Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-18
WARFARE is WAGED--TEEE DEFENSE OF THE CHATEAU

when blinded and choked by wood
fumes.
Boxes, barrels, trunks. valises. pillow
cases, gunnysacks, anything which
would serve as container, Were carried
out and filled with earth, freshly dug
for the purpose, then taken to the vari-
Gus rooms once more, to reinforce the
weakest places and the windows. Cur
tainS, blankets ard hangingS were
draped across the windows to obscure
view of the posts of the defenders from
the enemy.
small barn and various other out
buildings of boards We're torn down and
the planks carried into the house. With
the adaptability of the various trades
represented in the company and the
rough eXpediency of the practical SOL
der, carpenters, professional and anna
teur, hastily erected inner walls to each
room where the masonry was not of
sufficient thickness, and the space be-
tween the new wall and the old was
filled with dirt, stone, brick and rubble.
for greater thickness.
Between the rooms the walls were
broken out and the bricks went to the
new false walls, or wardrobes were
moved into position and filled with
them. In addition, the gaps gave freer
communication between the rooms
without seriously exposing an adjoin-
ing room to devastation caused by
shell explosion in another.
Beams from the demolished outbuild-
blocked until the ceiling of each room
was shored UP, to sustain the additional
weight to be put upon it and resist the
shock of shell defamation. The wheel
barrows came into play once more. and
sand and earth were brought in, to be
scattered about the floors to prevent
splintering and fire. Loose earth was
piled in the corners. to be thrown upon
any small blaze, while washtubs. boil
erS and even urns from the garden
were placed in each room and filled
with water. in case of fire
* X
From some of the windows beams
were run out and loosely platformed.
while at the tops and sides sandbags
were piled, header and stretcher. to
sufficient height to protect men who
would be posted there to fire directly
below. Should an enemy succeed in get
ting close under the walls. there would
be a dead space in which they could
not be reached by rifle fire, except from
the acknowledgements thus erected.
At the ground level, where the half
basement arose, pits were dug, the ma
sorry of the walls being broken away
to permit communication from the
house interior Barrels filed with
earth, the crevasses between being
packed with earth in small bags or
loose, were placed around the edges
of the pit, their tops rising about
foot above the ground, and boards were
laid across: then earth was banked on
top, until there was a sufficient thick
ness to resist rifle bullet or shrapnel
ball. The roof overhung the walls of
the caponnieres. so that no dropping
shots could enter the portfolios. The
automatic guns of the company Were
placed in the caponnieres. while all the
ammunition boxes belonging to the gun
detachment were close at hand.
There was yet a little time to spare.
although the roll of the artillery was
coming closer and closer and the roads
were filled with retiring. troops, even
spreading out over the fields on their
way back to the river. A party of sap
pers, under young officers, ran to the
front and speedily dug mines and fou-
gases, to be exploded from the house
when desired. Barbed wire was torn
from the neighboring fences and fas-
tened to hastily driven stakes, then al
lowed to twist and coil loosely in en-
ceinte, a wire ENHANCEMENT to trip and
delay the enemy's advance under the
fire Of the house.
A supply wagon was snatched from
the passing column, driven to the house
and unloaded. The company might be
compelled to hold out, isolated, for
day OF two, and the men must eat. An