The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-12-24
DANGER IN TRENCHES
NOT ALL FROM GUNS

Hardships of Cold and Damp Furnish Sc
rious Menaces to Health, Writes ar
English Soldier from the
Front.
| Correspondence of the Associated Pressl
London, Dee 24.-Miseries of life in
the trenches are wildly pictured in a
story written by an English soldier who
| is on the Belgian frontier. He enlisted
as private but later was raised to an
officer. Thus he has had an opportunity
to see the war from different angles. His
story follows:
| 1t isn't the danger that affects one in
| the trenches, but the hardships of cold
and damp. Bullets from snipers-the
Germans have lots Of these out night
and day--whizz about your ears contin
ually, and occasionally shrapnel makes
one tuck ones head down, but one gets
50 used to the firing that although it
may sound incredible-it soon becomes
far less noticeable than city traffic for
instance.
tillery or a wild rattle Of musketry at
an imaginary night attack wakens one
stiff, sore, frozen and full of strong Ian.
guage from ftful dreams, which mainly
concern themselves with steak, buildings
and huge fires at home.
The cold is really horrible. One never
ceases shivering At night the soles OF
ones boots freeze; and one is awakened
by icy feet and forced to get up and
stamp till the blood consents to circulate
once more. Daylight brings some respite
but the whole time one is forced to mutfie
to the eyes. and such things as Balacaya
helmets, thick gloves, comforters, cardi-
gnns and woody waistcoats cannot be too
numerous. | can scarcely button my coat
over my numerous raiment and still ]
perish
Washing and shaving are practical !
n impossible Officers and men leave the
trenches like miners coming up from
pit, but somehow that does not worry rs. |
The idea OF washing in such cold is too |
awful for il is impossible 10 restore the !
by exercise in narrow /
crowded trench and in the dugouts there
is Just room 10 lie down. They are now I
beginning to serve out coal and coke
Just in time. There would have been 1
frostbite otherwise
The water in the machine guns freezes
and they have 10 be nur,ed back to ac-
tion in front OF fires. Rifles get frost
bitten and sometimes are ruptured BY y
The sudden shock consequent OF being
ired. This is rather welcome, however,
or the wood from a derclict rifle burns
The water bottles freeze. too. and have
o be- thawed out Water l. nuisance.
{ has 10 be fetched by night hy fatigue
,arties from farms and villages in the
ear. process which takes sometimes
wo or three hours.
II is extraordinary how ingenious the
hen are in contriving things for their
omiort. They cut little hreplaces in the
ide Of the trench line them with tin
rom ammunition boxes. and top them i
eatly with chmneys made of bullv-becf "
ins. They build elaborate rife racks {
nd make themselves snug cubbyholcs 10
leep IN, roofing them with material from 4
earby ruined farmhuuses, piled over with u
srth il
rying need i Tor milk and fruit Plenty d
/ tobacco and cigarettes are 10 BE- had.
here i dearth Of things 10 read. and p
u considered rank treason 20 light a I Ii
r. Will a piece Of newspaper. s
The trenches stretCh Id = practically b
nhr0ken line from tie sea Is The east I,
.ontier. not IN groups Of isolated rife =
il. but in what are really series of 4
nall towns linked together hv narrow
trenches each battalion
supying its own little town. which mhv
+ ANYTHING from half 8 mile to tW0
iies long. and q hundred yards o. 30
-ep.
From behind fhe firing trenches there
3 wild hbgrfrfi 81 rtprsacfinr com
unicatiuR Trenches support trsuehes
le6uts fdf staff aud oalrers kitehts,s
81 I'D forth though 81 course some are
ere elS.arta than others
d takes shout az har and . hnlf Is
from ore aBf ni uur present battalion
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q &C. mud ard a. eall 3 dur ana,rr.
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