Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1914-11-07
UNIQUE STORIES
Of GERMAN SIEGE
FRENCH SAY OLD CASTLE mis-.
TAKEN FOR FORTRESS
CRIMBlED ny GUNS
PONT-A-MOTssON


POnt-a-M0ussOn is q quite town
OF twelve thousand inhabitants. the
possession OF which was valuable 20
the Germans only because OF IT.
bridge which furnishes a convenient
crossing Of the Moselle on the road
from Metz Ia TOul II was attacked
early in the war. partly for this rea-
son aud partly rs the result OF the
detective vision OF captive balloon
Observer. who mistook for fortii-
cations the antique ruins OF castle
at The village OF M0usson on hill
20 the east of the bridge.
The first bombardmeut Of the
town early In August was not fol-
lowed up until the first days OF Sep.
TENDER. when captive balloon APP
peared IN the air across the river
and German aeroplanes commenced
manOeuvring over the town. They
dropped 200 bombs. killing ak and
wOunding great number OF civil
ians, but Il was NOT until the 5th
that the ringing OF the tocsin an
nouncod 10 the citizens that the
Germans had appeared on tue other
side OF the river In force The sol.
emn tones of the hell were still heard
when terrific drll explosion shook
The windows OF every aousc. the
bridge from which the town derives
It's name was no moro. and imme.
diately after blowing Il M the
French troops. In TOO small number
TO cope with the enemy quit tho
town.
The captive balloon was seen
again 10 rise In the distance aud
soon alter the German heavy artil,
lery began To play on the dilapidat-
ed antique castle on the hill During
thirty-siX hours they shOwered great
proiectiles on that spot, literally
pulveriling what remained of the
walls. occasionally diyerting shell
TO the town. after which they cross.
ed the MOselle on an improvised
bridge aud rushed mp 10 the assault
of tho supposed fortress. which they
found az quiet as m, grave No
ronch soldiers had ever occupied Il,
and wha, the Germans took for guns
from their captive balloon were sim.
ply cleyerly disposed tree trunks.
aud the fire which replied occas-
'ionally TO their guns To complete
the Illusion came from behind the
hill.
The tory of the occupation OF
this town Is quite the same as mas
Deen 30 often told OF other towns:
nostaPes. proclamations and reauls-
.iiiona, but I did not last long. The
morning OF the 9Th the impressive
music OF the French 3-lnch guns
was heard In the town: at the same
Time a French aeroplane was seen
To dart through the sky In the direc-
Ton OF the captive balloon. which
haslened 10 descend These were th,
prcliminaries OF the battle Of Dieu-
louard, 10 which no dispatches have
referred by name. but which was on,'
~ the blotdiest Ia the action Of Gen.
eral Castelnau's army defendinc
Nancy
\ continual procession of impro-
vis"d dmbulances passed through
The town toward M. bridge that
night, and other wagons with q more
gtrwsome mission turned 10 the rail.
road station, where inhabitants. re.
urea 20 their houses by order. saw
loaded into al kinds OF fiat care.
horse cars, cattle ears t9e bodies o,
those that fell that day al Diod.
louard They were piled o. high a.
they could be packed and In the
early morning these wheeled charncl
houses we're hauled across M. from
Tier toward Metz.
A. for the 9Th Bayarlan infantry
uot one of this regiment was ever
cen again la the streets OF Pont-a
Mousson. and three day later the
other troop ut occupation left the
tovn.
September gard the Germans
made their last attempt to re-cap.
ture ronf-a NOussor. ending IN o
charge on the Hill of saint Gene
We've To" French position al the
summit haai been b0mbarded during
tho morning and hy nine O'Clock tho
fire of tlH French scented Co have
Docn definitely silenced The order
for the u- ault wa given and 10 the
music oi toe fiIe and drum. fh, Bar
yatians iarfed up the slope. meeting
no resistance until they arrived with
Boz hundred Yard ut The fir.' line
of trenrtr Almost 10 man the
.ir-i line vent down uajer fIs fir '
,oilcy th4f received item there
others rI'uiug Or 90 take their
places iell over their conrad The
ranks came on %. Or those Boo ths
rear bad con nothing oi This -iaugh
ter and thr machine gum and rifles
swept taom down ln some place.
IL wa mpo Ihle 40 close the rauE-
because oI "a, pile, OF bodies .r.
paratcf them. and finally these
heaps 81 dead and dying became tho
rampant behind which some OF the
assaiiant- sheltered themss I've to
protect tlo retreat OF those th1'
we're left The Saint Ceuetieyc Ii'i
Wa ur'ta with bodies ana tho soil
saiurat' with the blood 81 the Bar
varians and all efforts 20 reach
Nancy from that point were definite
~ abandoned
The Total losses of that bloody
engagement are not known because
no one on 'hi. side 0f the frontier
can tel neI many Barvarians wen'
% The q Quit. but Do O. certain that
iew go' back 10 their camp az PaFuy
ana of tho three parvarian reel
meni. taat occupied Pont-a NoHs-
-on ii 3, probable that not hun.
ifed cd Them returned o. Ccrmal
coll