Imperial Valley press., 1915-02-19

1 1865 So
ice and snow. You see some of these
in regular formation, where the
French and German infantry occupied
an entrenched position, and had time
TO dig themselves in. Others are
r,erc shelter trenches, thrown up has
tily during some attack when the ad-
vancing infantry could make no fur
ther progress, and merely tried TO
hold their own on the ground thus
gained. The more gruesome relics
Of this gigantic battle are the innu-
mcrablc little mounds of earth, some
surmounted by crosses of wood and
the kepis- of the fallen. Names
scrawled in pencil on these crosses
are now rapidly disappearing under
the stress Of wind, rain and snow.
Elsewhere are huge nameless graves
which are filled with the unknown he
roes, where friend and foe lie side
Ivy side.
| The most terrible and mournful
sights are those where you find hun
dreds of crosses concentrated in
very small area in front of some
impregnablc hill or wood. This is
where you are told sadly by the of
ficer who is accompanying you that
great attack failed. In one low
lying valley 700 French graves lie
in space 200 yards wide and about
so yards broad. This regiment at
tackled the Germans during a fog.
They were given away by spy, and
were moved down almost to man.
The wounded had to be left just
where they fell and most of them
perished from thirst and starvation.
II another small wood we were shown
the trees absolutely moved down by
the French shrapnel fire. 1t looked
as if it had been swept by some whirl-
wind
A Saxon brigade, which had taken
the trenches in front, attempted fur
ther advance in open formation fol-
lowed by close columns. They were
allowed to advance some distnacc,
when suddenly forty-eight of the
French 75s were turned on them. They
we're swept away in hundreds. The
men lost their heads, and ran round
in circles, and then broke for cover
to this wood. Here they were caught
in death trap, and over 5000 dead
bodies were inferred here alone.
These are only a few of the Incl
dents and scenes which were repeat
ed everywhere during this awful ef-
fort of the Germans to break through
the Trouee de Mirecourt and to drive
the French army into the fortress of
Toul.
Nothing shows more clearly the
devastating effects of modern artil-
lery fire than the way the trees have
been swept clear of their branches by
the passage Of the shells. The roads
of Lorraine are lined on both sides
by aspens. These are now in a mel
ancholy state. Some have been brok-
en- in half. Others have all their up
per branches swept away; some have
escaped altogether, and hold them
selves proudly in strange contrast to
their battered neighbors. Most of
+ the main roads were half destroyed
by the holes made by the shells, but
these have been filled in to allow of
the passage Of transports and motor
cars.
When walking over the ground over
which some particularly desperate
fight has been waged you have to keep
sharp lookout, otherwise you will
very likely fall into hole some five
feet deep made by one of the great
howitzers, which has become filled up
with drifting snow. Clad in its win
ter mantle. with an icy wind shiver-
ing through you, and deserted by all
except occasional bands of soldiers
quartered amidst the ruined houses,
and by the few peasants who still
cling to their cellars. the whole coun-
try presents to the eye an indescrib-
able spectacle of misery and melan-
choly.
Standing on the summit of the hill
of st. Genevieve, had splendid view
of the ground for miles and miles
around. Unfortunately. the day was
not clear, but in the distance, twenty
miles away, could just discern the
outline of Metz. To the north, to-
ward the Argonne, from the Boise lie
Pretre, the great guns were thunder
ing away, for from this position the
French artillery has already com
menced to lombard the outer works
of Metz.
But it must not be imagined that
anything in the nature Of siege has
commenced or is likely to commence.
Metz will fall when peace is signed.
1t would require too great an army.
and would lock up too many men. to
undertake a regular siege at this
stage. when the Germans can still put
formidable armies in the field
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