COVER.
Bursting shells threw up their col
umns of white or black fog around the
/ edge of the panorama Cloudlets of
white smoke here and there showed
where a position was being brought I'M
der shrapnel fire. An occasional aero
plane could be picked out lowering
over the lines, but the infantry and the
field battery positions could not be dis
I cerned even with a high-power field
glass, so clevery had the armies taken
cover.
The uninitiated observer would have
! believed this a deserted Landscape
rather than the scene Of great bat
tie. which, If successful for the Ger
mans, would force the main French
army to retreat from its intrenched posi-
tons along the Aisne river
About three miles away, across the
Mouse, a quadrangular mound of black,
plouehed-up earth on the hillside mark
ed the location Of Fort Les Paroches,
which had been sllenced by the German
| n p ~
Camp, so named because the Roman
legions had centuries ago selected this
site for n strategic encampment, had
days earlier after Its heavy guns had
been put out of action. and artillery Of
hcers said that Fort Lionvile fifteen
Vision, was then practically silenced.
only one If its armored turrets con-
tinuing to answer the homhardment
The correspondent had spent the pre-
vious night at the fortress town OF Metz
sleeping under the same roof with Prince
Oscar of Prussia invaded in from the
field in a state Of physical breakdown
Prince William of Hohenzollcrn, father
in-law Of ex-King Manuel, and other Of
f1cers either watching or engaged In the
II
automobile to the battlefront, thirty.
FIVE miles to the west
GERMAN FORTS MASKED,
For the first part Of the distance tint
road led through the hills on which are
the chain OF forts comprising the fortress
of Metz, but, although the general stan
officer in the car pointed now and then tc
a hill az the site of this or that fort traces
of the Notifications could only occasional
ly be made out. Usually they were sc
skifully masked and concealed by woods
or blended with the hillsldes that nothing
out of the ordinary was apparent III strik
ing contrast to the exposed position of this
forts at the recently visited fortress OF
Liege, which advertised their presence
from the skyline of the encompassiHS hills
and fairly invited bombardment,
, The country as far as the frontier tow
of Core seemed hathed In absolute peace
No troops were seen. rarely We're automo
biles of the general STAFF encountered am
men and women were working in the feds
and vineyards as II war We're "A miluu'
miles away. instead of only next door
Beyond Gorze, however the road lea9ins
southwest through Chambey, St. Renci
Gigneuillas to ST. Mihiel was crowded witt
long columns of wagons and automobile
trucks bearing reserve ammunition, pro
visions and supplies to the front or re
turning empty for new loads to the un
named railroad base in the rear.
Strikingly good march discipline wa.
observed part of the road being AWAY.
left free for the passage of staff auto
mobiles or marching troops Life seemed
most comfortable for the drivers and es
corts as the army in advance had beer
long enough in position and it's railroaI
base was 80 near that supplying It in
volved none Of the sleepless nights anC
days and almost superhuman exertion
falling to the lot of the train in the flyinl
march Of the German armies toward
Paris.
COME ON WARS HEEL PRINTS
few miles beyond Gorze the French
frontier was passed and from this poin
on the countryside. with It's deserted
farms, rottlng shocks OF wheat and uncu
fields of grain, trampled down by infantr,
and Scared with trenches. excavation:
for batteries and pits caused by explod
Ing shells, showed wars devastating hee
prints
Main army headquarters. the resldenc,
and working quarters OF a commandinl
general whose name may not Yet be men
toned Were in Chateau Chambley, a fin,
French country house In the chateau tn,
commanding general made war as com
fortably as in his own home Telegraph
wires led to It from various directions,
p small Headquarters guard ounged on tn,