El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-18
GERMANS APPLY TORCH FREELY;
BURN TOWNS AND KILL CIVILIANS
Two English Students Tell of Horrors Of War as Seen
by Noncombatants; Men Shot Down as They Run
From Burning Homes Shops and Stores Are
Looted by Soldiers B efore Being Burned.

the end Of the street while the firing
went on
Civilians Are Murdered.
1T was a terrible spectacle, and our
first glimpse of the horrors Of war, Tor
we saw five civilians as they leII their
burning houses ruthlessly shot down
by the German soldiers The German
soldiers however. spared women and
children and marched them on one side
before they fired the village.
we made the best Of bad job, and
7 produced a flask Of brandy, which
had with me, while the Germans looted
a cafe and brought out coEnac- 1nen
they allowed US 10 go on towards Lou
vain By this time il was dark and We
were In danger not only OF being snoJ
by sentries but also by the inhabitants,
who might take US for Germans We
walked on through wood and struck
small village called Neltnam Al
though we went TO several cares we
could not obtain anything TO eat and no
one would give Us shelter, so we went
to the village priest Poor man, ne
could do nothing for US; his place was
already Iull OF re1ugeeSranQ ne ADVISED
US to go into the woods. However, we
coutrived TO get a little chocolate and
with a loaf or bread which we had
brought with US, we managed TO make
a scratch meal, after which we lay
down IN barn oyerrun with rats
We got back on the road to Louvain
and stumbled upon a German encamp-
menL We picked up pack OF playing
cards and a cap from the dead BODY or a
Belgian soldier There We're many dead
horses and a few dead soldiers here
abouts. They were German horses
Just outside Of Louvain we met
troop Of Germans and they allowed US
TO go on, although they told US there
was considerable danger as the inhabi-
tants were still firing"
The Destroyed LOuvain.
Neither OF US will ever forget the
spectacle Louvain presented as We
walked Up the principal street The
whole town had apparently capitulaJed
TO the Germans although occasionally
we heard the sound Of firing. But it
was desultory firing, and the greater
part OF the town was in flames
Houses were falling. telegraph and
telephone poles were Uumbling into the
streets. and the picture Of desolation
was complete German soldiers We're
looting among the ruins Dead bodies
Uttered the streets The Germans We're
placing sacks over the faces OF the
dead
Germans Loot stores.
In one street We met German SOL
diers. who gave US cigars These they
had looted They would not have treat
ed US like this had they known We
were English Ny friends boots had
given out, and the Germans took him
into bOotmaker's shOp-nOw lacking
an owner-and picked him out a new
pair Of shoes
AS we went down a side street to-
wards the center Of the town we met
two German soldiers carrying a canary
which they had taken out of a burning
house This they gave TO my friend,
who offered II TO one OF three Belgian
girls outside provision shop.
Ancient Hotel Spared.
"As we approached the center Of the
city we found the whole place in flames
with the exception Of the Hotel de
Vile. This beautiful old 18th century
structure was intact. and the Germans
had taken the precaution to preserve
it. 1 not only saw this for myself-the