Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20

scattered in small groups behind hill
locks and boulders and fences and
crouching in bitches and gullies, they
have come within range of the rifles
in the defending trenches. From
along the enemys position there pours
a steady stream of fire, striving to
halt the creeping groups of khaki.
Thereupon the artillery supporting
the attack redoubles its efforts against
the trenches.
They load with shrapnel, that dead
Hest of missiles. The modern shrap-
mel shell contains two hundred and
with fatal accuracy at a point hun
dred yards in front of the trenches,
where. striking the ground. it bursts
and sends it's deadly load of lead in a
trench. Nothing can live in that hail.
Spreading out fanwise, the storm of
lead sweeps clean path fifty yards
wide and six hundred yards long.
Imagine what a veritable hell it Is to
have forty guns, each firing six times
a minute raining shrapnel down on a
trench half a mile long.
Under the deadly fire the men in the
trenches have small chance to raise
themselves above the breastworks
and fire with any accuracy at the ap-
preaching enemy. They since the first
attack have been disposed along the
yard Running back from the front
trenches are lateral trenches trendtng
diagonally to protect them from from
tai fire. These lead to the protected
positions in the rear where the sup
ports and reserves are lying.
"As the men in the trenches fall the
supports are fed up through the lat
eral trenches and take the places OF
the killed and wounded: for the line
must be kept at it's maximum strength.
And ever they strive, in spite of the
hail of lead from the shrapnel. to lift
above the breastworks and pour their
fire into the advancing infantry. 1t is
a most trying position, that of these
defenders, thus rooted in their trench
es, unable to go either forward or
backward, while the flying death goes
HURTING Just overhead; to be waiting
there by inches, as 1t were, Tor that
supreme moment when 1t shall come
to a hand-to-hand struggle with that
slowly creeping foe out there in front.
To nervous man 1t Is much more
trying than that of the assailants;
they at least have some outlet for
their nervous tension.
But though the defenders state De
an evil one, it is not all cakes and ale
with that advancing line of attack.
The enemy's guns, lately sllenced by
superior weight Of metal have been
gunners, having swiftly found the
range, are pouring in a whitening fire
upon the assailants. The commanding
officer has been shot down, whether
fatally or not Is not known, and none
is curious enough to risk his own lie
for the ascertaining just now.
And now. out there on the TANKS,
as the line has thrust forward Tar IN
defenses, the enemy's cavalry has
driven in the cavalry supporting the
attack and planted several rapid-hre
guns in position to take the advancing
infantry in the tanks.
In the center, too. several squads OF
soldiers sheltered behind friendly
mound of boulders have lost all their
officers and more than half their num-
Der in vain attempts to dash across an
open and fire-swept space OF fifty yards
to a gully that beckons protection and
offers advance.
But go forward they must. Selling
their intrenching tools. they feverishly
attack the ground. seeking to run a
trench to the gully. Commencing we'll
back in the shelter of the boulders,
they push the work out ahead. throw
ing the dirt up as additional protection.
1t is a back breaking, heart-breaking
task: but 100 men working for their
lives can doubly discount what the
unions might reckon as mans labor,
and the trench advances with astonish-
ing rapidly. In half an hour they are
all safely in the gully, creeping slowly
forward, while others behind. taking
advantage Of their work, are making
their way. crouching, through the
new-dug ditch.
Meantime, behind the attacking fir
ing line. there creep the supports at
distance of 100 or 200 yards. And at
a distance behind them comes creeping
the reserves every man seeking cover
like those ahead of him. These, how
ever. are not exposed to such fire as the
first line, and hence can make their
way forward more rapidly.
THE attacking line has now reached
a position within 500 yards Of the
enemies trenches. To the casual OBJ
server, who has seen pictures Of battle
charges, panoramic view of the field
would be disappointing. He would see