The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-09-11
American Correspondent Tells Of
the Horrors of That Fierce
Battle in Belgium.
HUNDRED THOUSAND ENGAGED
0loody Struggle for Possession OF
Railway Embankment, Germans
Finally Winning by Force OF
Numbers-Retreat Of ths
Besians to Antwerp.

NC pAAhNo viz
following cablegram from e. Alexan-
der Powell. dated Antwerp, Aug. "a:
The helmeted legions OF the kaiser.
driven out of Malines on Tuesday,
were reinforced yesterday and before
their overwhelming onset the Bel
gians sullenly gave way and retreatsd
with chins on shoulders.
write OF what / saw with my own
eyes, as / had the distinction OF being
the only American correspondent per
mitted to accompany the forces. tho
government placing military car at
my disposal.
Over 100000 In Battle.
The battle Of Malines, In which four
Belgian divisions, totaling $4,000 men,
-contended with considerably
stronger force of Germans, was fought
an that wonderfully beautiful region
i've miles south Of the famous city
and q dozen miles from Brussels.
To get a clear conception Of the bat
tie one must picture o 50-foot high
railway embapkment, its steeply slop-
ing sides heavily wooded, stretching
across a smiling, fertile countryside
like a monstrous green snake. On
this line run fast trains from Ant
werp to Bussels. Malines, with its
historic buildings and famous cathe-
dral. lies on one side of this embank-
ment. and Wilworde on the other,
four miles separating them.
BeIgians Take Offensive.
On Tuesday the Belgians, believing
the German communications to be
poorly guarded and the German garri-
son in Brussels too weak to assist
them, rashly sailed from the shelter
OF the Antwerp defenses and took the
offensive like a terrier striking bull
dog.
They drove the Germans from Ma
lines, but the Germans brought up q
fresh army corps and yesterday morn
ing the Belgians found themselves in
a perilous position. The battle hinged
.on the possession Of the embankment
and was fought along a ten-mile front.
Begins With Artillery Duel.
The battle began at dawn with an
artillery duel across the embankment.
BY noon the cannonade was terrific.
Tho Germans got the range and rain
bf shrapnel bust about the Belgian
tired at trot IN perfect order.
could see dark blue masses OF Bel
,gian infantry falling back, cool as on
a winters morning. Through mis-
take two battalions of carabineers did
not receive the order to retire and
were in imminent danger Of destruc-
tion.
To reach them a messenger would
have had to traverse a mile OF open
road swept by shrieking shrapnel A
colonel summoned a gendarme and
gave him the orders and he set spurs
to his horse and tore down the road,
an archaic figure in towering bearskin.
Rider Reaches tho Troops.
1t was a ride into the jaws Of death.
He saved his troops, but as they fell
back the German gunners got the
range and dropped shell upon shell
into the running column. Road and
fields were dotted with corpses In Bel
gian blue.
Several times the Germans attempt
ed to carry the embankment with bay
onets. but the Belgians met them with
blasts Of lead which shriveled the gray
columns like autumn leaves.
At noon the Belgians and Germans
were in places only so yards apart,
and the rattle of musketry sounded
like = boy drawing stick along the
palings of picket fence.
Zeppelin Hovers Overhead.
During the height OF the battle a
Zeppelin slowly circled over the field
like @ great vulture awaiting feast.
BY four o'clock all the Belgian
troops were withdrawn except a thin
screen to cover the retreat / was
anxious to witness the German ad-
vance and remained on the railway
embankment on the outskirts G;
Sempst after all the Belgians had
withdrawn except q picket o: ten men.
I had my car waiting with the motor
running.
The Germans prefaced their advance
with terrible fire. The air was filled
with whining shrapnel; farmhouses
collapsed amid puffs of brown smoke.
The sky was smeared in a dozen places
with the smoke of burning dwellings,.
Suddenly a soldier crouching beside
ne cried, Les Aliemsnds." From 4
screen of woods along the eEsaak-
ment burst a long lire OF gray figures
hoarsely cheering At the same mo
ment heard q sp,utter OF shots IN tns
village below me and my chauffeur
screamed. Hurry TOR your life. n.cn.
sieur. the hhlans are upon us."
I think broke the worlds rscor,i
for speed Ia getting to ny car. IA We
shot down the road which leads 20
Antwerp. 1T 20 .asIss an hour. the