Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-08-19
OF WAR
DESCRIBED BY
EYE WITNESS

(GranriHc ForfcScWc. Spcciai CorrcSpoR-
drnf NJ fhc London Daily Telegraph. Nv
q BrHSSflS cabIc tdclaycd w transmits
sion 10 the Philadelphia Public Led
gcr.D
! was an eyewitness of the fighting
around Lirgc. The Germans asttacked
the city in force about 11.3O p. IN. On
hearing q heavy cannonading | crossed
river by the bridge al Fragnec and took
"A position ON the heights To the north Of
the city Ii was full moon. The German
attack was directed against the forts Of
Fleron. Embourg and B0nceIlcs- The ar-
tillery practice was perfect. Shell after
shell was exploded fairly on the ram
parts n forts.
The return fire of the Belgians could
not Judge for effectiveness, a. the Ger
man gun positions were admirably con
cealed. The rough nature Of the c0un-
try and the darkness favored the attack
crs. II il my opinion that there were no
siege gun i'm action.
The Germans used a high explosive
shell that burst with extraordinary viz.
idness.
About . o'clock In the morning fire
broke out of the woods on the west of the
River Ourthe. between Emb0urg and Bon
%celIes. IL was impossible 20 distinguish
anything except the flashes of the rifles.
About this time | heard infantry fire in
the west. The country In the vicinity 0f
the forts has not been cleared and evil
IDENTITY was only hastily fortified.
Regiments held the country between
Forts Fleron. Embourg and B0nceIleS.
The Ninth Regiment bore the brunt of
the attacks, which were repealed.
With the first rays Of daylight. about
A o'clock. | was able "a make out troops
Of the German line of battle They were
fighting i'm close order. | could not bc-
lieve hat | was watching the first line.
rs this seemed 10 be old-fashi0ned tactics
but there could be- no doubt a. 10 their
formation.
The engagement attained its ~ficrcest
stage AZ ) o'clock. when Fort FlerOn was
silenced. | was afterward told the Ger
mans had smashed the machinery Of the
disappearing gun carriage. Toward y
o'clock there was a lull.
i would not attempt To estimate closely
the attacking force. II might nave been
a division of $4,000 men. with 1000 or
) OO0 cavalry. These occupied the inter
walls between the fortresses and had as
their objective the bridges south Of the
city.
Panic stricken refugees flooded the city
all day This influx OF frightened out
siderS had a balcful influence upon The
people of Liege. Motors CARRYING wound
ed o o began TO arrive. These stopped
before our hotels and other establish
mentS that had been turned into hos.
pitfalls.
Fifteen Beds Ready Ten Beds for
WOundcd"-theSe were some Of the signs
posted on doors about the town Soon
refugees began fleeing with as much pro
pcrty a they could gather. I carried
a woman OF 80 years into a third-class
car. where a Sister Of Mercy acted ~
her attendant. Before we were half way
TO Brussels a priest had given her ex-
treme JUNCTION.
Opposite me sits a man with four x.
week-old puppies and his mother-in-law.
In the next ear are hcrded "A score Of Ger.
man prisoners. their helmets covered with
cloth and the insignia gone.
Opposite me sits another woman. She
u about JO-rugged J0-of the Walldpcn
type She speaks no French, but / man
aged 10 find out that she II a widow, with
eight sons in the army. She is going to
Brussels. asked her II she has friends
there. No. she knows no one. But what
Will she do. a stranger and alone i'm
Brussels? she was asked.
" shall ask the King for aid-he will
give IT,,