New Britain herald., 1914-08-26
ChARLERoI RETAkfN
 BY FRENCH FORCES
Germans Enter kamur Without
 EnCluntcrinQ Much Resistance.

London, Aug. 26, A. M.-The ! Paris correspondent of the Times who | had been on the battlefield earlier in the fighting, says that he met a lew miles outside of Philippeville, Bel gian officer and the paymaster gen eral of Namur, who told him that the town of Namur had been occupied by the Germans. It had been sub- jected to a furious bombardment and the German fire was so well regulated that the first few shots had silenced Fort Marchovelette on the northeast and Fort Maizeret on the east. Fort Andoy also suffered badly and was all most out of action.
 The story continues: "The Germans entered the town without encounter ing much resistance. Fort Dave at the southeast of the town and Fort Wepion on the opposite side of the Mouse and the line of forts to the north still resist.
 Namur Fell Sunday.
 "In spite of the elaborate prepar- ations with wine entanglements through which was passed an electri- cal current of 1500 volts and the lib- eral use of broken glass, Namur fell into the hands of the Germans on Sunday.
 ''The Belgians evacuated the town in an orderly manner. All rolling stock and motor cars were removed and the station master left on the last locomotive with the railway cash box under his arm. The Belgian troops. numbering about 5000, passed under the protection of French cavalry screen, within the French
 ines.'
 Six Forts Hold Out.
 The correspondent adds: Thus the Germans have done much to win mas tery over the two banks of the Mouse almost as far as Dinant. They, how ever, left behind them six of the eight forts of Namur which, it is expected, will yet cause them considerable an- noyance.
 Later on Sunday the French artil- lery in it's turn, opened fire upon the stricken town of Charleroi. The Germans in the earlier stages of the engagements had poured their shells upon the upper part of the town. The French now emptIed their hail of shells upon the lower section of the town and under a supporting fire from their artillery the French in- fantry advanced slowly in the face of a stubborn :. resistance, upon the town they had just evacuated, re- taining several villages and sbecom- ing once more masters of the line between Thuin Height miles southwest of CharleroD and Metax.
 French Recapture Villages.
 At six in the evening the fighting ceased. both sides being thoroughly worn out. The next morning, before dawn. the French artillery again bombarded Charleroi and once more the indefatigable troops of France swarmed the slope toward the lower part of the town, recapturing the vil- lages of Chatelet. Bouff1oulx, March ienne and Couillet. The fighting at this stage of the engagement was at tended by heavy losses on both sides Charleroi, which was in the center of the action, is an industrial mining district and in the slag heaps of the surrounding country the French found admirable vantage ground, while as in upper Alsace the Germans mounted mitrailleuses in every steeple of the town.
 "In the face of whitening fire from the German mitrailleuses the French again entered the unhappy town of Charleroi and after furious fighting drove the Germans in con- fusion across the Sambre river. The French entered a city filtered with dead, battered by shell fire and de- vastated by every instrument of mod ern warfare.
 Shot While Washing.
 Outside a dilapidated inn could be seen the figure of German officer, the head bowed over basin of water and the father of soap dry upon his face. He had been shot while in the act of washing. Another officer lay across a table, his head holding aloft l a coffee cup which he was raising to his lips when death found him. In every part of the city houses were in | flames or smoldering. Every cellar was occupied by terror stricken in- ....#..