Evening journal., 1915-06-15
Inferno as Peace Contrast
With the Modern Battle Scene
BY wILBuR S. FORREST,
United Press staff correspondent

n
Din Of Battle" is dead.
It's a blatter and crash, spit and
screech and Hell let loose" doesn't
half describe the noise of combined
rife, machine gun she'll fire and
bombs in this day and age said
soldier back from the battlefield OF
Northern France today.
"If any one could properly describe
a modern battle, Dantes picture OF
Inferno would represent peace in
contrast" he added. explaining the
sounds that the modern soldiers ear
has come to recognize.
German FIRE sounds different from
the British and there are a thousand
different individual sounds TO break
the stiffness. Distant individual fire
represents the patting Of clay with
shade. distant rapid reminds one or
the purring of a powerful motor car.
The German bullet cracks and the
British sounds like the bursting OF
a soft paper bag. Sometimes a Ger
man bullet richocheting in tho SAND
'bizzes:' sometimes its lightning
fight sounds like a man half whistling
half kissing through his teeth. Glanc-
ing off metal it pings then 'screeca-
es' until Il stops. Passing close by
a bullet gives a crack and II may
deafen the nearest ear for days. Like
their rife shots the German machine
guns sound less muffed than the
british. They sound like the Infinite
lv swift rapping Of a door knocker.
Ours might be likened to a carpet
beaten by very dexterous and cner-
getic spring cleaners armed with
canes.
"The sounds Of she'll FIRE are varied.
The Germans ripe squeak and some
times scream Little Willie High ex-
nlosive shells are tickle; some times
they burst with a binding Hash and
little sound and again they crack
like a thunderbolt. Some shells
'whirtle' and some pass through the
air like moaning wind. Anti-aircrai'
guns 'ping-ping' and the bursting Of
their shrapnel most often 'clatters;
,ut il it is lyddite II crashes like
.ollapsing brick smoke stack.
"Night sounds in the trenches are
MANY and varied. A sentry's strained
ears NAV catch the sound of shovel
ing With spades and the tap of
mallet on wooden stakes This come;
when the enemy's trench is near and
5enotes that he is driving a sap, dig
ging an advanced trench, or con
structing wire entanglements. Some
times the whir of a dynamo. II Il
a sure sign that the enemy is work
ing an electrical trench digger. II the
trenches are close one may hear the
movements of enemy reliefs or rem
forcements behind their lines. II Il
generally possible to hear sounds o.
guns or transport being moved. On
quiet night this sound Is audible toi
miles It's the same with the human
voice. The sentry is sometimes greet
ed with good English from Germai
trenches or with a song. The strang
sacred cries of flying lapwings, IN
mewing Of homeless cats and III
whining of dogs are but few of tn
wierd sounds that greet the lionel
sentry at night The novice has otte
been rudely scared by the snorin
song of a soldier-pal at peace wit
the whole world, the Germans in
cluded.
LONDON-An ingenious method q
informing his mother that he was /
dire need of more food was employe
bv q British prisoner in Germany VII
fortunately had remembered Barrie
skit Little Mary" Ca mans stomach
When he wrote the following pos
card It was promptly passed by tn
unsuspicious German censcr:
my dsrling little Mary: l have re
Gently heard from my mother and
gather from her card she is rathe
anxious about you. Poor darling yo
are undoubtedly going through har
times now. but am glad my mothe
and others have at last begun to re
alize your need of outside help.
Your allowance is quite insufhcier
for your needs: of all the slopp
things the State has done for deper
dants your allowance is the sloppie'
just enough 10 exist on.
Am quite we'll"
PARIs-Some queer stunts PEI
formed by bullets are described
The current number of Gazette Med
Gale.
One wounded man in the Cambr
Hospital has eleven bullet in his bod
ne Is uOt ohiJ piO6ieoSihS SoeioAo
torily, but has never even been place
on the dangerous list by the doctor
Another was hit by a bullet tn
pierced his jaws. destroying all h
teeth, but his tongue was not ev'
touched, and the net result Of h
wound was a swollen face.
Still another had his body traver
ed by a bullet that passed just Ii
tie below the heart without touchil
any vital organ. He walked thr
miles to the nearest field hospita
there an antiseptic bandage was a
piled 10 his wound and the next d.
he returned IN the battlefield