The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-09-22
STORIES OF BATTLEFIELD.
correspondents Write OF >idelightS
That Are Interesting.

Among tie most vivid pen pictures
~ from Europe's theatre of war is cor
N. respondent's story OF the German
Goops dramatic approach toward the
encaes at Mons, Were the British
+ in waiting. Another stirring cpl
DIE describes the ride on horseback
of a messenger along an open road
Il swept by the shots of the enemy. 1t
was a fatal ride, but one o: those sac
rifices of life which the exigencies OF
war demand.
The London Standard publishes a
Inscription of the fighting at Mons,
gelgiufn, taken from letter Of ser
9eant in the British army to his broth
grs. The letter says:
I I'VE lay in our trenches, with not
soTnd or sign to tell them (the GER
mans what was before them. They
crept nearer and nearer, and then our
officers gave the word. A sheet of
fame fickered along the line Of the
trenches, and stream OF bullets tore
through the advancing mass Of Ger
mans. They seemed to stagger like
drunken men suddenly nit between the
ayes, after which they made run for
!.
s(SR R..T1o oorocc tho onan another
Z volley tore through their ranks, and
by this time our artillery began drop
ping shells around them. Then this
officer gave an order and they broke
into open formation, rushing like mad
toward the trenches on our left. We
gave them no rest and soon they were
on the more again in flight.
\ Thrilling Cavalry Dash.
@ Then came more furious shelling
our trenches and after that an
StRer mad rush across the open on
front. Tais time they we're
Ersngly supported by cavalry, who
eufered terribly, but came right up
TO the lines. We received them, front
ranks with bayonets and rear ranks
keeping up an incessant fire. After a
hard tussle they retired hastily, and
lust as they thought themselves safe
our mounted men swooped down on
hem, cutting them right and left.
.ttThis sort of thing went on through
he whole day. After the last attack
4 we lay down in our clothes to sleep
Il as best we could, but long before sun
rise we were called out to be told we
had to abandon our position
A Belgian who escaped from Mons,
said:
Amid a terrifying din Of thunder
ing artillery shells burst over the
town in all directions. All the inhabi-
tants who hadn't fed from the town
pushed into cellars and barricaded
the doors. We were unable to see the
actual fighting, but when I left Mons
the town was utterly wrecked. Bodies
lay everywhere.
Tempest of Flame.
Gas l rushed from the town during
lull in she battle l witnessed a thrill
ling episode. l was hidden in a dense
~ wooded district of the forest, from
which l saw column a.ter column of
D AGer1nan infantry emerge. The French
| were waiting for them, and their heavy
Qns and mitrailleuses poured a con-
9nuous stream of lead upon the en-
] emy.
1T was tempest Of fame and bull
lets from the mitrailleuses moving
down the enemy with terrifying pre-
cision, but still the Germans kept
marching from the woods on to TIE
roads. I saw German aeroplane
Astruck down with shell fired with
eadly accuracy from a French gun.
Amid all this fright:ul carnage
'Swhat most impressed me was the de-
vastating effect of the French artil-
lery fire"
DemOniac Shells.
All accounts agree on this point A
surgeon major, writing from the east
ern frontier, says:
49, "For an hour, sheltered under low
Rll, was not more than 200 feet
rom French battery, which was
orking magnifcently. During the
s.ssstur 900 German shells fell near this
Ybattery One first hears a dull boom.
Then, as the shell flies over your head,
a screaming whistle. 1t bursts with
a deafening explosion, with dense
smoke and lead, striking down trees