Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-09-30

STAGGERING BLOWS.
British Press Through Wire Barriers,
Force Trenches and Baycnet Ger
mans in Them.

! London, Sept. 30-The allies con-
tinue their great offensive in ArtolS
and the Champagne, and, according
10 French accounts, which however,
are contradicted by the German oifi-
cial reports, further progress has
| been made in both areas.
In Artois the French claim to have
reached hill l40, which lies directly
cast of Nimy, and is the eliminating
point of the crests named after that
town The Importance of the hill lies
! in the fact that it commands the
plains to the east, the network of
roads and the railway which runs
from Lens southwark.
So far as Champagne is concerned.
; the French appear at present to be
making their chief efforts towards the
railway junction north of Massiges,
which accounts for the desperate ef-
forts Of the Germans to stem the tide
and for the crown princes counter
strokes in the Argonne, as this rail
way connects the German army in
The Argonne with its base at Vouz-
iers..
Perhaps the heaviest fighting since
the offensive began is now going on,
for the British are attacking the Ger
man third line of defense south Of
La Bassee Canal and the Germans
have brought up re-enforcements
against both the British and the
French. and-are making every effort
TO retrieve the lost ground, Belgium,
dispatches from Holland has, has bene
Genuded of troops. while German de
tachments are even being removed
from the eastern front to meet what
is known to be the greatest effort
made in the west since the armies
took up their present position from
Belgium to Switzerland.
The Germans are trying to divert
The allies by heavy artillery bonn
Lardment north and south of the
Aisne. but plans having been made
hy General Joffre, the French are
striking with all the force at their
command at the points selected. It
is reported that German Emperor has
arrived ut the western front, and
that he has already dismissed some
Of his generals for allowing their
lines to be pressed back almost to
the breaking point.
London. Sept. 30-A colrespon-
cent writes as follows concerning the
sighting at Loos.
Germans caught hiding in cellars
from which they kept up steady
fire on the men dashing through the
streets of the village were hauled
forth; machine gun firing through
holes in the walls Of cattages were
charged and captured.
The village was protected by a
triple line of balbed wire Of extra
ordinary thickness and strength, the
harbs being nearly an inch in length
The first two lines have been well
destroyed by the artillery but Ihe
|, ,nI nu
cut By men standing in the open cA
rosed TO the enemy fire.
"One man said that in the trenches
ground the town the German dead in
some places were piled four deep.
Many cellars contained Germans seek
ing protection from the bomhard-
ment. and into the houses dashed the
bombthrowers. They pulled up. the
flap of the cellars and dropped in .
: couple of bombs. IN one dugout a
German officer was found with 4
telephone receiver at his ear. He had
been directing the fire of the German
artillery on the village after the Bri-
t;sh occupied it.
The village itself was badly DAM
aged The church was shapeess
mass of bricks; houses were blown to
pieces; street were piled with debris
amid which lay many hundreds I'ot
dead and wounded. The few French
inhabitants still living nthe village
consisted of two or three fam lies,
mostly women :"