Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-03
EUROPE ENTERS upon
Era OF CAVE-OWELL|NG
Not Since Pleistoceno Age Have So
Many People Been Living
Under Ground.
LIFE IS NOT DIsAGREEABLE
Hundreds OF Thousands, In Country
Devastated by War, Have Bur-
rowed Beneath Surface for Safety
and Shelter.

Correspondence OF Associated Press
BERLIN. December ao.-Not since
the Plcintocene ngc has cave-dwcll,n-
been so universal a mode Of life in
Europe az to-day. Altogether, thcro
arc hundreds OF thousands Of men. on
and of the firing line, who ourrow tor
sholter from tho enen,y's fire and tho
weathers inclemency this winter Vast
| underground cities hnvo been built.
In Galtcia, the Associated Press cor
respondent cav hill which had five
! tiers or caves, in rnws of forty each.
The entire establishment sheltered O.
| GOO men.
And Ike in tho earth dwellings 10
agreeable, according to all accounts.
The men. In their letters at least.
speak Of thcir caves with as much fool
Ing ns they do Of home. Though snow
| and rain beat down without. tho. winds
iiowl and great guns boom. the cave IS
always snug and warm, especially II it
has been possible TO gather enough,
straw for the floor bed, and usually
| safe.
So agreeable is lifo In tho cave, i'm
fact, that the littlo huInor contained in
| letters from soldiers at the front is
! noarly always connected with II.
Il have boon in this bombproof turn
out for ten days." says tho letter of q
German army surgeon. Toward the
front not a house or barn Is standing
There Is not 4 place In which we might
stable our horses, and. since our am
balances would DO fine target for tho
| enemy's artillery, We hnve established
our first aid station in q roomy cave
about 100 feet from the firing line.
Two passages. cut deep in the earth,
give access to the cave, In which there
| 81 IN a.
| dillon to several persons OF the sanI-
4 tary service. Close to our cave lie the
! underground villas OF tho surgeons
and tho battalion commander and his
adjutant, also the club, which has been
named tho Thirsty Cave Dweller.
CAVE SUITED ALIKE FOR
! SUMMER AND WINTER
"The inn Is q pearl OF m institution.
| suited nlike for summer and winter
traffic. and recommended to people euf-
lfering from nerves, ennui, superculture
| and siclsly esthetics. 1t is also an ey
cellent cure for alcoholism. physi-
| clan Ia constantly in attendance. Prices
are reasonable, and living In tho club
costs nothing except possibly your life.
| The interior equipment and decorations
! aro charming. You wriggie through
/ the narrow passage into the restnu-
rant, and then fall down two steps, to
discover afterwards that you can stand
upright in the dining room. which has
u floor urea of about sixty square feet.
| "a homemade table and two rough
| benches are the furniture OF tho res
| taurant. On the table stand two cali
dies In artistic holders fashioned from
beets. Tho walls arc covered with
| expensive hanginRs. and the ceiling
has IN old-fashioned wainscocip1s
both outbrcnks of luxury having been
made necessary by the efforts of molcs
and worms to taste our soup. drink
our beer and vino and mako oScur-
| sions down our backs between skin mud
clothing. ] Will say that these crea-
lures are greatly interested In the
splendor we have established in their
| midst"
The letter thcn mentions the closets
In tho cave restaurant, In which tho
supplies are kept: refers to tho CARPET
or stnw on tho floor, and speaks OF u
kelim" Oriental rug hanging which
separates tho restaurant from tho COR
ridor.
In another letter from tho front. n
captain, who IS laconlc and tcrse, says
of cavo life:
We arc rs wet as young dogs, as
dirty as swine, hairy rs monkeys and
keep singing, with tho enemy $40 feet
away. We live in caves. which aro
now and then destroyed by shells OF
tho enomy. Whom that happens. We
crawl out like 30 many rabbits, and
continue to 1.-Two on pigs, steers. hens.
goulash and rice. Wo cut our hair
| etair-fashioned; write by light OF can :
dies, upon which wo do tho cooking
nj tho Same time. We arc now our
own nntediluvian ancestors, and gladly
! anticipate bayonet attack for the re-
nef 1t gives us through change OF
mir. Make speciality OF lighting Eng
nsh. Beigtnns. French, Indians aud
what not. Havo earned tho Iron Cross.
ana Two for King and Fatherlapd."