New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-25
AT WAR IS AND WHAT 1T CAUSES AS SEEN BY GERMANS

were busy as bees about the gun. Ono
man with the hand elevating gear rap
idly cranked the barrel down 10 level
position. ready for loading. A second
threw open the breech and extracted
the brass cartridge case, carefully
wiping IL out before deposting 10
among the empties; four more seized
the heavy she'll and lifted IL to cradle
opposite the breech, a seventh rammed
it home. No. 8 gingerly inserted the
brass cartridge, half filled with vase
line-like explosive. the breech was
closed, and the gun pointer rapidly
cranked the gun again into position.
In less than thirty seconds the men
sprang back from the gun, again load
ed and aimed.
short wait, and the observer, from
his post near the village, ordered:
Next shot, fifty metres nearer The
gun pointer made the slight correction
necessary the mortar again sent its
shell purring through the air against
the village, which this time, it was
learned, broke into flames, and while
the men went back to their MONDAY
rest the lieutenant explained the fine
points of his beloved guns.
One man. as had been seen, could
manipulate the elevation gear with one
hand easily and quickly; ten of his
horses could take the mortar, weighing
eight tons, anywhere; it could fire up
to 500 shots a day. He was proud OF
the skilful concealment of his guns,
which had been firing for four days
from the same position without being
discovered, although French aviators
had located all the sister batteries, all
of which had suffered loss from
shrapnel fire.
Along the roadside through the Cote
Lorraine were here and there grases
with rude crosses and pencilled IN
scriptions. At the western edge of The
forest the battle panorama of the
Mouse valley suddenly opened out. The
hills falling away again steeply TO the
level valley bed. The towns below st.
Nlihiel and Bannoncour seemed abso-
lutely deserted, not a person being
visible even around the large barracks
in the latter town.
While the little party OF officers and
spectators, including the correspond
ent, were watching the artillery duel
on the far horizon or endeavoring to
pick out the infantry positions shrap-
mel suddenly burst directly before
them high in the air. There was
general stir, the assumption being that
the French had taken the group on the
hillside for battery staff picking out
positions for the guns. but as other
shots were fired it was seen that shrap-
mel was exploding regularly above the
barracks, "a mile and half away, the
French evidently suspectng the pres
ence OF German troops there.
ten-mile ride southwark led TO the
position of the Austrian twelve-inch
battery. The two guns this time were
planted by the side Of the road
screened only in front by little wood.
but exposed to view from both sides,
the rear and above. For this greater
exposure the battery had paid corre-
spondingly, several of its men having
been killed or wounded by hostile fire.
Here. as in the German batteries,
the war work in progress went on with
machine-like regularity and absence
Of spectacular features more charac-
teristic Of rolling mill than bat
lie factor. The men at the guns went
through their work with the deftness
ana absence of confusion of high-class
mechanics.
Finding Target at Six Miles.
The heavy shells were rolled TO the
guns. hoisted by a chain winch 10 the
breech opening, and discharged in UNI
interesting succession, short pause
coming after each shot until the tele-
phonic report from the observation
stand was received. The battery had
been firing all day at Fort Lionville,
range 9,400 metres, and the battery
commander was then endeavoring to
put out of action the only gun turret
which still answered the fire. The task
Of finding this comparatively minute
target, forty or fifty feet in diameter,
at a range of six miles, was being
followed with minute accuracy which
promised eventual success.
The shells from these guns snarl of
en- their course with characteristic
minute-long shrek, which seems to
come from the shell itself screaming
on toward it's destination. Watches
were pulled out to determine just how
lcng the fight could be heard, and the
uninitiated were preparing TO hear the
sound of the explosion itself.
The battery chief explained, however,
that this snarl was due 10 the condi-
tions Immediately around the muzzle OF
the gun and could not be heard from
other points. He invited close watch
of the atmosphere hundred yards be
fore the gun at the next shot. Not
only could the projectile be seen plain
" in the beginning of its fight, but the
waves Of billowing air, rushing back to
MI the void left by the discharge and
bounding and rebounding in tenn
pestuous sea Of gas, could be distinctly
observed. This airy commotion caused
the sound to be heard for more than a