The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-09-30
GREATEST GUNS
IN THE WORLD
German Cannon Which Were Used At
Liege, Are Monsters Of
Destruction.

by Ed L. Keen, United Press STAFF
Correspondent.]
LONDON, Sept. Is (By mail to New
York. THE terrible destruction
wrought by the great siege guns Of the
German army has been one of the
astounding features Of the great war
now raging across the English channel
1t was at Liege that these terrible
weapons got their first real use and
there they proved their effectiveness
in reducing fortresses to submission.
Ordinary army gunners- who
ordinary siege guns and cannons of
all kinds cannot handle the new
product of the Krupp factroy. Special
men trained from the Krupp fac
|tory-experts who have been special
lily trained in the use of the great
siege guns-go with every one of the
great siege guns seLt to the front.
Albert ]. Leroy, an Englishman
who was present when the lombard
ment OF Liege started. has returned
Ito London and tells some very inter-
esting facts concerning the fall of
the forts Of that city.
He saw one shell fall in the town.
It blew large house to pieces. Three
forts gave in within a week after the
first shots were fired. Three forts
still held out and the Germans were
forced to bring their great siege guns
through the town.
To do this they built special rail-
road to run the guns over. The guns
were moved on Hanged wheels about
seven feet high.
las sailor have been all around
the world" said Leroy, land never
have / seen such large guns as they
guns took only two hours. For one
of the forts only four shots were re-
quired.
Il saw some Of the wounded taken
from these forts. Their condition was
terrible. They were blackened by ex-
| plosions and so burned and injured
that they died the same night.
"One thing that l especially wish
to state and that is that saw the Ger
mans fire on the Red Cross. l saw
Red Cross wounded and dead.
1.-THE Germans took their wounded
i from the Belgian Red Cross on the
plea that they were not being we'll
treated. This despite the fact that
the chief medical officer had taken
wounded German officers to his home
to insure their being well taken care
lof.
THE last forts were silenced about
fourteen days after the bombardment
first started.
III was arrested as an English spy
and imprisoned for six days in room
at the railway station. By the sol
dfers was treated very badly. They
kicked me II dared to move after
they had told me to lie down on the
| straw and sleep.
"They hit me with the butts Of their
guns several times. All had to eat
was bread and soup. Finally I was
released and went to Liege, out OF
which I escaped by securing under a
false name pass to go to Maastricht
and buy some food. The journey
70 f1Ollduu tOOh AlC OLA AouAS "a
foot"
Managers Of the Belgian powder
factories refused to work their places
for the Germans even in the face Of
being threatened with death, Leroy
declared. He said the members OF
the firm that built the defenses OF
Antwerp also were threatened with
death II they did not give up the
plans of that city. They refused to
do so, he said.
Both they and the powder manufac-
lturers we're spared, however, the Ger
mans not carrying out their threats.
Belgian unemployed were onered
double ordinary wages to work IN
the powder factories and to build
trenches, he said. They were not
tempted by the offers, however, re-
/ fusing to do the Germans bidding.
The Germans had great NUMBER
Injured in the fighting near Lege,
LEROY said, as every night he could
hear wagons by the score passing
Through the streets. loaded with Ger
IMAM wounded. They were being taA-