The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-16

IN QUARRIEs AND CAVES
Whole BattaliOns. Find Shelter
From the Elements.
Great Destruction Wrought by
Bombs From the Air.

London. Oct. 16.-There has been
given out in London descriptive &C
count Of some recent developments in |
France, sent by an eye witness. at
tached to the British general head
quarters The account IL dated Oct0-
Der IS in France and in part IL ~ fol-
lows:
On the firing line the men sleep and
obtain shelter in dugouts they have
followed or cut under the sides Of the
trenches. These refugees are raised
slightly above the bottom Of the trench
so as to remain dry in wet weather.
The floor Of the trench also II sloped
for the purposes Of drainage.
Some OF the trenches are provided
with overhead cover, which gives pro-
lection from the weather as well as
from shrapnel balls and splinters Of
shells. Considerable ingenuity has
been exercised by the men in naming
these shelters. Among the favorite
designations are the Hotel Cecil" the
Ritz Hotel" the BILLET Doux Hotel
and the Rue Dormitr."
On the road barricades also are to
be found, boards bearing this notice:
This way to the Prussians." Obsta-
cles of every kind abound and at night
each side can hear the enemy driving
pickets for entanglements. digging
trOus-de-loup, or working forward by
sapping. In some places obstacles
have been constructed by both sides
SO close together that some wag sug-
parties to perform this fatiguing duty
alternately insomuch as the work of
the enemy il ealmoJt indistinguishable
from ours and serves the same pur-
pose.
Quarries and Caves.
Quarries and caves. to which allu-
sion already has been made, provide
ample accommodation for whole bat
tali0ns and most comfortable are the
shelters which have been constructed
Aisne valley fortunately are very steep
and this to a great extent protects us
from the enemy's shells, many of
which pass harmlessly over our heads.
At all points subject to shell fire, ac-
cess to the firing line from behind is
provided by communicating trenches.
These are now 30 good that it Is pos
sible to cross in safety a fire-swept
zone.
It already has been mentioned that
according to information from the
enemy 10 Germans were killed by a
bomb dropped on the ammunition
wagon Of a cavalry battalion. 1t was
thought at the time that this might
have been the work OF one OF our air.
epeds = hand grenade ON -thie convoy
land had then got q birdseye view OF
the finest display Of fireworks he had
ever seen.
From corroborative evidence it now
appears that this was the case; that
the grenade thrown by him probably
| was the cause of the destruction of q
small convoy carrying field gun and
howitzer ammunition which has been
found total wreck.
Wrecks OF Motors.
Along the road lie fourteen motor lor-I
ries. their iron skeletons twisted and
broken. Everything inf1ammable has
been burned, as have the stripped trees
some with split trunks-on either side
/ of the road. OF the drivers nothing re-
mains except tattered boots and charred
scraps of clothing, while the ground
within a radius Of fifty yards of the
wagons is Uttered with pieces of iron.
split brass cartridge cases, which have
exploded, and some fixed-gun ammuni-
ton. with live shells.
| If it were possible to reconstrct this
incident, If it was in fact brought about
| as supposed. the grenade from the aero
plane must have detonated on the lead
ing lorry on one side of the road and
caused the cartridges carried by it to
explode.
| Three vehicles Immediately in the
| rear must then have been set on fire
with q similar result. Behind these are
groups Of four and two vehicles so
damned together as to suggest that
they must have collided in desperate at
tempts to stop. On the other side Of
the road, almost level with the leading
wagon. are four more vehicles which
were fired by the explosion of the first.
If this appalling destruction was due to
one hand-grenade it IL an illustration Of
the potenttalities Of a small amount of
high explosive detonated in the right
spot. while the nature Of the place
where the disaster occurred-a narrow
| road between high trees-is a testimony
to the skill of the airman
1t Ii only fair to add that some French
newspapers claim this damage to the
enemy was caused by the atcion Of q de-
tachment Of their dragons.