Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-14

q solid Gordon Of men toward which
the Austrians hurled themselves as to-
ward a wall OF stone. But even as tho
llrst Of the Austrians all but reached
the solid ranks OF Russians they be-
came stupified 10 see the latter stu
remaining unmoyed, their backs stll
turned, and apparently without ono
thought OF making the least defense.
What Is H.? the Austrians de-
mandod Of themselves, was it an.
other of those tricks Of war? Was
some terrible mine about 20 explode
beneath their feet? Were the Rus.
slams merely waiting unmoved to see
their pursuers suddenly wiped from
the face of the earthY
"An uncanny fear ran down ths
lines Of the entire Austrian force az
the spectacle, an uncanny fear that
the next instant crystalized as there
rang out from the officers the cry Of
HALT! HALT! HALT
Blood Ran Cold.
"The officers, not an instant too
soon, solved the mystery and then 10
was that there was unfolded a scene
that made our blood run cold.
Terrifying, frightful screams rose
from those masses OF Russian soldiers
as with a supreme effort they turned
their heads toward us and stretched
out supplicating hands, Then It
was that even stranger fact dawncd
upon our appalled, senses. The Rus
slams were rapidly growing smaller
and smaller. Their legs, little by
little. went disappearing down through
the rank grass, giving the impression
as though all had suddenly squatted.
"Then, too, we perceived that all
had freed themselves of their rifles,
had thrown them away and with con-
tracted, Contorted faces, as though
with one final collective spasm they
stretched, not out, but up, up, up
their supplicating hands.
mot one of US fired against the
enemy.
at first only perpleXed, we became
suddenly terrorized, when finally VIC
grasped that which was happening
before our eyes-the treacherous mire,
under which was hidden the fathom-
less marshes. had opened to swallow
them up.
"All the efforts, persistent, desper-
ate, which each made to liberate him
self from the clammy element, only
engulfed him the deeper. If some
poor soldier, after q thousand efforts,
succeeded at last in eXtricating a les,
he found only the other more hope
lessly than ever imbeddeu.
A Terrible Scene.
First one, then another then an,
other, and finally all Of that mass OF
writhing humanity, as If by n sudden
inspiration Of salvation, as from some
inner subtle intuition that urged the
distinction Of the body's weight over
the greatest surface possible or even
hat urged the tearing of the upper
portion from that lower portion al
ready imbedded, threw their bodice
forward at full length on the deceive
ing grass before them. But already
doomed, it served only to lengthen
their torture.
Cries, shrieks, groans sighs, pray
ers and invocations, some high, some
tnsistont, some supplicating and some
desperate, increased ever and ever as
there increased before their vision the
reality of the death that every mos
ment made itself some closer ana
closer apparent
"Our soldiers, whose humanity
never for an instant deserted them
even in the face Of the greatest hor-
ror of the war, reached out the stocks
of their rifles to the men, whom but
q moment before they had hoped to
slay. The Russians grasped them
but it was a grasp that was utterly
futile. No power on eartn could save
them, and with an about face the
Austrian officers turned their men,
already terrified, white and trembling,
and marched them away with never
q look backwards at the horror that
lay behind"