Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-10-03
French FortificationS Pounded
to Pieces by Shells Of Heavy
Siege Guns Concentrated
Upon ThemG
CAMP DES ROMANS
DESPERATELY DEFENDED
Garrison Finally Permitted to
Surrender on Most Generous
Terms Because Of VaIor
Displayed,


Berlin, oct (via Tho Hague ana
London. S.l5 p. m.)--An opportunity
TO watch closely the Gorman-Austrlan
ARTILLERY attack on the line Of French
forts south of Nerdun last saturday,
was given an Associated Press CORE
suondeut who had been with the ter
mans ut Metz.
An attack which on Friday led TO
the taking Of tort Camp Des Romans
as the first step In the breaking ot
the defense of the fort lines resulted
Saturday in the silencing of Fort Les
Paroches The correspondent says
Towards evening It was reported
that only one armored turret at F"rt
Loinyille was replying to the Austrian
fire. all the other forts being silent.
After that the Austrians concentrated
their fire with precision ON this single
iturret from a distance of six miles, IN
dicatng that It was but a matter OF
time when the defense line would be
ready for an infantry attack.
Naliantly Defended.
! Fort Camp Dcs Romans was val
iantly defended by the French. The
attacking forces came within five yards
I of the trench in front Of the fort he-
fore the garrison surrendered. The
Frcnch artillcrymen in the cascmates
of the forts had to be dislodged with
hand grcnades, smoke bombs and tife
tubes, which German volunteers placed
against the opening Of the casemates,
filling the interief with fragments Of
bombs and sense robbing gases
Even then the defenders refused to
capitulate Finally they were given
most honorable conditions of sufren-
der. owing to the valor they had dis
played.
Looks Like Iron Plant.
The correspondents trip over the
battlefield showed nothing of the ira
iditional battle tumult such as attack
ing infantry. racing cavalry and gal-
looping artillery Tho heavy artillery
could not be seen. There was the tre-
imendons detonation of siege pieces
and large columns OF smoke arose
from burning villages. The black sur
face thus created was studded every
where with the white clouds from OK
ploding proiectiles.
ON the road few wounded were
making their way to the base hospitals.
Beyond that the battlefield gave the
impression of tremendous iron plant,
I with its MASSES Of artillery machinery
land the attending nolsesy feature
which seems to mark this war more
land more as the preconceived plans
iare applied
Marvellous Artillery Work.
The German and Austrian neavy
siege pieces We're marvcously CON
lcealed and placed and the working Of
them was like clock work. Men
brought ammunition and placed il
with astounding regularity as II they
had done nothing else all their lives
though now and then the wholly me
ichanical process was interrupted for "a
few minutes by new Instructions
which were received over the tole-
phone, observations having necessiint-
led slight change in the direction Of
the fire There was a pause for the
moon meal
Men tOmiOftnbie.
one artillery piece pounded away
for four days with Les Paroches as It's
collective and the location of the gun
never was discovered During that
time the men handling this cannon
had gone 10 housekeeping most com
fortably
st. Mihiel had been evacuated short
ily before the arrival Of the correspon-
dent.
From hills near the battle ground II
lcould be seen that the artillery on
both sides was hammering ineessantly
Towards evening smoke columns rose
south Of Toul indicating that a fight
WAS going on there.
AFRICAN BATTALION CHECKS