Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-23
eaIrIsH SOLDIER SERVING IN
BELGIUM TELLS OF
hARDSHiPs.
TERRIBLE suFFERINGS
ENDURED sly SOLDIERS
coid Weather Prevailing at Present
sa,s Energies Of Men and Puts Ma
chin. Guns On. OF Commission
Live Like Animals While in Trenches
Men Aa.. Plenty % Coos Food.

TCo--es7c- a@ace q Associated Press
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one stiff. sore, frozen and I'M 81 strong
language from a-tul dreams when
mainly concern themselves WIN s;eA-
buildings and huge s.res a nome
Cold Horrible.
The cold !s really horrible one nsFe-
ceases shivering. Al night tae so4ss o.
ones boots freeze and one IS awakened
by icy feet and forced 70 get Up atc
stamp till the blood consents 70 cl1>c1-
late once more Daylight brings some
respite but the whole time one IS forced
to muffle to the eyes. and such things
as Balaclava helmets, thick gloves,
comforters, card!gans and wooly waist
coats can not be too numerous ! can
scarcely button my coat over ny NJ
merous raiment and Still ! perish.
Washing and shaving are practically
Impossible. Officers and ne-- leave TIE
trenches like miners coming up rom
Dit, but somehow that does not wo-ry
us. The idea OF washing IN scch cold
is too awful. for II IS impossible 20 re-
store the Circulation b. exercise n
narrow, crowded trench and II the dug
,uts there IL just room 10 lie down.
They are now beginning 10 serve out
coal and cok~just n time There
would have been wholesale hostntie
otherwise.
Guns Get Frost Bitten.
The water IN the machine guns
freezes and they have TO De nu-sed
get frost bitten and sometimes are rup-
tured by the sudden shock consequent
of being fred This IS rather welcome,
however, for the wood from q de-e!ct
rife burns beautifully.
The water bottles freeze, 100, ard
have to be thewed out Water Is = nut
sance. II has 20 be fetched by night
BIZ fatigue parties from farms and VII
lagos n the rear, process which taxes
sometimes tTyo Or three hours.
II is extraordinary how ingenious the
men are IN con-r:vug things for -hei-
comfort They cut l!rtle er=pleces n
the side Of me trench, iine them Win
tin from ammunition boxes. and -op
them neatly win cn.nlneys MADE o:
bully-beef tins They build elaborate
rife racks and MAKE themselves snug
cubbyholes 10 sleep IL, roofing -as-a
with material rom NEARBY ruined farm
houses, piled over with earth
Food ulensfuI and Good.
The food is plentiful AID good The
CRYING need is for mix and f-u.:.
Plenty Of tobacco and c.zarets ara ID %
had There IS a deartn o. things 20
read. and II IS considered ra-E treason
20 light Ere with piece q news
paper.
The trenches stretch n z practically
Ynbroken Ire from me se4 20 the ssz-
frontier, no. IL groups OF Isolated rife
Pits. but II what are really series Q:
small towns linked together by narrow
communicating trenches. saca battalion
occupying liz own little tow-a, which
may be anything from. RAJ; = ME -
two miles long, and d hundred yards Or
go deep.
= q - 49, -
is Wild labyrinth Of tntersec-ing COM
municating trenches. support trenches,
dug-outs for star and officers, Kitchens
and so forth. tho Of course sc.ns are
more elaborate than others
1t takes about an hour and hait -
go from one end OF our present oattsl-
ION position to the other. Las, week he
trouble was mud. vet, yiscid mud .o1-
or Eve inches deep, that squelcaec
round ones boot topz and go- plastsrsd
over everything up to ons's hat NJ
boots weighed tons. This wseg the
frost has laid the mud ano the cold -
our enemy.
Have Time to Recuperate.
We spend a few DAYS n the tren ches
and then a. few days in reserve IN the
villages IN the rear The relieving. Of
course. has to be done at night Il .s
IN eerie JOB. You march along az noise
1essly as possible to within half mile
% sssss :es., Where YOU are met by q
guide and taken in single file thru an
fntermfnable winding communication
trench. full Of roots and mud, never
more than three feet wide at the top
and about eighteen inches at the bot
tom. Then at a sort of Piccadiily cir
Gus in the rear of the fighting line, the
companies branch to their various post.
and are shepherded in until each man
OF the relieving force stands behind an
other OF that to be relieved. The wait
ing Is dreadful business IT seldom
takes less than three to FIVE hours te
effect the complete change. Everything
is dead still except for an occasional
banb- bang to show you the snipers arr
awake. No one pays the slightest at
tes..!on 20 them
Tho men exchange pleasantries II
hoarse whispers and the officers ex
change news and explain the specia
points Of the position. Finally. whei
the last man has been placed, the or
der 70 change places Is passed down
The now men step up on the little hrinl