New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-30
ATTACK BEGINS ON
FORTS OF ANTWERP
Lierre Bombarded All Day
and Many Buildings
Already Destroyed.
tBy Cable to The Tribune. J

Antwerp, Sept. 29.--Development OF
the German attack continued to-day
with heavy fire on the forts at Wsel.
ham, St. Catherine and st. WRvre. The
siege artillery being used in the bonn
bardment had one lRmentable result at
Duffel, ten miles southeast of Antwerp,
where a great crowd of refugees had
assembled at the railway station to
await a train to take them out of the
bombardment area.
Twenty shells from the big guns fell
in the station and the refugees, men,
women and children, were almost an
initiated. An srmored train, with en-
gineers and soldiers, which advanced
along the line near Duffel did great
execution among the German ,Outposts,
TheiF position tO.dsy shows eiaafly 'tlas
Grmang contemplate & heavy artillery
attack upon Antwerp, probably as a
means Of attempting to extcrt from
the Belgian government an srmistice
which would release from its duties the
German army now covering the for
tress.
II is doubtful if the German force is
sufficient for a regular attack with in
fantry designed to take the town, but
the German plan will be to use siege
artillery at q distance. In the field the
Belgian forces still hold the superiority
in this area.
Amsterdam, Sept. 29.-The Germans
have begun their attack on the first
line of defence Of Antwerp, according
to dispatches received by the Amster-
dam newspapers. Moll, which is an i'm
portsnt railway junction near the Dutch
border, twenty-eight miles southeast
Of Louvsin, was occupied by the Ger
mans on Sunday, and to-day the Ger
mans, who again occupy Malines, began
a bombardment Of Lierre, directly in
front of Antwerp. They also continued
their bOmbatdment Of Forts Waehel
and st, Catherine. 1t is believed that
heavy Austrian artillery is being used.
BombGrding LilerEe.
Lierre, according TO q message TO
the "Handelsblad," has been under she'll
FIRE since early morning. The people
at first hid in the cellars, but subse-
quently fed to Antwerp, being Joined
by fugitives from the surrounding viii
lagos. 1t is reported that many houses
have been destroyed and some Of the
inhabitants killed and wounded One
she'll fell on hospital, killing nine
persons.
The moment for the actual siege Of
Antwerp, according to the best in
formed circles here. will depend upon
the outcome Of the battle in Northern
France. Should Germany win in this
battle the attack upon Antwerp will be
pushed ut once, while in case of Ger
man defeat the troops now holding the
line Of the Scheldt will be used to re-
sist any Belgian attempt to cut the
route of the retreating German army.
Il is impossible 10 get correct figures
regarding the strength of the German
troops, but according to the best in
formation to be had from Brussels
enough German troop trains have
passed through that city since Monday
to bring the number up to 10000 men.
The fortifications Of Antwerp are
rcckoned among the strongest in the
world. The city has been fortified since
the middle of the sixteenth century
In 1860, twenty-eight years after the
taking of the city by English and
French troops, Brislmont, the noted
Belgian fort builder, supervised the
refortifieation of the city, and since
1877 il has had a line of forts we'll out
from the inner defenees.