Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-12
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF FIERCE FIGHTING TOLD
BYEYEWITNESS, FRESH FROM THE BATTLE FRONT

I the sounds Of firing and Smelling In
the adjacent village. and SO | re
manned all day in the house. The
next day the German troops rushed
past the house. solid wall of men sc
close together that they obiterated
the flower garden and the adjoining
young shrubbery as completely as il
a steam roller had passed over both.
| ] cast hasty glance in the opposite
direction, specializing If even yet
could escape that way but at a cross
roads near the he use / saw four Hun
gar.an Hussars, who sat moticnless N
their saddles. They formed a square
each man looking down the road. with
q rife uns!ung. the butt resting Loose
Ily against his bright red riding
breeches, and with finger on trigger
| realized that it would he a mad
race down any of these roads and that
q wild sCamper through the adjacent
fields would be bad for my health.
Finds Himself at the Front.
| Turning again to look at the Ger
mans, reflected with secret eXulta
, ton that my most sanguine hopes as
a war correspondent had been real
lied as they have been in every war
in which | have been and as l, hope
they will be realized again in this war.
For a lCng time the wisest heads in
the Russian foreign and war Offices
prevented me from getting to the
front. Now with a rush like a Mag
ara the front had come to me. y,
The official war correspondents
were away. inspecting the base hos
pitfalls at Lvof. 100 miles from the
firing line, and here was | right in
| the middle of the fighting, the, only
| journalistic witness of this titanic
struggle of Teuton and Slav,
Looks With Awe on the Fighters.
| The Germans were no beauties as
they advanced in their 'pickelhauben"
ChelmetsD and grayish uniforms. look
ing as II they had not shaved or
washed for weeks. II was with no or.
binary curiosity that | gazed, at that
formidable hest switch had wrought
devastation from Antwerp to Warsaw
before whose cannon first class for,
tresses had gone down like houses of
cards, whose mcnstrcus armies were
measured not by miles but by degrees
OF. latitude, and who had taken on so
manq different empires and nations at
once, that the; dread of undulyf in
creasing the cable bill prevents me
from Keeling off their names. IL j.
The Germans passed out of sight,
but the fighting ilasted until dusk, and
at midnight again there was a heavy
rife fire H. ; s.. -,
House Taken, as Hospital. s..tss3,
Toward morning several German
doctors came and said it was neces-
sary to- use the house as a hospital.
They did So. but it was unsafe, as
Russian shells were falling close, our
Red Cross flag being invisible in the
darkness, The surgeons were ccnrte-
Gus and the ordinary soldiers rough. s.
Meanwhile the tide, of battle rose.
higher and higher around, us. 1t was
impossible to leave the house, whose.
walls were dashed by spray of sirap-
mel and rife bullets. It was cracked
in several places from the foundation;
to the rocf by the concussion Of gil
gantic shells. vitf.s ii b s "A. t.ss ltft
The doctors and officers told usI
that they we're approaching Warsaw,
which would be theirs in a, few, DAYS.
The officers were surprised at the
damage done by the Russian shells;
having heard that because sof official
graft these were filled with sand I'M
stead of melinite a. s .tA,
Sees Battle Approach Warsaw. at,s. iii
mounted to the roof and observed
the distant lights of Warsaws which
were not lowered despite the terror Of
aeroplanes and zeppeiinss South .of
Warsaw ] say great irregular line
OF foam tipped shrapnel explosions;
the boiling edge of Teutonic sea oil
iron and blood 81 B Is
Ae one point the line bent sharply
outward and approached perilously
close to the Polish capital. The line
moved closer and as / looked Il felt
sure that Warsaw had gone like Ant
werp Brussels, Liege and Maubege.,
Then the line fell back and the red
tide OF war ebbed and flowed like a
crimson ocean. ti,.. ia
Accused Of Warning Russians. ~
NY reflections were interrupted by
the whiz Of a ballet and then shrapnel
bursting above the chimney sent me
inside. The next day the hospital was
withdrawn and German officer en-,
tered in rage. complaining that we
had communicated with the Russians
by signals or underground telephone,
This telephone complaint has been
made frequently. Gen. Rennenkampf
In East Prussia always suspected the
Prussian ,hcuseholders fon this point
Threat OF Shooting Made.
The officer was positive that some
of us had communicates with the Rus
SLAMS, as the accuracy Of their shoot
ing was not to be explained otherwise.
He said that one Of US had been sig
Mailing from the roof and that he
would have that person identified. A
cold shudder went down my spine.
Are you people aware he roared,
that I could have you all shot? am
too humane; that is what am" I
He spoke German, which my Polish
hosts spoke equally well. was silent,
but for one awful quarter of minute
he addressed himself to. me, speaking