The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-01-26
WORK At
NIGHT ONLY IN
PRESENT WAR
Powerful Field Glasses and
Aeroplane Scouts On Look
out for Scared Earth Sur.
face Change Old Conditions.

(Associatcd Press CorrespondcnceD
Karlsruhe, Germany. Jan. AT
night. when the searchlights nit from
trench To trench OF the enemy and
when n send shells into hostile
works which during tire day have 0ccn
singled pa for this attention, tho hui
nan mole-the pionecr-goes 10 work.
The present war at close quarters has
made IL impossible for him To labor
In daylight. Not alone is every part
~ the field scrutinizcd with powerful
glasses by the observation officers,
but men IN acroplanes are also ON
stantly on the lookout FOR a red or
brown scar In the landscape that
might show pioneers busy al work
digging trenches.
Contrary To- popular belief. trenches
are but seldom dug by the Infantry
men nowadays. The little spades they
carry serve for the sole purpose OF
throwing up cover when during an
attack the firing line. owing To super
lority OF Ere from tho enemy posi-
ton. must introuCh itself s|upcriCiall}
until achievements ran be brought
up. The trenches Of the permanent
positions are dug hy the pioneers, as
7 are also the approaches of trenches,
1omh-pruufs and tunnels, which make
up a modern 'p~os.,ion-nght' line.
what 70 means to he q pioneer is
well told In n letter which n Just
been published In the German press.
| The writer explains thar the division
stan had thought IL advisable 20 ad-
vance closer to the French trenches.
Before this could Doe done a trench
had to be dug; otherwise the iuian-
try sent there would have beer moved
down by tho hrc from the other side,
The locality ~ tho proposed trench
lay between the French and German
I trenches.
so We lcr, tho half-ruincd, little
/ village, on the banks ~ the canal
reached the highway, and laborcd
through the deep mud and around he
holes blown In the ground hy the
shells" continues the pioneer. ABOUT
, MS hummed bullets which seemed TO
| have lost their way, and the spades
beat gently against the rifles.
After wadiur through muddy fields
We crossed u ponipOn bridge, upon
which our steps ~rcsuunded In dull
! conclusions. Later We entered along
the sphere az the Eugilsh bullets. ana
had To get into the ditch along the
road 90 escape them After that we
crossed more mudd" fields. crepl
! through ~barbed-Wirc fences, ana hnal-
ly reached the spot.
There we dcploycd ana went 20
work. II had started To- rain again
and the ground We worked IN became
softer than % had been. We worked
like maniacs 20 get cover against the
fire of the Enemy. Though u was
dark the bullets hit the wall OF a
nearby house like hail
AFTER a while the fire grew worse.
Lay down" came the command. we
rested soft enough In the mud but
there was a nasty smell about II. For
ten minutes we waited in this posi-
tiuu. and then resumed our work.
| Some Of the ground We were on had
bee, allcd in. IL seemed, Tor after "A
while We hit % layer ot otlck rag
ments which seriously Retarded our
progress.
THE trench We were digsing was
only $50 to 200 feet from IN" trench
of the enemy, some ut Whom mao
pcrchcd themselves in the crowns o'
some willow trees and were popping
away at us.
but a winter thunderstorm came
to our aid; It's downpour caused the
ardour OF the men ia the trees Ia
cool.
I'VE kept on with our work To ihe
Accomplishment Of the incessant ar
|tlllery IRE from both sides. Sow ana
then the b-omhardmcnt would develop
into "a long. rolling cannonade'
l~shrieking and howllns. the proiec'ilc'
rushed through the air @ us, IN
explode ON either side with tcrrihc
crashes.
Meanwhile We had buried our
selves we'll In the elrtn, ana when
ROM O-CON ELL