The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-12-08
MONSIEUR M|RMAN
! E|Al|N||lD|ITHE|NENSPlR'|[[
Pfefect Of sloselle lEmb odies
Best That sin France
i Today. :.s

s. AOudy.S.; II sssS 20
e ! Z, ~ BY Associates al Press.)
(. 4 NANCY, France Dec 8.r---Eyery-l
'one'r thoughts are directed toward
the Notorious termin atom Of the war
and that unity OF purpose alone tsuf.i
dcestto create disciple said Mon
sletir AIitman. sPrefect OF the depart
meat ,of Aieurthe and Moselle, I'M ex.
plahstion % what some cali the new
spiEt,f IN France. ~
Monsieur Mifman has become wide
" known through the work he has
done 10, d dangerons post during tile
war. Hewaaiid director OF hygiene at
The ministry Of the interior when the,
war began and he could have retained
that. safe post but he preferred to
take an active part In the great trag-i
Send metto Nancy, he asked of
Minister Malyy, when he learned that
the fsprefect of MeurtheS and Moselle
had fallen III. no Nancy.??. 1t is "a
question whether you can get there
ahead OF the Germans he was told
at the ministry He was given the
chance and he arrived in the ancient
capital Of Lorraine y on the, historic
dly. August 9, 1s1 while the sacred
union WAS being consecrated In tho
Brench parliament. He lived with
hfas family through all the anxious
moments Of the battles of Morhange.
81 Nancy. and OF the Marine. During
the cSiticaI hours from August 22S TO
August s24 when Il was expected that
the sfty might OF any minute be. DC:
cupied BY the Germans. Monsieur
Mifman and Madame Mirman were
corspicucts IN the rue Saint.Jean.
making what the Project calls their
sdiraomatic promenades. The can,
non Numbered omipously- and Jun
csasingiy! yet the population, seeing
''McnsIeur tle Prefects and Madame
ID Prefect calmly examining the
goods displayed In the principal shop
windows; went quietly and ,resignedly
about. their various occupation There
was never the iightest panic and ut
the most crit icala moment on August
24,;.iees than 5000 OF the 4 0,600 in.
hhbitantsS left the city for the inter.
3 1.-The last shots ofSthe battles OF
Nancy OF the battle Of Metz as the
Germans call &c, and the battle o: thu
Name had scarcely been fired before
Mcnsienr Mirman, In the wake of the
retfeating Germans, set about making
snsinyantory Of the damage in his de.
pertinent and the inau guration OF mea.
snyes of reIief. comfort and restora.
ttpn. Dead bodies Of civilian victims
wire Nsfill. lying where thev. fell
around GerbeSil lers and other affect.
edStoWns; when this work began. d, 4
1--WE picked up the; bodies OF seven
dead Hans over there" he said TO
z{corsespolld dent Of The 4 Associated
Freae, pointing TO a little araVine on
tiss road from Gerbevillers to Nancy.
i,sMcneieur Mirman had not only to
p1shSa puIial to the Civilian victims
6etbe Invasion found here and there
after the sdecisiye engagements Of the
0ret week of Sept ember. but had so
hydlt6e Hood and shelter for thous,
1fidp' 6fssefnge from regions still foc.
fVpjpd pr from towns rendered unin-
tqVhe bombarded towns of Lorraine
maybe sid TO be wound led , not dead
he SAID. In explanation Of the rapid
restoration ofmany stricken villages
toswhich the ntires population has re.
tuf1td: ut Is only the towns to
which the torch was applied that are
practically amin Hated Z. The houses
ofsSEotfalne villages are solidly1 built
ofssstonei. and mbardments,S unless