Omaha daily bee., 1915-02-06
SKIS ARE Big help IN WAR
Scouting Parties in the Carpathiaus
Find Them Very Effective Get.
ting Over Deep Shows.
PATROL TELLS EXPERIENCE


Ocortcspondencc Of Tho Associated Press)
VIENNA. Fob. i.--t'sc Of the skis in
this war. previously described In these
dispatches. has been developed on a larger
scale out In the Carpathians and on the
hills aud drcary plains Of Gaicia, where
thousands OF Austro.TIungarian soldiers
move about rapidly and noiselessly In this
manner Their first duty is scouting.
but now and then they are Obliged to
fisht and fight hard
While some Of the ski orga nizations
have white uniforms others have TO make
use Of white blankets 10 render them
selves rs invisible as they possibly can.
\ ski patrols experience OF a night is
here related by the officer in charge. The
patrol had left camp in the evening. and,
wrapped in white blankets, the men were
speeding through the Carpathian forest
late nj night when the breaking of twgs
cautioned the officer to order them to
cover.
"A second later" he says, II heard an
alarm signal given by one of my corpor-
ais. decided to investigate and with
three men proceeded In the direction
whence the signal had come. Near an
ice and snow-covered bramble bush one
u the patrol signalled caution and then
Informed me that near him on the right
there was a Russian scouting party
There was nothing to be seen. how
ever Though the moon shone brightly,
the tree trunks, snow-covered under
! growth and shower of powdered silver
sent down by the gently moving branches
of the trees. hampered the view. SO we
crept under the brambles and saw to it
that the powdered. cold silver entered
| By our collars.
Wait None Too Pleasant.
The ensuing wait was none too pleas
ant. We were measuring the snow with
the length of our bodies. which is not the
finest pastirne I know.
Right ahead Of me there was an open
stretch Of snow and had been watch
ing the fnligrees thrown upon It by the
moon as its beams broke through the
( branches Of the tall beeches and oaks,
| from the right
tered the clearing. Their horses were
small and shaggy and white. and the
men seemed to hang i'm the saddles rather
than sit in them. They were wrapped
| in thick furs. The bright moonlight
showed they were Asiatics-broad faces
with strong chins. prominent cheekbones
and long black boards with the frost
| clingng TO the hair.
! "a sign from me and my men were
on their feet-another moment and the
Cossacks were off their horses. They
we're a most surprised lot. AFFECT ter
ror stood in their eyes and they had
difficulty understanding that we were
no evil spirits of the forest.
THE cossacks had hardly been takeT
to the rear by one of the men. wher
the vigorous tramp of Russian infantry
vas heard. Back under the brambl'
bush Twenty yards away from us th'
Russians marched past"
The writer then recounts how the SIX
patrol followed the Russians into a vii
lage Later in the night he was abb
20 get In touch with the commander o
a German contingent which occupied
a quarry on the other side of the village
Towards morning he also discovered how
the Russians. who had taken the village
could be outslsnked With dawn every
body was ia his place and fire wal
opened The russians were forced u
retreat in disorder leaving behind man!
Killed and wounded in addition to pris
oners.
we are known as the white ravens .
concludes the account