Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-26
BELGIAN DETAILS
FALL OF NAMUR
Furious Bombardment of Ger
mans Silences Strong Forti-
fications Quickly.
By the Associated Press.

LONDON, Aug. 26.-The Paris cor
respondent of the Times. who had
been on the battlefield earlier in the
fighting. says that he met few
miles outside of Philippeville a Bel
gian officer and the paymaster- gen.
eral of Namur, who told him that the
town of Namur had been occupied by
the Germans. 1t had been subjected
to a furious bombardment, and the
German fire was so well regulated
that the first few shots had silenced
Fort Marchovelette on the northeast
and Fort Maizeret on the east. Fort
Andoy also suffered badly and was
almost out of action.
The story continues: THE Germans
entered the town without encounter
ing much resistance. Fort Dave at
the southeast Of the town, and Fort
Wepion on the opposite side of the
Mouse, and the line of forts to the
north still resist.
I'm spite of the elaborate prepara-
tons with wire entanglements
through which was passed. an electri-
cal current of / 500 volts, and the nb-
eral use of broken glass, Namur fell
into the hands Of the Germans on
Sunday.
The Belgians evacuated the town
in an orderly manner All rolling
stock and motor cars were removed
and the stationmaster left on the
last locomotive with the railway cash
box under his arm. The Belgian
troops, numbering about 5000. passed
under the protection of a French cav
airy screen. within the French lines
The correspondent adds: THUS the
Germans have doHe much to win mas
terry over the two banks Of the Mouse.
almost as far as Dinant. They. how
ever left behind them six Of the
eight forts of Namur which, ii is ex-
pected, will yet cause them consid-
cradle annoyance.
Later on Sunday the French artil-
lery in it's turn opened fire upon the
stricken town of Charleroi. The Ger
mans in the earlier stages of the en-
gagements had poured their shells
upon the upper part Of the town. The
French now emptied their hail of
shells upon the lower section Of the
| town and under a supporting fire
| from their artillery the French infan-
! try advanced slowly in the face of a
stubborn resistance. upon the town
/ they had just evacuated, retaining
/ several villages and becoming once
/ more masters Of the line between
! Thuin (eight miles southwest Of Char
leroi) and Metax.
Charleroi Again Bombarded.
AT six in the evening the fighting
f ceased, both sides being thoroughly
/ worn out. On the next morning be-
/ fore dawn the French artillery again
bombarded Charleroi and once more
] the indefatigable troops of France
! - de ba L. a,
| part of the town, recapturing the vii
/ lagos Of Chatelet, Bouffioulx, Mar
chienne and Couillet. The fighting a.
this stage of the engagement was at
/ tended by heavy losses on both sides
/ Charleroi which was in the centre o.
the action, is an industrial mining
district, and in the Stag heaps of th'
surrounding country the F'rencl
/ found admirable vantage ground
while in upper Alsace the Germans
mounted mitrailleuses in ever!
steeple Of the town.
I'm the face of a whitening fire from
the German mitrailleuses, the Frencl
again entered the unhappy town o
Chartered and after furious fightin,
drove the Germans in confusion
across the Sambre river. The Frencl
entered a city Uttered with dead, bat
tered by shell fire and devastated b,
every instrument of modern war.
Outside a dilapidated inn could b
seen the figure of a German officer
the head bowed over basin of waite
and the lather of soap dry upon tn
face. He had been shot while in tn
act of washing. Another officer la
across a table, his hand holding alof
a coffee cup, which he was raising I
his lips when death found him. ]
every part of the-city houses were /
flames or smoldering. Every celia
was occupied by or-stricken in
habitants."