The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-08-21
A SHELL THAT HIT
Graphic Description Penned BY
Frederick Palmer. 81"
One Successful Shell Out Of Thou
sand; the One Supposed to Make
Waste of Other ss9 Worth
While.
ev FREDERICK PALMER.
international News Service)


British Headquarters, France
There are points along the British
front which see nothing but desultory
shell fire and shipping forss weeks and
months on end; points where neither
side has made an attack Through the
winter and spring. These. are known
as quiet corners. A practical stale
mate exists. Neither Briton nor Ger
man finds any object in trying for
gain. Troops who have been in the
thick Of it elsewhere are sometimes
sent to these regions for a rest and
change.
Other points-points which stick
out, as it were-are known as hot
corners" where the guns and rifles
seem always busy. Such has been
the La Bassee region.
A visitor may see about as much OF
what is going on in La Bassee as an
ant can see of the surrounding land
scape when promenading in the grass.
The guns of both sides seem en-
gagged in a kind of savage, vindictive,
blind mans buff sparring. OF course.
the gunners have a point on the map
at which they are aiming. They, have
information in one way -or another
that there is something at this point
worth Smelling. 1t may be a house;
and Of course, every house Is down
on large scale map. Troops may be
in the house; or If they are not. and
you destroy the house, you have de-
stroyed shelter for troops and made
the enemy nervous At least, thee,
retically, you have made him, so;
nothing seems to be able to make the
British soldier actually so, or the
French peasant either.
We had left our car to go forward
on foot. We were coming into the
zone where the inhabitants had been
ordered to vacste their, homes. Thii
is an unfailing sign that whatever the
condition of your health you are be
coming a poorer risk every minute
Cor a life insurance company. A
shell may get a grouptof soldiers IL
house or in dugouE Houses arr
not safe shelter: in hotscorners wher,
the visitor, instead of looking TO,
houses which have been damaged b!
shell fire, looks for the anomalous ont
that has not.
There was one such on an adjoining
road-an estaminet, which is q pub
lie drinking place or cafe.
A stretcher was being borne int
the door of this estaminet and allow
the doorway of the estaminet wa
chalked some lettering which indicat
ed that 1t was first clearing. station
for the wounded. Lying on stretcher
on the floor we're some wounded men
They looked a little stunned. wkdcl
was only natural when you have bee
as close as. they had to'a burst Of
shell-a shell THAI made a hit Tn
conclusion was bound to have .thi
effect.
A third man was the best illustr:
ton of shell destructiveness. Bullet
make only holes. Shells make gouge.
fractures and pulp. He too had bang
aged head, and had been hit in SCI
eral places; but the. worst wound wa
: in the leg. where.san artery, had bee
cut, causing a loss of blood. He wa
weak with sort Of a Where am 1?
look in his eyes. II that fragmer
which had hit his leg had hit his hea
or his neck or his abdomen he woul
have been killed instantly. He wa
an illustration Of how hard it is {
kill q man with several shell fral
ments unless some Of them strike
the right place. For he was going {
live; the surgeon had whispered ths
fact in his ear. that one importaI
fact.
And It was the one successful she
out of the thousand; that3one wEic
was supposed to make the waste {
the other nine hundred and ninet,
nine worth while.
Returning by the same road b
which we came, an automobile passe
swiftly by. We had . glimpse Of th
big. painted red cross on N an
bulance side and. at the rear Whel
the curtains we're rolled up ~ vel