Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-11-07
Oxford Men Relate Adventures
in Belgium While German
Were Ravaging It.
SAW VILLAGES DESTROYED
Reached Louvain in Time to Witness
the Burning and Looting Of That
Beautiful City by the Troops
Of the Kaiser.
BY HERBERT TEMPLE,
European Manager Of the Information.
- hA,us cnrAi~A

g. ..as "a. al News Service.
London.--Two Oxford university
students have arrived in London, az
ter a most exciting trip through the
war zone. They passed through the
German lines several times. and were
in Brussels, Alx-la-Chapelle, Louvaln,
Liege and elsewhere. One OF them
A. J. Dave, told this story:
II was accompanied by another OK
ford undergraduate, and we left Lon
don for Ostend, arriving in Brussels
on August 10. A week later W start.
ed out on what proved the most adj
v%enturous time we eve had. 1t is
probably due to the fact that we have
q good knowledge Of French and Ger.
man that we managed to get home at
all. .a $50. .,.. -- -.a4l -,.
"On leaving the city We walked
along the road towards Louvain. Ey.
serywhere we were challenged by Ger.
man sentries, and met streams of ref.
ugees coming into the city carrying all
their belongings in bags. AS we went
along the evening sky was lit up by
burning buildings. Straight ahead OF.
us was Louyain. by this time in flames.
In fact. all round US there could be
seen flames.
y 1--WE turned OF that night towards
Malines, u idea being to get north.
through the German lines. We stayed
the night at Saventhem, and on our
arrival there vera no Germans to be
seen, but il an hours time we were
awakened by, the rumble of wagons OF
the German commissariat, and the
landlord came and searched us for
arms. On finding we had none, he
allowed u to remain. In the morn.
ing we found the place had been peace.
fully occupied by German troops. We
left that place and struck north to
Steenocken, on the road to Malines.
Saw c%ortenberg Destroyed.
Here On the cross roads we met q
party of German officers who refused
to allow US to go further north. We
then turned back on the road towards
Louyain. AS We approached Corten.
berg We heard firing, and at the sta.
ton we We're challenged by German
sentries who searched us. Luckily for
US we had taken the precaution to de-.
stroy our English passports, our check
books, and everything that might dis.
close the fact that we were English.
men. .,.
las we were being searched some
German officers came yer and took
us on with them through the village.
In the main street firing was going on,
and we heard that four or five uhlans
had been shot as they passed through.
and this troop had been dispatched to
destroy the village as a punishment.
For their terrible purpose the Ger.
mans had brought with them carloads
OF straw, and with these they set fire
to the houses. We were made to walk
up the main street holding our hands.
while two German soldiers we're told
OF to cover US with with their revol.
vers. This was in the afternoon, and
from three to six o'clock we had to
stand at. the end Of the street while
the firing went on. 1t vas a terrible
spectacle, and our first glimpse of the
horrors OF war, for We saw five civil.
lans as they left their burning houses
ruthlessly shot down by the German
soldiers. Soon the whole street was
In flames. The German soldiers, how.
ever, spared women and children and
marched them on m side before they
dred the village.
PeriIous Trip in the Dark.
We made the best of a bad lob,
and l produced q flask of brandy which
l. had with me, while the Germans
looted . cafe and brought out cognac.
Then they allowed us to go. on towards
Louyain. By this time it was dark.
and we were in danger not only of
being shot by sentries, but also by
Inhabitants, who might take, III for
Germans. We walked on through q
wood and struck a small village called
Veltham. Although w went to sew.
eral cafes we could not obtain any
thing TO eat and no n would give us
shelter, SO we went to the village
priest Poor man, he could do moth
ing for US; his place al already full
Of refugees, and he advised VI to 90
into the woods. However, we con
trtyed to get a little chocolate and
With 4 loaf of bread which we had
brought with us we managed to, make
) scratchs meal, after which We lay
down. infa barn. Il,
sleep was quite out Of the question,
for. the place, was overrun with rats.
II the morning we continued our way
through the village and two little Bel.
rian girls came out and gave us some
bread and butter, for which we were
very grateful
!. Just outside OF Louvain we met
troop Of Germans and they allowed
- to. 20 on, although they told u
thsre VA considerable danger a. the
InhAhitants were still firing" Nsi.
~ Of ~ VIII ever forget TIE sDeeta1ll