The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-11-22
citizens Who Went 20 tho Front TO
Watch Battle Were Anxious
to Help Rcd Cross
Work.
A TALE OF HERo1sM
How Company Of British Engineers
Blew Up Bridge While Ger
mans Rained Bullets
on Them.
rBy William Philip Simms, United
Press STAFF Correspondent

Press Staff Correspondent
PARIS. Oct. 29-(By mail to New
York. THE French general stan
found q neat way OF dealing with spec
tators who, by aid Of passes obtained
through political influence, motoreo
out from Paris daily to watch the
fighting. when it was near the capital.
Naturally, these privileged persons
preferred to get as near the general
staff as possible, and officers have
been considerably hampered by their
presence.
One day. a bright young staff ON
oer rode up to group OF motorists
watching the fighting along the Aisne.
and demanded to know what they
were doing there. All produced passes
and expressed their anxiety to help
the Red Cross corps The ofscer look
ed them over. and Noticing the COM
Portable proportions OF most Of the
men and the dainty dresses OF the
women, grinned wickedly as he wrote
a note to the commander of the near
est field hospital
The medical man read the note ana
ueeted the volunteers with enthus-
iasm. TT was most kind OF you to
come. You can be OF the greatest ser
vice. Our nursing stan is all right,
hut there are q number OF dead
horses we haven't had time to re-
move. Here are picks and shovels.
viii you kindly bury them?"
Not many Of the horses were hurfeo
but the neighborhood OF the general
staff headquarters was left clear OF
spectators thereafter.
A thrilling tale OF British heroism
s. told by CASTOR Bossier, wounded
private OF the Sixth Cuirassiers. bet
ter known as Darino. lyrical artist OF
the Coincide Franchise.
I'VE were together" he says. -ths
Cuirassse-s OF France and the royal
engineers OF Great Britain, and we
had retreated across the Aisne at
Scissors. The Germans were tryins
TO rush their bases across the bridge
after US. The bridge had to be blown
up. The German sharp shooters were
firing at Us, and their mitrailleuses
we're working havoc. The whole place
was an inferno Of mitrailleuse and
rife fire.
In to this gate OF hell the royal
engineers suddenly went a party OF
them dashed suddenly toward the
bridge and. althorgh losing heavily,
managed TO lay charge OF sufficient
strength to destroy 81 Before they
could Hight the fuse, they were an kill
ed. Then We waited
Another body Of these brave fel-
lows had crept near the bridge and
had taken cover. but the German
sharp shooters had got their range and
were pouring a deadly fire upon them
In the next few minutes re saw some
thing which We shah remember 70 our
dying day
'sOne of the engineers made q rush
alone, toward the fuse. He was killed
before he got half way, but fnnedt-
aely he was down another man dashed
up and ran on until he too, fell dead.
almost over the body OF his coursds.
a third, fourth, fifth attempted %
run the gauntlet OF the German rife
fire, and all Of them net their deaths
In the same way. Others dashed on.
after them, one by one, until the death
toll numbered eleven
Then for an instant. the German
rife fire slackened. and IN that IN
slant, the bridge was blown up, fol-
the twelfth man, racing across the