New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-30

man batteries everywhere replied
heavily to this French fire.
While the Germans were thus en-
gagged along the entire line Of this part
of their defence works the French FIRE
opposite Lens suddenly ceased. In
stantly French infantrymen leaped
from their trenches and charged the
German positions, which were from 100
TO 200 wards distant. A brief and furi-
Gus bayonet encounter brought victory
70 the French. The Germans were
routed. The French took some prison
ers and occupied the German digglngs.
IL was ali over in twenty minutes. The
artillery fire on both sides died down
and a Sabbath-like silence fell on the
field Of battle. But vigilance was IN no
sense relaxed.
French Open Fire.
At intervals in the trenches Of two
rods keen eyes peering into perlscopes
watched the edge of the German
trenches. the observers themselves
being we'll protected below the level Of
the earth. When this attack began a
group of French staff officers was
showing two correspondents the rem
nants in the great square of Arras Of
the Hotel de Vile and the once won
derful belfIy which had airily domi-
mated the old Spanish portion OF the
city.
A gun sounded far down the French
line Instantly uncountable numbers
of decorations, great and small, near
and remote, shattered the quiet OF the
empty, ruined city. The heavy French
field artillery, the four and five men
guns, was opening fire from the works
for miles in either direction outside
the town upon the German lines.
The German machine guns kept a
steady spray of bullets passing few
inches above the German bitches so as
10 catch any attempt at assault A
moment later the projectlles OF the
German guns began to Miss overhead
and burst with a crashing noise. Fifty
shells fell within half an hour on this
city. half of which already was in ruins.
ONLY a few of the citizens who had
remained with a. fixed determination
TO brave the dangers Of a constant
bombardment stood at the entrances 70
cellars and dugOuts 10 watch the effect
OF the bursting missiles. Not more
than dozen men walked the streets,
keeping close as possible 70 the walls.
Chung To House FRONTS.
As the screeching, whistlng, crash
ING proiectiles burst all around prog
ress had 70 be made by clinging 20 the
] house fronts, wherever this was feast
bic, then dashing across the streets
and open spaces, which generally were
barricaded or strewn with barbed wire
I entanglements. and through which mar
row. winding gangways permitted pas
sage.
The difference in the sound of the
various proiectiles is easily distln-
guishable. The French 3-inch shell
leaves the muzzle with a slight pun,
whistles like a rocket and then bursts
with a terrific sharp crack, spreading
I shrapnel all around a hundred or more
wards. The German missile gives
duller sound during its aerial passage
and bursts with booming noise.
The German trenches may be plain
+ IL discerned at the ends OF the boule-
| wards leading into the suburbs at a
distance OF 300 yards, and wherever a
group of men appears the trench
and the German machine guns open
fire. The thoroughfares, therefore, al
WAYS are traversed az a run, while
pedestrians always are ready 20 throw
/ themselves nat on lnt BiouNu NH'H f.
she'll falls near at hand, so as to avoid
splinters.
Strangely enough, a number OF boys
whose families are among those re-
naming in town, play unconcernedly
in the side streets, and often hesitate
to obey the orders of officers who BID
them not to expose themselves.
Some Of the suburbs, particularly
Blangy and Catherine. are continuously
under fire. while the railway station
and the hospital have been virtually
demolished. In every house, even
where untouched by proJectile, all
the windows have been broken by the
/ strong vibrations.
The advanced French and German
trenches are within fifteen or twenty
wards Of each other in the suburbs.
/ The correspondents approached under
partial cover to within $50 yards Of the
French lines, but no further, as there
was risk Of being caught by the Ger
man fire. The trenches are so close
+ that mining and counter-mlnlng are al
most of daily occurrence. Galleries are