New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-10

the trees. Two more shells from the
big gun exploded within twenty yards
Of each other.
Destroy German Gun.
Then. with disconcerting sudden
ness. the French battery came into
action within hundred yards of our
gtrawstack cover. They had evidently
been there for some time. awaiting
eventualities. for we had no suspicion
of their proximity and they were com
plctely hidden. My ears are still ting
ling and buzzing from the sound OF
those guns. One after another they
bombarded the newly assumed position
Of the German big guns, which re-
piled with one shell every three min
utes. Presently we had the satisfac-
ton Of hearing violent explosion IN
the wood, and column of smoke AMI
flame rose to great height. The
'seventy-hvc' had again scored, for the
German gun had been put out of ac-
ton.
"From out Of the French position
came the infantry, thousands of little
dots over the landscape, presenting a
front of should think about two
miles, rapidly advancing in skirmishlng
order. Every now and then the sharp
crackle of rifle fire could he heard dis
tinctly. The French had advanced over
n mile. and the Germans had hastily
evacuated the wood. Other French bat
tories now came into action, ana me
German fire over the whole arc was
becoming decidedly fainter and less
frequent. This might, Of course, be due
TO the changing or positions on the
German front.
"The wounded began to arrive, which
showed that, for the present, at any
rate, il was safe to go out to the
trenches TO collect them. Very few tf
them seemed to be badly hit, and the
wounded French artillerymen seemed TO
be elated in spite Of their hurts. ilad
not their beloved 'seventy-iiye' again
scored?
BY this time it was 6 o'clock, and
the firing. though fairly continuous;
was dropping Off. The Germans had
changed their positions and 1T was get
ting little too hazy TO make obserVa-
tions. although a French aeroplane was
seen descending in wide circles oVeT
the Germans position. evidently qulIs
regardless of numerous small balls o.
smoke which made their appearance IN
the sky in dangerous proximity TO the
daring pilot.
Watches Aero Bombarded.
at is very interesting to watch these
aeroplane shells bursting IN the AR.
First Of all one sees a VIVID niue
streak of blush white light IN the
sky, and then simultaneously smoke
ball, which appears to be about ihe
size Of football. is seen IN the SKY
always fairly close to the machine
Then comes the sound Of an explosion
like that of a giant cracker. coca
sionally several guns will fire at aDou'
the same time. and il is weird to watCh
the various balls Of smoke. apparently
coming into being from nowhere, Ill
around the machine. Sometimes one
Of these shells. which are filed with =
species Of shrapnel. bursts rather un-
pleasantly near the acroplane, ana
then one sees the machine turn quickly
and rise little higher.
1.-TWO or three holes have been neatly
drilled through the planes. Perhaps
one has appeared in the body Of the
machine. rather too near the pilot Tor
safety. But it is big gamble, any
how. and. besides. he has been instruct
ed 10 find out where the various posl-
tions are and he means 70 do 1t, so
he simply rises a little higher and
calmly continues his big circles over
the enemy's position.
81 take of my hat to these brave
aeropane pilots. They are wiling 20
chance their luck. What matters 1t II
their machine gets hit, if the planes
are riddled with holes? II viii sun
fly. even if the engine gets laIal
wound and stops. The pilot, if he is
bigh enough. can still glide to safety
within his own lines. -.
"But should a shrapnel ball find ITS
b;llet in the pilot well, one has only
"a die once. and it is quick and sure
doatb ia fall with ones machine