The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-12-18
Terrible Havoc w as Created
by the az Centimetre
Howitzers.
PART MONITORS !l PLAYED
Peace Reigns Now and
Austrian Side is Being
EARNED.

s-s(IOffeBpOnQenceI Oh ne AsbOCidt-
ed Press IA month ago the scene
Of fierce combat between the armies
Of Austria.H Hungary and Germany on
ono side. and Serbia on the other, the
Danube has now returned to more
peaceful aspects. We're It not for the
parity ruined towns and villages on
It's Serbian bank. four military pom
toon bridges, and boats and barges
loaded with troops and army mater
ials, all traces of the struggle would
be lacking in the Danube landscape.
Along the Hungarian bank men
plough broad and fertile arcres in the
plains, and where the hills and noun.
tains come close to the water nun.
J ldreds OF women and children gather
grapes. the harvesting Of which was
retarded BY the military operations.
An occasional, smoking stack height
ems the Impression that life along the
Hungarian shore is again normal,
. though the masses Of soldiers in the
streets and along the river jetties In
!, dicate that the region Is still in the
base zone in rear OF large army.
The Associated Press correspondent
made the trip up the Danube from
LON Palanka, Bulgaria, to 0rsova.
/, Hungary, aboard the Austrian mont
:. tor Saya, a craft into Which ali The
fruits OF experience in Danube war
Z: fare during the last yeal; have been
embodied. For a boat OF her tonnage
|, the Sava, as also her sister ship, the
fTemes, must be looked upon as a re-
I markable example Of how much heavy
and light artillery may lie crammea
Into small space. Her main battery
would do credit TO a small cruiser,
while q speed of from % to 2S makes
the saya class an enemy to be re-
spected.
: The monitor left LON Palanaa at
$40 a. m. Driving sheets OF rain and
4 cold drove everybody into the ships
icubby,hole OF o mess room. Hot tea
and rum helped to cheer those whom
IA long walk through LON palanka's
muddy streets, and finally a tightrope
conpleted jetty had robbed Of good
; humor. The Officers and men OF the
Austrian Danube fleet have all seen
/, service IN the; navy, and being gem
|. uine seafarer and sligilthaartcd Ana'
trtan to boot, The commander OF the
, IISaya explained to the passenger. that
JIM add t1on to having run the risk OF
shipping from IA wet sstring.piece OF
thh6 3etty into the deep, smduuy water
( tcf ltiie s'bluei' Danube, he might, dur.
: Eng the course Of the day, sail sky
:yafa. fmpelled bysa Russian mine.
II tSste have SO far fishcd.u over five
huidred mines,r he said. We have
reason to believe that, there arc an.
flotler. three $llundred in the river, hut
/. the. heayysrains which have made life
round Of bad language, have also
i'caused the river to go up about four
seet. The Baya draws a little over
I, four feet and the Smines generally lie
! from two TO four feet under the nor
/. mai water level. So we are fairly
safe.rs i, No. II. d
Z Ut would be Interesting to know
/. how the Russians hoped to got those
( mines out Of the way in case they
I. had to do the Job. continued the
: commander. The worst OF them all,
1 also 81 Russian manufacture, remains
/, alive, ready to go off at the slightest
! touch, soIlong as YOU exert the slight.
! est. pull on the ring -bySswhich 1t is
moored. AT the same time the mine
: cannot be brought out OF its horizon.
: tai. or floating position, without its
/. electric contact arrangement becom.
ing alive. Then, OFF she goes. The
onlySway OF getting rid OF, these mines
lis to shoot them. Probably. that 1s
/. how the Russians intended to get rid
/; OF them afterwards. II! they did they
: overlooked the fact, that the mine
( has first to be found and that in
dragging for It you are bound to up.
.sset 4 sufficiently to cause the explos'
(. ion.p x rs; N, & q, =
!: The sun rose on Danube that
seemed "a lake OF fluid mud. The mon,
\ itor division commander came on
! deck-a very dignifieds but 4 affable
man OF about As; and the very beau
ideale Of naval officer. From him
: the Associated Press correspondent
learned what part the Austrian mont
tor heet had played in the crossing
OF the Danube by troops Of the Cen.
trail Powers. The heavier guns ana
mortars had been assigned to reduc'
ing several Serb artillery positions
near Belgrade, while the machine
guns had been trained upon some in.
fantry positions close to the! banks.
The monitors had succeeded in EMIL:
aiding several Serb positions. The re.
suit was rout, said the division
chief, One OF the roles Of the mont
tors had been to draw the fire Sof the
Serb and British artillery along the
y river, and, monitors being thoroughly
detested by the Serbs. the ruse had
worked, although ordinary field artil.
lery could do no more than blister the
paint ON the monitors ar1nor, as an
Inspection Of the ship showed
" The Saya had been very lucky, ex-
planned the division commander,
though her sister ship, the Temes,
whose original name bearer still rusts
and rots III the Save river of Gypsy
Island, had not been so fortunate. a
heavy shell struck her deck, Spenetra.
ted d. hatch Into the crews quarters
and killed and wounded six. But 9th:
drwjse the Temes did not suffer and,
"a II to prove the remarks of the com:
mander, the monitor at Just, that mo-
1nent made q bend In the river, head
snE another large vonvoy8 OF Sbarges.
With o patrol boat In tow. the Saya
ncsed her way through the liquid mud,
past lowlying banks. submerged is.
lands. marked only BY treetops, mis-