New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-04
b, Z. INMNN BARNARD.

I
nothing more difficult at the preSt"'
moment than to reach the hghuhg '"'
from Paris. Not only are the mihta'$
authorities opposed for strategl'"'
reasons. hut The conditions of the rhll
ways, due 10 the German INVASION
der anything lie rapid progress Wv"
of the question. When ! leit "ii ~
with the ambition to reach Rheims "''
that Paris would do was 10 sen III
ticket 10 Sczanne station, eighty mites
distant After that IT would Dc H'''
ter OF luck. .,.o
My travelling companions were wv
officials Of the Ministry OF the
rior, sent to visit the battlenelu oI 'nl
Marine !. order to estimate the uain"t'
Jonc bv tho Germans. VITA view 10
future indemnity. They have thelr
work cut out for them. as from Coz
lommiers to SGzanne the WhoIc o'u"
try is ruin and desolatlon. a.
The third traveller was an onlciai
of the Telegraph Department. At each
station he put his head out OF Inc
window. asking: Are you working IN
both directions" you" being ire
telegraph wires. which the Germans
have cut by the thousands. -
II Sezannc | was informed that Ihe
WAY TO reach Epcrnay was VIA ChaiohS :
This is much like going from New iorh
"a Roston via Buffalo. The hrst traIh
was M : O'Clock the following morning
No guarantee was given that inc Ir"i'
would reach Chalons, but the ohclaIS
bopcd for the hest. The next morning
Tho train started for ChalonS at the
vortiginous speed Of ten miles an nout'
,topping at every station. NitcI ,uu.
ding along for an hour and hsli u
came again TO q standStlll. lhen Caue
the shout Of "FCre- Cha npenolSe. lou,
To- monde descend" This we did. TO una
ont that the train went no iurth'f anu
tba We must wait there Tor me
Chalons train. "Whcn will 1t arrive
asked the station master, thlnH
about Z this evening ne rephcd' Ger
tainly not before .
This meant a wait Of ten ana on
half hours. The station building was
q nicture Of desolation. Nothing pu
tour blackened walls were standing. II
bod been under the fire Of the German
rr.illory two davs and had been shot tc
r.ioces. Above one OF the doors was
notice. Entrance Forbidden BIS
had proved unavailinC to stop ONO
she'll which had crashed through I'M"
n cafe behind the station, when was
likewise "a heap of ruins -,.....i
4 score of soldiers were employed
sorting out the debris of the battle
field. which was being delivered at the
rate Of CARLOAD every half hour'
There were thousands and thousanis
Of rifles. kuapsacks, cartridges, cases
bayorets. saddles, swords, kePl5'
trntc. boots and German helmets.
Thi, had been going on for a week, IN"
soldiers told me. and the batteheId 10
Tot yet hail cleaned up.
The village Of Fcre-Champenols
wa. a. picture OF desolatIon. Only 4"
quarter of the inhabitants were lelt'
The rest had packed UP such OF theiI
belongings a. they could transport ID
carts and bariCws. gathered together
their cattle and fled before the M
yadcr. Half OF the houses were IL
ruins. The walls o. orchards and gar
dens were riddiod with smell and mt
rail!euse fire, and trees and vines were
living an all directions, torn 10 fIece
bv the storm Of shot and shell when
had swept through the villages.
The only building that mad .scape"
injury was brewery. The Germans
NAV lombard cathcdTalS, but they re
spect any place where beer IS made.
Hardly any food was left.
The landlord Of the Hotel dc PARIS
gave me a graphic description OF the
German occupation IN his hotel. Every
mirror and every window was shashI"
by gun butts. The Germans Rad oul 81
open every cupboard and wardrobe,
had seized all the linen, tailecioths.
sheets. napkins and towels, WI zen tney
had packed into d covered wagon ne
longing 10 the landlord; taken TWO
horses from the stable and carried
everything of. Before leaving theL
ripped up the cloth OF the billiard
tables with s8bTes. They ompued IN"
cellars Of 81 600 worth o. wine. which
they either drank on poured away h"
hotel possesses mcdaniel! piano.
This they dragged into the street,
where they danced all the evening
While they were dancing shells "Gre
SCREAMING overhead from the French
batteries before and the German bal
teries behind the town. There was NOT
"a cigarette, cigar or an ounce OF to-
bacco for twenty miles around. ENeIJ
shop had been plundered.
The prospect OF passing ten hours II
the ruined village of Fere-C hampenolse.
waiting on the predetermined train for
Chalous. was one that did not appeal
10 me So when | saw carriers cart
passing. marked Arthur Rondeau,
Epernay," ! promptly asked the driver
# he was returning there. lie replied
that he was. but III two stages, the hrst
being the village of Nertus, where he
would pass the night.
For the moderate sum OF 81 he
agreed 10 take me as passenger 10
Epernay. His cart formed one OF a
string Of seven immense vehicles
drawn by twenty horses. All were re-
turning 20 Epernay carrying a large
number Of refugees. mostly women and
children. who were returning 10 vii
lnge- from which they had fed Oh the
approach Of the Germans.
our route to NcrtuS. twelve miles
distant, lay over the immense battle
field where the Saxon army, under
General Won Bulow. had fought IN,
French i'm a desperate three days strug-
Gle. II is an ideal battle-ground a roll
ing plain. twelve miles broad and about
thirty miles long, dotted with small
woods and clumps Of trees, with here
and there typical Champagne village
it's houses, with their red-tiled roofs
clustering around the church.
On all sides was evidence of the ter
riblc nature of the struggle lines
of trenches and redoubts. where guns
had been mounted, and especially tn,
endless series Of wooden crosses, marx
ing the graves of the dead | counted
300 between Fcre- Champenoise and
Vcrtus, each representing d trench con