Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-09-03
MODERN ARTILLERY fire
War Correspondent Gives Vivid De-
SCriptiOn.
GREAT GUNS, CAREFULLY CONCEALED,
Trenches Torn Up and Destroyed from
Inconceivable Distances, and Cities
Destroyed Over a Range Of Twenty
MiIes-FearfuI Destruction OF the
Great Enaines of Modern Warfare.

MiIes-Fearful Destruction OF tn
Great Engines Of Modern Warfare.
: The Army and Navy Journal print!
the following extracts from an inter
esting article describing experiences
In the Field With the Armies o.
France" in the September Scribner's
by E. Alexander Powell, wal CORE
spondent Of the New York World, Lon
don Daily Mail and Scribner's Maya
| zine, with the allied armies:
The guns were of the new 1O5-mil'
limeter model, which are claimed to Ds
as much superior to the famous 75's a.
the latter are to all other field artillery
. . . A few minutes walk along the
ridge before us to the battery Of loss
which was the real object Of our visit
The guns were not posted on the sum
nit Of the ridge, but a quarter OF a
mile behind it, so that the ridge itself
a dense forest, and the river Aisne in
tervened between the battery and thu
German positions four miles away. Thu
guns were sunk in pits 81 ingeniously
masked with shrubs and branches tina,
the keenest-eyed airmen, flying low
overhead, would have seen nothing tt
arouse his suspicious. Fifty feet away
one could detect nothing about tina,
apparently innocent clump Of tangled
vegetation to suggest that it conceal
ed an amazing quantity Of potential
death. This battery had been here FOL
many weeks, and the gunners had util-
lied the time, which hung heavy or
their hands, in making themselves
comfortable and in identifying theil
surroundings. With the taste and in
genuity so characteristic Of the French
they had transformed their battery in
to a sylvan grotto. The winding paths
were lined with woven wicker fences
and bordered by strips Of white sand
on which appeared patriotic notices ir
colored pebbles. Scattered about were
ingeniously constructed rustic seats
and tables. Within ten feet Of one OF
the great guns a bed Of h%yacinths made
the air heavy with their fragrance
The next gun-pit was banked about
with yellow crocus. Hanging from the
arbor which shielded another Of the
steel monsters were baskets made OF
moss and bark, in which were violets
do the Germans know the position
Of these guns?' l asked the battery
commander.
Not exactly, though they have OF
course, a pretty general idea They
know that we are somewhere at the
back Of the ridge, sc every now and
then they attempt to clear us out by
means of progressive fire. That is, they
start in at the summit, and by gradu-
ally increasing the elevation Of their
guns, systematically sweep the entire
back slope Of the ridge, 80 that some
Of their shells are almost certain tC
drop in on us. Do you appreciate, how
ever, that though we have now been ir
this same position for nearly three
months, though not a day goes by tina
we are not under fire, and though q
number Of my men have been killed OF
wounded, we have never seen the tar
get at which we are firing, and we have
never seer a German soldier?'
"A ten minutes walk across the oper
table land which forms the summit OF
the ridge, then through a dense bit OF
forest, and we found ourselves at the
entrance to one of those secret obser.
vations from which the French observ.
ers keep an ~unceasing watch on the
movements Of the enemy and by means
Of telephones, direct and control the
fire Of their own batteries with incred-
ible accuracy. This particular observ-
atoire occupied the mouth Of a cave ir
the precipitous hillside above the Aisnt
being rendered invisible by a %cleverly
arranged screen Of bushes. Pinned tc
the earthen walls were contour maps
and fire-control charts; powerful tele.
scopes mounted on tripods brought the
German trenches across the river close
to u.s.; a military telephonist with re.
ceivers clamped on his ears sat at 6
switchboard and pushed buttons oil
pulled out pegs. " Peering eau.
tiously through the opening in thu
screen Of bushes, I found myself look.
ing down upon the winding silver rib.
bon which is the Aisne; to the south
west l could catch a glimpse Of the
pottery roofs Of Scissors. The gentle
sides of the river valley were every
where slashed and SCARED by zigzat
lines of yellow which 1 knew to be the
German trenches. But, though l knew
that those trenches sheltered an invad'
ing army, not a sign Of life was to bt
| seen. A soldier adjusted a powerful
telescope. The colonel motioned me t.
look through it, and suddenly the
things that looked like yellow lines be
came recognizable as marvelousl!
constructed earthworks.
Now said the colonel, focus you
| glass on that trench just above thu
what our Gunners can do After con
sulting a chart with innumerable radi'
ating blue and scarlet lines, and max
ing some hasty calculations with {
pencil, he gave a few curt orders to {
junior officer who sat at a telephone
switchboard with receivers clamped t,
his ears. The young officer spoke som
cabalistic figures into the transmittel
and concluded with the order: Til
rapide.'
Now called the colonel, 'watcf
the trenches A moment later, from
somewhere behind the ridge at the bacl
Of us, came in rapid succession 81,
splitting crashes. A fraction Of q sec
ond later l say six puffs of blacl
smoke suddenly appear against one O
the yellow lines on the distant hillside
six fountains Of earth shot high into
the air. Right into the trenches!' X
claimed the colonel. Watch once
more Again six splitting crashes, 81,
distant puffs Of smoke, and. floating
back to us a moment later, six muf1et
d%etonations.
1.-The battery that has just been fir,
;pu, &c civ villa. FROM, tbnSo trapcbaS