The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-10-28
International News Service.

London.-A correspondent writing
fyom Bergen-op-Zoom, Holland, gives
a vivid description of the entry Of the
German army into Antwerp.
The bulk Of the kaiser's force did
rot enter the city until Saturday after
noon, when $4,000 men passed In re-
view before General'von Schultz, mill
tary governor Of Antwerp, and Admi-
raj Won Schroeder, who, surrounded by
a glittering staff, sat their horses In
front Of the royal palace IN the Place
de Meir. y
For five hours the mighty host
poured through the streets of the de-
serted city, while the houses shook
to the thunder Of their tread" he
writes. Company after company, reg
iment after regiment, brigade after
brigade, swept past until the eye
grew weary of watching the ranks OF
gray under slanting lines Of steel.
"As they marched they sang, the
canyon formed by the high buildings
along the Place de Meir echoing to
their voices roaring out Die Wacht
am Rhein' and "A Mighty Fortress Is
Our God
Like an Election Parade.
Each regiment was headed by its
field music and colors, and when dark.
ness fell and street lamps were light
ed the shrill music of flies, the rattle
Of drums and the tramp Of marching
feet reminded me Of a torchlight cleo
ton parade.
Hard on the heels Of the infantry
rumbled artillery, battery after, bat
terry.
Behind the field batteries rumbled
the quick firers-the same pompoms
whose acquaintance I had made at
Weerde and elsewhere. And then,
heralded by q blare of trumpets and
q crash Of k~ettledrums, came the cav.
airy, %cuirassiers in helmets and
br~eastplates of FURNISHED steel, hus-
sars in befrogged jackets and fur bus.
bies, and finally the uhlans, riding
amid forests OF lances under a cloud
Of fluttering pennons. p
"But this was not all, nor nearly all,
for after the uhlans came the blue
Jackets Of the naval division, broad
sh%ouldered, b~ewhiskered fellows, with
caps worn rakishly and a roll Of the
sea IN their gait.
Then the Bavarian infantry in dark
blue, the Saxon infantry in light blue,
and Auetrians in uniforms Of beautiful
silver gray, and last of all q squadron
of gendarmes in silver and bottle
green.
"As that fighting machine swung
past I could not but marvel at how
the gallant, chivalrous and coura-
geous but ill-prepared little army of
Belgium had held it back as long as
1t had. .r. .. ~.
Few See Entry,
1.-THE most remarkable feature of
this wonderful spectacle was that
there were comparatively few persons
to see it. SO far as onlookers were
concerned the Germans might as well
have marched through the streets OF
Pompeii. Another American and /,
standing on the balcony Of the Ameri-
can consulate, were the only specta.
tors, 30 far as l know, in the whole
length Of the Place de Meir, which is
the State street of Antwerp. 1t re-
minded me Of a circus that had come
to town a day before it was expected"
A feature of the procession was a
victoria drawn by a fat white horse
and with two soldiers on the box,
which accompanied a regiment Of Ba-
varians. Both horse and carriage
we're decorated with flowers. It was
evidently a species OF triumphal char.
Tot, for 1t was filed with hampers Of
champagne.
Pay for What They Take.
The correspondent says the German
soldiers treat the townspeople with
consideration, paying in German sill.
yer for what they take from the shops.
Describing the fear Of the Antwerp
citizens when the kaiser's soldiers en-
tered, the correspondent says: "
When the main body Of troops be-
gan entering the city on Saturday
morning the townspeople-those who
had not escaped from the city-rushed
out with beer, cheese, bread and flow,
ers, evidently with the idea Of placat-
ing them by means of their pitiful
little offerings. 1t was not a pleas
ant sight, but these people have been
80 terrified by tales Of German bar
barities that one can hardly blame
them" ,
The correspondent estimates that
less than one hundred civilians were
killed during the bombardment.
Havoc Wrought by Shells.
Telling of the rain of shells which
swept the city, he says:
"A 42-centimeter shell tore com
pletely through a handsome stone
house next door to United States Con-
sui General Diederich's residence,
crossed the street and exploded in the
upper story of a school. There is not
a block in the Boulevard Leopold that
does not contain several shattered
houses. No buildings were damaged
in Place de Meir, though three shells
struck the pavement, tearing holes
as large as a grand piano.
"A shell entered the roof of the Ho-
tel st. Antoine, passed through two
bathrooms and exploded in the room
occupied 4S hours before by the Rus.