New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-06

lbs Cable 10 Tn. Tribunal
British Headquarters, Sept. 30 (by
Philip Gibbs, by mail to "The Daily
Chronicle" London).-I went to-day
into the centre of the great battlefield,
where heavy fighting Is still taking
place, and stood near the famous Loos
redoubt, where German dead still lie
in heaps. A little distance away, loom
ing up grim and gaunt against gray
sky, rose the tall stel columns Of the
over Bridge" those mining works at
which ! had stared several times from
afar through a thick veil of smoke as
an inaccessible landmark within tho
German lines. Now they are within
our line in the centre of that town of
Loos. which will forever hold the mem
DRY Of a great British victory.
can hardly put TO words the scenes
through which ! passed yesterday up
to this historic ground, nor me strange
and rather dreadful aspect of the bat
tlcfcld upon which the sun shone in
splashes of light through piled storm
clouds. The turmoil of war was IN the
background, thousands and scores OF
thousands of men moving in steady
column forward and backward in queer
tancles and in a way which during a
great battle seems TO have no purpose
or meaning. 8,
Vast conveys Of transports choked
the roads with teams Of mules har-
messed TO wagons and gun timber, with
trains of motor ambulsnces packed
with wounded men, with infantry
brigades plodding through slush and
slime. with divisional cavalry halted
in villages and great bivouacs In DOGGY
fields. with heroes of week OF battle
passing and repassing dense masses,
in small battalions, IN scattered
groups. Famous regiments possessing
new fame gained in recent hours went
by silently and no man cheered them'
Legions of tall lads who lew months
ago marched smart and trim down
English lanes trudged toward the
lighting lines under the burden OF
their heavy packs, with all their smart
moss soiled by the business of war, but
splendid TO sec because of their hardi-
ness qnC strength and the enduring
look they had.
Further away within the zone OF the
enemy's fire the traffic ceased, and
came into the desolate lands OF DEATH
where there was but little movement.
and where the only noise is that OF
guns. ! passed by ruined villages and
towns. II was a long walk through the
narrow trenches toward that Loos re-
doubt where at last ! stood IN the cen
tire of the whole battle line. There was
the smell Of death in those narrow,
winding ways. One poor fellow whom
death had taken almost at the en-
trance way knelt with his head bent
as though IN prayer.
/ was in the centre OF great neld
Of fire. with the enemy's batteries on
one side and ours on the other, IN
sweeping semicircles OF shells. All
these batteries went crying through the
air with high. whining signs, when
ended I'm the cough OF death. The roar
Of runs was incessant and very close.
The 81 envy was sweeping around 20 my
right. and his shells went over my head
with continual rush. passing our
shells which answered back. The whole
,kv was filled with these thunderbolts.
MANY Of them were Jack Johnsons,'
which raised a volume of black smoke
+ where they fell. We saw the whole
panorama Of the battle-ground. II was
an ugly. naked plain, rising up TO HUI
I Inch and Haisnes on the north. falling
down TO Loos on the east from where
we stood. and rising again 10 Hill No.
/ 20. still further east and little south.
3 The villages of Haisnes and Hulluch
fretted the sky line and Posse s. was
n black wart between them. The tower
bridge close by ~ the town of Doos
vae the ono great landmark which
broke the mouotony of desolation.
No infantry attack WAS taking place.
No men moved about the ground. The
only moving things were shells, which
/ vomitcd up earth and smoke and steel
As they burst in all directions over the
whole zone. While We were shelling
Hulluch and Haisnes and Posse
with intense and concentrated hre the
enemy was retslisting by scattering
shells over the town otNLsos and our