Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-10-10


er and nearer they swept toward the
German positions. And then came a
new sight.
A few seconds later came new
sound. First 1 saw a sudden, almost
grotesque. melting OF the advancing
line. IL was different from anything
that had taken place before. The men
literally went down like dominoes in
a row. Those who kept their feet
were hurled back as though by a
terrible gust Of wind. Almost in the
second that ! pondered. puzzled. the
staccato rattle of machine guns
reached as. My ear answered the
query of my eye,
For the first time the advancing
lines hesitated. apparently bewildered.
Mounted officers dashed along the
line, urging the men forward. Horses
fell with the men. saw dozen
ridcrlcss horses dashing madly
through tho lines. adding new ter
ror. Another horse was obviously
running away with his officer rider.
The crucial period for the section Of
the charge on which ! had riveted my
attention probably lasted less than a
minute. To my throbbing brain. II
seemed an hour. Then. with the with
ering FIRE raking them rs they fall
tered. tho lines broke. Panic ensued
II was every man for himself. The
entire Russian charge turned and
went tearing back TO cover and the
shelter of the Russian trenches.
swept the entire line OF the Rus
sian advance with my glasses--as FAR
as IL was visible from our position
Tho whole advance of the enemy was
in retreat. making for its intrenched
position.
After the assault had failed aud The
battle had resumed its normal trend,
swept the field with my glasses. The
dead were everywhere. They were not
piled mp. but were strcwn over acres.
More horrible than the sight of th'
dead though. were the other pictures
brought up by the glasses. Squirming
tossing. writing figures everywhere
The wounded and dying! An who could
stumble or crawl were working theii
way back toward their own lines or back
10 the friendly cover of hills or wooded
spots. Hut there appeared 10 be hun.
drods To whom was denied even thu
hope, hundreds doomed No there in the
open. with wounds unwashed and un
dressed, suffering from thirst and hun
ger until the mercful shadows OF dark
mess made possible their rescue-by tho
Good Samaritnns of the hospital corps
who are tonight cleaning That field o.
death for the third time since Sunday
After the charge we moved along baci
of the German lines az a safe distance
aud found the hospital corps bringing
back the German wounded. The mum
Der of these was comparatively slight
due to the strongly intrenched positions
they had occupied. Nearly all th'
wounded were hit by shrapnel rs thel
lay in the trenches.
After a tour along the rear Of tn
German position. where we saw tn
reserves. ammunition and suppl
wagons all drawn up IN close lorna
ton, with the hospital corps in th
4, extreme rear, we moved up until di
rectly behind the German trenches
The artillerymen had resume
their duel and as we came up In tf
lee of the outbuildings Of desertS
farmhouse a shell struck and FIRE
the farmhouse Immediately in fro
OF u.s. As we paused TO see " u
shot was a chance one, or II the Ru
. sian gunners had actually gotten q
" range a regiment Of fresh reserve
young men who had just come I
from the west, passed us on their wa
10 their baptism OF FIRE.
Their demeanor was more suggel
tive of a group Of college student
going to a football game than th
serious business on which they wer
bent They were singing and laugh
ing. and as they went by a non-com
missioned officer inquired rather rue
fully whether there we're any Rus
SLAMS left for them.
/. As we stood on a slight rise over
looking about three miles OF the bat
tie front a staff officer came rushin
toward us, yelling and pointing 4
something behind us, We turned Il
time TO see a shell burst 500 yard
away. A few seconds later anothe
dropped about 500 yards: and the
one about 300. When one broke 20
yards away, We understood the OF
fcers frantic gesticulation. We too
II down the hill on tho dead run I
cover, and moment later She
burst with terrific force on the yer
spot on which we had stood. furnish
ing q splendid target IN the open fell
As we worked our way slow
through dense wood in the directiS
of the German trenches We were almo
deafencd hv the shrek and crash
bursting shells sweeping overhead
the Russian gunners felt out the &c
man position in an effort TO locate
German ammunition train 800 yards
our right. where il had probably bee
sighted by a Russian aeroplane.
Throughout the day we watched q
fight waged from the opposing trench
and by the artillery. The GermS
forces seemed content 80 hold the
present position for the time being. al
barring few outpost skirmishes mat
no serious offensive moves.
Suddenly az sundown the Eighth
cleared as II by mutual agreement.
outpost, really only a reinforced pick
line. was thrown out ahead of the &c
man line and the work of removing Il
dead and wounded who could not
] moved under fire was rushed alOn
, Within an hour after the days frir
had ceased, the German trenches we
cleaned up and the work of bringing u
the supplies and ammunition for tomo
rows conflict was under way.
As ! write this ] can see occasions
flashes Of light like the flare of giar
frehies out over the scene Of the Ru
, sian charge-the flashes Of small ele
trical lamps in the hands Of the Russia
hospital corps.
Pm glad | don't have 10 look at wha
the flashes reveal out there in the nigh