Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-06-11
CORRESPONDENT
SHOWN TRENCHES
OF THE GERMANS
COMFORTS OF HOME" ARE FOUND
BY VISITOR IN FIGHTING QUART
Frs OF SOLDIERS.
ARE BRICK PAVED, HAVE DRAINS
AND ALL SANITARY ARRANGE
mENTS ARE PROVIDED FOR.

Northern France. June ll.-With no
little pride in the accomplishment OF
his boys" the colonel of "A Bavarian reg
iment recently made the rounds of some
five kilometers Of trenches in this re
gion with an Associated Press cores
pendent. He was intent on showing
two things first, that life at the front
j. not without Conversations. and sec
ond. that Germany's opponents may eN-
pect TO nave a difficult time In driving
them out Of their comfortable quarters.
Ii is certain that the trenches which
he exhibited have not their equal 81 any
Of the many fighting fronts. Every con
ceiyablc comfort of home" that l. av
ailable for "A trench has been supplied
from shaving mirrors 10 four post beds.
These trenches may II winter time have
been the mireS of mud and water, that
has been described but il seems
hard Ia believe when one sees tch even.
slipping brick pavemncts with drains at
regular intervals and the numerous san
itary arrangements that have been in
stalled.
Almost a mile back Of the real firing
line the way dipped Ia "laufgrabcn
or connecting trcnch-a narrow. wind
ing lot in the ground almost csven feet
deep and ~pcdhapS three feet wide. The
soil in that part of France ia Of CLAW.
In which the deep excavations had been
made with difficulty but which never
caves in. The walls were as smooth n
planed pine board.
AT intervals along the route steps had
been chi>cled in the clay. enabling ono
10 climb up and get 4 view of the whole
landscape. including the French tren
chcs that later appeared to be iniermln
able.
After a walk Of IL or 20 minutes the
real trenches. those AT the very front.
were reached. and one began To see M
one and the same time real warfare ami
the comforts of home combined. just
10 make the contrast striking, the crack
ling noise of rifle fire was broken by
the strains of "A hirmonica-
The fighting trenches differ from the
connecting runway only in that they are
wider. and are reinforced IN front with
bags of sand or plates Of steel through
openings in which the soldiers can use
their telescopes without being seen.
Bull, into the clay walls little wooden
comparatively filled with bUtlctS. ana
alongside of the bullets were little. in
~geniously fashioned flower pots filled
with spring blossoms. These flowers. 10
gcthcr with amy quantity Of other dec"
r%ations. were a feature Of almost every
yard OF the trenches.
To the rear II the trcnchc>-iar under
ground, and sometimes under the front
walls. are the oclllcd Underestimate
or shelters. where the soldiers live when
not on duty. The approach Of those ~
the rear il usually bv a connecting
trench varying from ~ 10 20 yards IT
length. and almost invariably decorated
with flowers.
The interiors are. under the clrcum
stances, surprisingly comfortable. Those
Of the non commissioned officers and d.
vision leaders are fitted mp for the most
part with biz -four poster beds. Many
have clocks and carpets on the floors.
and nearly all have 4 c%rucifix or little
altar M which the terrible BaVarians
conduct their drvotionS.
InceniouSlv arranged bells have been
installed in each of these shelters 50
that the officer can BE- instant
" i'm ease Of attack. without the necesSi-
" of going down into hi> little house.
Similar bells often nothing hut n
piece II iron with a nail for a clappcr
are placed everywhere in the trenches
lot NdIHlHS W SNiiill'lliH- AHt 'ii''iH
on duty.
The shelters in most eases have been
given fantastic and familiar names
Villa Mucnchencr Kindl. Villa Astoria
and the like. Every trench in addition
has II name If u street. usually that
IL SOME general or popular commander.
The runwayS leading 10 the officers
shelters in many instances are called
after the men themselves.
At intervals along the front line Of
trenches are stell sheltered openings
where machine guns can bc set nm. The
guns are kept. however. in wooden q,
scs built into the clay. So n g. protect
them from dampneSs. and are only
brought out when the enemy is attack
ing.
The German trenches run roughly in
n p~arallel direction to those If the
French. but NJ points the distance he
tween the two il 200 or 800 Yards. while
M others il is about 10 To 20 veards.
Al the point where the two come closest
together there has been constructed y
sapping trench lust large enough for n
man 10 crawl through on hands and
knees. that runs directly toward the
French lines.
With ones ear against the clay nj
the extreme end Of this trench one can
hear the French moving about and talk
ing. The trench serves the purpose Of
guarding against any attempts nv the
French To dig toward the Germans and
explode a mine. The least effort TO DIG
n counter trench would be detected in
%stantly.
The German trenches run up To a
high plateau. which has been made into
.4ool lunaL mi hnlof Iroof nhcorrn