The sun., 1914-09-13
First Detailed Account of How Ltege
Held Back the Onrusb of the Germans

walls had been plastcrsd with warnings
that the Germans we're In the outskirts
OF Liegc. The citizens were cautioned 70
remain calm and to receive the German
troops with respect. As | looked around 7
realized for the first time what war had
done TO Liegc. On the preceding days
there had been AT least a single sheet
newspaper with some little information
as To- our own doings and the trend of
events In the world without Now there
were no newspapers. no telephones. no
telcgraphs. no trains. no automobiles
Everything had been Communicated for
purposes of defence. We were back In the
Middle Ages at one stroke. II made one
wonder what civilization was worth.
At O'clock that evening I heard an
alarming sound, the first concusssions
from the great guns OF the forts Need
say that tn. whole city shivered---not
from fear. for Li@ge never knew fear. but
from sense OF the dreadful things that
were TO come. Ny house overlooked the
eastern part of the city. ! went TO a
window In the roof and stayed there all
night long. The moon was rising. The
night was clear and beautiful. The very
idea Of war, OF men butchering each other
a few miles away. seemed insane incred-
ible.
Guns Of Forts In Action.
----pt th horizon with binoculars.
hut the glasses We're unnecessary Hardy
three Kilometres away the guns ot Fort
tlaron. Fort dEvegnee and Fort Chaud-
fontalne were going into action. They
were firing slowly. but at steady Intervals.
I saw great. vivid flashes that abolished
moonlight | heard the vast conclusions
that made all L,eRe shake. ! could see
and hear the Ge.man infantry AZ work.
The flashes from their rifle fire ran along
q I.-1.s s..NH .VaI N
artillery OF the forts vas the crash o'
heavy thunder when the heavy gun hr-
Ing was terrific | knew that the Germans
were charging, solid masses OF men hurled
forward IL u determined EFFORT TO over
run the forts When the big guns were
still momentarily ! knew without being
| told that whole companies OF Germans
had been annhIlated. and that the TEN
porary silence merely meant that othe'
compauies were forming
Al . o'clock In the morning the crasN
I of the combat was terrific. eur splitting
/ The air was rent with continuous roaring
! For two solid hours this frightful can
/ uonadng continued NJ n ". !!
! 4lackened and at 6 \. NJ. IL seemed thai
! the battle was over. ! thought mat th'
2 forts had been Stormed and captured.
! An hour lrter there was II rap at m,
! door and a gendarne hurriedly Informed
! me that the Germans were entering th'
city. went TO the crntr- Of the tova
hut found that the Information wa
wrong. As stood there lane ~ came a
A gallop along the Rue Cathedral. one o
whom gayly waved Prussian helme
at the point Of his lance. They cried ou
that the Germans had been repulsed from
the forts with great loss II was srea
news for Iiege. and the streets hlled viii
cheering citizens.
u was raining then and the roads wer
rapidly becoming impossible. ] vssite
tho headquarters Of the I,ed Cross on tn
| Place 81 Denis. 7 was just IN time {
sec some OF tho excitement caused by IN
attempt Of the Germans TO assassinat
Gen. Leman. the now famous defender {
the city. An automobile. carrying Nv
German officers dressed I'm tho uniform {
English officers. had dashed into tho cit.
They attempted to get by an orderly q
military headquarters. The orderl
halted them and they shot him dead. TIL
alarm was given and one German VA
killed The others we're captured. TIL
was but one OF many episodes which den
onstrated the German policy OF t"rrori'
Ing the defenders. Decentralization throug
terror has been from the very outset OF
of the bases Of German policy.