New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-19

FOifOt.trO g q translation oi "' -.
fourf on the bOdv Of Bdudridn Soidlt'
killed near Dirrude Most Of ne Gern'ans >;
onccrs and nisr Keep diaries the orig"o'
notes translated bcioU. tcefe ittWnSu -, ~
pfstog5rDh ~ n ohiid ard = Sun' OF roHey
f0urd fn tho pockets.
Near Dixmude, Belgium. Oct. "a
The part which I am taking in TINS
battle. which has been raging for three
days, is beginning to convince me that
the duty Of soldier may simply be to
remain a spectator instead Of an actor
This morning at o'clock We were
ordered 10 stand in compact torma-
tion, guns TO the ground, at the foot
of a small hill covered with bushes. A
white frost covered the ground and
the men when we arose from the
trenches. My joints are so stiff that
TO stand is a torture. A pound OF cof-
fee for forty men was our breakfast.
If the coffee was like muddy water, it
was at least not and it did us good.
And there we are, not allowed to smoke
or exercise our stiffened joints.
In the distance we hear the cannon,
near By passes the cavalry. with
noise resembling an earthquake. The
side of the hill slakc5 under my feet,
so numerous are the horses. The
sabres clashing against the mems
boots and the fanks of the horses Id
to the noise. Above the hill, right
over our heads, shells have been flying
for nearly an hour. In the light of
early morning each shell, as 1t goes
shrieking by, is surrounded by lit
tie cloud Of white smoke.
Little by little the horizon Is flled
with smoke One would think thun-
derstorm was approaching. Soon other
regiments come and take position
alongside Of US. Between each regi-
ment is posted a battery of artillery,
mouths turned toward the coming
storm. In the plain before US multi
tude Of men are moving. Large, com
pact masses all coming toward US.
They are our regiments, but why are
they coming this way? The enem! )
shells hit behind US on the other side
of the hill. They have not got the
range-lucky for US.
Aeros Drop Messages.
Officers gallop by. three automobiles
pass on the road at our feet, while
overhead two of our aeroplanes fly
backward and forward. They seem to
chase after the French shells. They
disappear in the horizon, losing them
selves IN the clouds Of smoke, then are
back again over our heads, dropping
messages which our officers pick up.
One of my comrades whispers in my
ear: when are We going 20 start
in ?"
We have been here three hours now.
the shells come nearer 10 US. Some eX-
plode over our heads. And we are
standing still. Something is gong to
happen 10 US. but what?
Through the smoke which now covers
the plain something dark shoots out,
then another and still another. What
is it? Now | can see. Cannons gal
.opinc toward US. Our cannons;
But what are they doing? The
French are on the oih" side!
Suddenly alongside ME the earth
seems TO open with crash. am
deaf. nv head whirls, | am covered
With mud and stifed by smoke through
which | can't see me men even mex
TO me. A she'll has fallen ten yards ,
away. And ! am still alive, thank
Cod TO M right snothcr crash out
this time our guns ere firing.
over my head, seemingly coming
straight from the SKY, a huge bird 10
might be. and 3 half second after a
thunder. Again / am COZ
cred with mud. but unharmed. Two
men. those closest 20 me, are on the
~roupd One whimpers like q little
child. like my Freda does when I puL-
ism her. The other. the one who spoke
to me while ago, D. slierl-te 70
dead. I .uess. No one loes refr, -.
arc not allowed 20 move unless o-i--ed
Lowering my eyes. see his neck, t-e
hack of il. from which piece o. slee
protruding. These two are the first
Of our regiment 20 fall. An officer
cries. Close your ranks" and l move