The Alaska daily empire., 1915-07-19
FAMOUS CLOTH HALL
 TURRETs STILL STAND

9nIN- 70 70 N-- N ''''N-
 Writing from tho front in France, Frederick Palmer an American news paper correspondent says, People are slln living at Rheims and Lou vaine. but Ypres is absolutely dead city Dead as Pompeii, Dead as a deserted mining camp in Alaska. No face appears in any door or window than can sHn be called door or window No figures are seen moving through the shell holes in Che few walls sul standing
 How are the turets? Still stand ing out?" they ask up and down the line of anyone who has come from Ypres. Everybody has a tender per sonal interest in the turrets of the old Cloth Hall. which deepens with each day that they survive in de- tiance of the enemys gunners above the wreckage wrought by hostile shells.
 Before the war. Ypres had some 13.OOO inhabitants. Now it has not single one No one is making any effort to make any ruin inhabitable. The only signs of life except occas- ional soldiers coming out and going to the lines are cats grown wild which become streaks of fur disap- bearing among the ruins of their for. mer homes.
 The Cathedral, which stands back of the Cloth Hall, was a noble edi. flee no doubt. but there are a great many cathedIals in Europe. The cloth hall is unique; the best of It's kind. Anyone who ever saw it will always remember its turrets. Differ ent conquerers of Ypres have put her women and her children to the sword but no one had even harmed the old Goth Hall beyond taking away a few statues.
 Cloth Hall Pride of Ypres
 Last February perhaps four or five thousand persons remained in Ypres They were coming and going about the streets as usual keeping their shops open and doing what business they could at the old stand. A visitor could get a meal at restaurant, or have his shoes cobbled- Only one house in the big square had been hit It's roofs dropped over the edges oi Q corner section which had been torr out of the main floor
 The Germans threw in an occasion al shell. directed at the Cathedral with some misses bound to hit the Cloth Hall Restoration work which ages had required had just been fin ished on the Cloth Hall before the war began. The people paid for this and .n their civil pride let other civ ic improvements wait. For the Clott Hall gave Ypres a civic distinction It was the historical soul of Ypres The old frescoes on its walls told the city's early history. It meant tC Pores quite as much in its way az Westminster Abbey does to London or Fanieul Hall does to Boston. Every man and woman born in Ypres has been brought up to tell the time oi day by the raised gilt figures of the old golden clock face.
 By February the peoples sense Of horror was exhausted Destruction of things sacred to them had become And they said "The Cloth Hall explosion and word was passed that the Germans had scored another hit they went around to the Grande Pal ace to see if the turrets and the gilt clock face were stin unharmed And they said 'gThe Cloth Mall still can be restored"- these stub born Flemmish who would not lef shell fire drive them away from theil old town
 Shells Wreck the Town
 The next time the American Press correspondent went to Ypres there was not a single house left on tho Grande Place that resembled a house any more than a rubber bag with the gas out of 1t resembles a ballon In the second battle of Ypres. wher the Germans had another try for the attack with asphyxiating gas over shadowed what they did with theh guns. Heretofore their practice on Ypres had been comparatively teas ing playruInes This time they went at the job of destruction systemat
 re jumping from one space or the checkerboard to another they smashed Ypres section by section
 As they meant to take the town this seemed poor policy for they would find no roofs over the heads for shelter when they moved in. But their object was confusion, for Brit ! fer ,ofnforaor,ortc hurrvinp mn q1Onr