Evening star., 1914-10-02
BEL LGIAN MACHINE GUN FIRE
SLAYS THOUSANDS, SAYS ANTWERP
German Corpses Lie in Heaps in Front of
Forts Followine Repulss at Bayonet
Point, Says Dispatch.

LONDON, October a. 3:a5 ,p.m.-''The
Germans have suffered heavily every
where under a we'll directed machine
gun fire Of the Belgians," according to
statement cabled from Antwerp by the
correspondent Of the Central News. "At
the Wavre and st. Catherine forts alone
outside of Antwerp the German dead
may be counted by thousands. At sew
eral points the corpses lie in heaps. En-
tire companies have been exterminated.
while the other troops were driven back
at the point Of the bayonet."
A dispatch from Antwerp timed 10
o'clock Thursday night. says:
1.-THE German attacks on Antwerp con-
tinue. Last night the Inhabitants OF the
city were startled by the uninterrupted
numbering Of guns. The Belgians re-
sponded from forts Breendonck and
Waelhem at o'clock this morning. The
Germans tried in vain to damage the
forts with their heavy guns. The forts,
however, offered strong resistance.
Shells fell in the village Of Billie
brock, demolishing the town hail and .
mill. Nearly all the southern forts were
active in inflicting heavy losses on the
Germans. It is reported that the Ger
mans lost 5000 killed at Fort Wavre-St.
GATHERINGS.
"a Zeppelin was reported last night
successfully over Moll, Rethy. Turn
hout, Bourg-Leopold. Merxplas, Brecht
Corstmalle and Westmalle, and at 3:3C
in the morning it dropped bombs near
age. It then approached Antwerp, but
was put to flight by the forts.
All night the Germans bombarded
the fortresses Of Antwerp" the dis
vigorously, and proved that they were
still intact.
Says Germans Retired.
"The artillery duel continued all
along the front, and the Germans, hav-
ing again ventured into Malines the
Belgian troops bombarded the town
Fort waelhem was the object of par
ticularly severe cannonadin5. AT
Rumpst the Belgians were ordered to
engage in independent firing: This
lasted two and a half hours" the dis
patch says, land the Germans retired
In disorder, leaving an enormous num-
ber of dead and wounded.
In describing the attack of the Ger
mans on Antwerp the correspondent OF
the Daily Telegraph. wiring from Ant
says:
boken (three miles southwest of Ant
werp) last night was Witnessed
scene OF SOiIpei 3 aHueui. 1HC Ing ~
attack on the city was defined in the
clear night air very sharply by flashes
of the enemy's great siege guns. simi-
lariy the line of defense was shown in
noints of light which stabbed the
night from the Belgian forts. 1t was
almost possible occasionally to see the
erect of the falling shells.
Germans Destroy Villages.
.rhe artillery duel continued through
ont the night. The German fire
seemed to be directed chiefly toward
emptying the outlying villages and
every road into Antwerp was choked
with refugees.
There is no doubt that many alarm
ing reports of the German operations
will creep across the frontier to Hol-
land. We cannot give definite informa-
| tion from here on account of prohibi-
| tion against news which might be USE
ful to the enemy. but can be said,
| tion while calling for the utmost vigil
| lance and effort Is not alarming.
| saThe Belgians have suffered In some
quarters while in others they have in
| fifcted loss. The general balance in
spires confidence.
"All scouting officers agree, however,
that the German attack Is merely a
demonstration which Is not intended
| to be pushed home. Belgian aviators
of German infantry" Y.
German Batteries Destroyed.
An official statement issued at Ant
! werp, and sent by the correspondent Of