The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1914-11-07
|AM|D SHRAPNEL FIRE WRITER SEES
FIERCE CONFLICT ON THE USER RIVER

| fear of death, but the result Of the
unearthly sound
Entering the church, I found it full
or straw, the place evidently having
been used as dormitory for soldiers.
but nothing had been touched, though
chairs We're scattered everywhere. AT
ter mounting rickety ladder a long
time IN the dark | reached the very
tip or the steeple above the bell.
Sees Battle From Steeple.
Looking through my spyglasses over
the fiat country in the direction of the
town, ! was able to distinguish the
very spots and buildings beyond which
the Belgian shells were bursting.
Flames were leaping high, but owing
to a row of trees screening the Ger.
man batteries l was unable to see
what was burning. At that time the
town itself was intact.
To the left stretched the poplar Dor.
dered User. I could see men shell
tered in trenches along the roadside
trenches so cut as to provide a skel-
eton covering, upon which was heaped
straw making a watertight roof. In
front, about six hundred yards dis
tant, regiment was drawn up, but l
was unable TO learn the reason why
In company with an English CORE
spondent. at that time the only other
correspondent with the Belgians, saw
the battle of Nieuport at close range.
Long before we reached the village of
Nieuport Baines we saw part of the
naval squadron lying just off the coast
occasionally firing at some unseen
mark and heard field artillery boom
ing ahead
Hear Batteries In the Dunes.
We heard the Belgian batteries fir
ing in the dunes on our right toward
Nieuport and only when we reached
the south pier at the mouth Of the
User could We obtain any idea Of the
general situation, the lines at this
point being held by the Sixth and
Seventh Belgian infantry. The day
was cloudy and the wind was driving
the mist of rain inland. Accordingly,
we sought high, deserted building
that stood nearest the river. When
we finally stuck our heads through the
skylight, by the aid of our glasses We
saw an unforgettable sight.
At our feet lay the railroad station
at the mouth of the River User, which
stretched away right to the town Of
Nieuport, then bent southwark and
was hidden from view by the building
In which We were. Behind the river,
hidden in grove Of scrubby trees
growing on the dunes, were three Bel
gian batteries of four guns each, which
were firing necessarily straight across
before rs. The shells were striking
beyond the village of Lombaertzyde.
Thirteen Warships in Sight.
To the left, beyond Lombaertzyde.
was the village Of Westende, which
the Germans had retaken that morn
ing. Still farther away the church
spire of Middlekerque was family visi-
BILE Lombaertzyde seemed quiet, but
German shells bursting over it pres
emily located the Belgian trenches be-
fore US and few soldiers came rum
ming over the dunes.
But it was on the left that the spec.
tacle was most impressive. There, ly-
ing out from the coast at varying dis
tances, were 13 vessels of war. There
were two cruisers, one of which fired
occasionally from about three miles;
the other lay silent somewhat farther
from the coast and south of eight de-
stroyers, four French and four Eng
lish and three monitors.
Great Flashes Bare Batteries.
For long time we watched the Ge1.
man shells bursting over Lombaert.
zyde The Belgian shrapnel and the
shells of the monitors were directed
against WeStende 7 saw the Belgian