The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1914-11-06


"A five-day trip to the front has taken
the correspondent through the Ger
man fortresses Of Mayence, Saarbru-
ken and Metz, through the frontier re-
gions between Metz and the French
fortress line from Verdun to Toul, into
the actual battery positions from
which Germans and Austrian heavy
artillery were pounding their eight and
twelve inch shells into the French bar
rier forts and into the ranks of the
French field army, which has replaced
the crumbling Notifications 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 opera
ton and endless supply trains bring
ing up the raw materials for fabrica-
ton rather than of war as pictured.
Sees Battle From Hillside.
From point of observation on a
hillside above st. Mihiel, the great bat
tiefleld on which a German army is en-
deavoring to break through the line of
barrier forts between Verdun and
Tout, and the opposing French forces
could be surveyed in its entirety.
In the foreground lay the level val
ley Of the Mouse with the towns of st.
Mihiel and Bannoncour nesting upon
the green landscape. Beyond and be-
hind the valley rose a tier of hills, on
which the French obstinately hold an
intrenched position, checking the point
Of the German wedge, while French
forces from north and south beat upon
the sides of the triangle trying to
force it back across the Mouse and
out from the yitals of the French for
tress line.
Bursting shells threw up their col
unins of white or black fog around the
edge of the panorama. Cloudlets of
white smoke here and there showed
where position was being brought
under shrapnel fire. An occasional
aeroplane could be picked out. hover
ing over the lines, but the infantry
and the field battery positions could
not be discerned, even with high
power field glass, SO cleverly had the
armies taken cover
Reaches Zone of Ruin.
A few miles beyond Gore the
French frontier was passed and from
this point on the countryside, with its
deserted farms, rotting shocks of
wheat, and uncut fields of grain, tram
pied down by infantry and SCARED
with trenches, excavations for bat
teries, and its pits caused by explod-
heel prints
At st. Benoit party of some three
hundred French prisoners was en-
countered, waiting outside headquar-
tiers. They were all fine young fell
lows, in striking contrast to the elder
ly reservist type which predominates
in the German prison camps. They
were evidently elite troops of the line
and were treated almost with defer
ence by their guards, a detachment of
bearded landwehr men from South Ger
many. They were the survivors of the
garrison Of the Roman camp fort who
had put up such a desperate and spirit
ed defense as to win the whole-hearted
admiration and respect of the German
officers and men.
Held Out to Bitter End.
Their guns had been silenced and
trenches were pushed up by an over
whelming force Of pioneers and in
fantry to- within five yards of their
works before they retreated from the
advanced intrenchments to the case
ments OF the fort. Here they main
tanned a stout resistance and refused
every, summons to surrender.
Hand grenades were brought up.
bound to a backing of boards, and
exploded against the openings of the
easements, filling these with showers
of steel splinters. Volunteers, creep
ing up to the dead angle of the case
ments where the fire of the defenders
could not reach them, directed smoke
tubes and stinkpots against apertures
in the citadel, filling the rooms with
suf5ocating smoke and gases.
Have you had enough?" they were
asked, after the first smoke treatment.
NO." was the defiant answer.
The treatment was repeated a sec
ond and third time, the response to the
demand for surrender each time grow
ing weaker until finally the defenders
were mo longer able to raise their
rifles and the fort was taken.
Saluted by Foes.
When the survivors OF the plucky
garrison were able to march out re
vived by the fresh air, they found their
late opponents presenting arms before
them in recognition Of their gallant
stand. They were granted the most
honorable terms of surrender, their
officers were allowed to retain their
swords and on their march toward an
honorable captivity they were every
where greeted with expressions of re-
spect and admiration.
Beyond st. Benoit and Cote Lor-
raine range of wooded hills running