Evening journal., 1914-11-17
BY p. NJ. SARL.

Omitted Press STAFF Correspondent
LONDON. Oct %; (BY MAIL TO
NEW YORK).-A thrilling incident
in the wonderful retreat of the Brit
ish from Mons, is described by Sapper
Wells of the Royal Engineers, who
passes lightly over his own part in
an extraordinary act of heroism.
"Our officers asked for man to go
with him to blow up bridge, so that
the Germans could not follow us, and
l went with him." says Wells.
well, to blow bridge up we use
gun-cotton and a wire fuse. 1t IS
safe enough if you take your wire
well away, but this time it would not
work Our men in running back
hsd stepped on the wire so we had
to go nearer to the bridge and try
again. Even then it would not act
so the officer said to me: Get out OF
the way, Wells. said, No. I'll go
with you We were the only two
on the bridge. and the Germans we're
shooting at us. but our luck was in.
Well, we both lay down and / fired
ten rounds at the guncotton with my
rife, and he did the same with
pistol, but Il wouldn't work. If IL
il. so you see what a shave we had.
We made dive back and got some
more guncotton, and we're making 10
have another go when an officer
ordered us back, saying it was no
use trying"
Wounded British soldiers in the
hands of the Germans have hit upon
a novel way of communicating with
their families and friends at home.
They subscribe small sums of money
TO the German Red Cross Society, but
as few Of them have any cash they
fill up a draft form, or sign a cheque
10 be sent to London and honored. On
the. back of the draft the banker Is
requested to communicate the news
OF the drawers safety to his home.
Tommy Atkins thinks II is we'll worth
a dollar subscription.
American Rhodes scholars revisit
Ing Oxford would hardly recognize
the great seat of learning in England,
for the famous old colleges have been
turned into barracks, and in addition
10 the town being in charge Of the
military, practically every able-bodied
undergraduate has Joined the army OF
navy.
The University o. T. c. (Officers'
Training Corps). was of course mobi-
lized with the rest of British regular
and volunteer forces, but from a mod
est four hundred strong the corps rap
idly jumped to nearly two thousand
and already 500 of its members have
- cf rnFl1.
missions in the British Army and
Navy must be signed by the King. but
Oxford stands up for its ancient
rights. and insists upon the right OF
the Vice-Chancellor to countersign
those granted to Oxford graduates
The playing field and towing-paths
which. three short months ago were
peopled with vigorous young English
men clad in flannels and college
blazers, and which echoed the laugh
Ter of their fair admirers, now
show nothing but drab khaki. Exeter
College is the headquarters of the Ok.
ford and Buckinghamshire Light In
tantry. and the soldiers occupy tn,
college buildings and meadows Card
inal Wolsey's spacious kitchen is il
dual possession Of cooks. civil ant
military. who cooperate amicably il
the feeding of the troops and the few
hundred students still up" Cam
bridge has also answered the call tt
arms. but Oxford is exulting over tn,
fact that il has beaten its rival by sew.
eral hundred in the matter of recruits
In one big tent at Catherhan camT
is the following family, all new re-