The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10
Rom In Ri mcnt Mt Might.

DECEMBER -. i9ti
We have been camping IN tho woods for
ths last three days. These intervals Of
-ANt between our periods of service in the
trenches are usually passed In cantonmcn'
~ y. a few ki'ometers behind the
Ines During our last absence the Ger
mans ga us range well and bombarded
~ long distance across the hills. Tho pre-
cson " their fire seems 10 have aston
shed those who Witnessed H. At half
rsst 10 at night the smells began to fall
IN the peaceful ll,tle village. When they
ceased thirty soldiers and inhabitants had
been killed
In tho hay loft whore We had slept
few NIGHTS before a "marmitc" crashed
Trough the roo; and killed five outright
and wounded thirteen Of our comrades OF
another company, So we did not return
70 u this time. Those who remained
N the village spent their time pulling
down what was left of the church tower.
whose peaked belfry. showing across the
rdge, gave away the position of our
esdquaIters to the hostile batteries. We
alied half way and went into camp In a
Huge bOmDproof hut In the sand under
the bleak branches of the winter forest.
This morning We came back to the
trenches for the sixth time. 7 happen to
nave kept track Of our periods of trench
duty Though ! have lost count OF the
"a really nothing TO distinguish this from
me other stages OF the mOnotonous exist
unne that this EuerTe des tranchees inn
poses upon us at present. Once more the
ioyeil in the dark. the haSty packing and
departure, the march out of the woods
and up the hillside this time under the
last quarter Of the last moon Of the year.
screen Of driven clouds pales its radiance
and hides the stars
Crest after crest the foreSted hills
spread out beneath and around us in the
vast twilight. A pine grove crowns the
rdge that We are mounting under cover OF
darkness. We have been told that the
position We are going to occupy Is one OF
extreme danger from artillery fire. II Is
not the gruesome recitals OF the ambu
lance men that make US believe 1t. II is
not the riven branches nor the craterllNe
noles half full of rain water In the fields,
On the border of the grove are tho fresh
graves Of our comrades. They have writ
'en the soldiers names on the bars OF the
l,tle crosses on the poles droop their red
kcps
The section to be relieved IL waiting
Z = US in the shadow of the pine grove.
once more the hasty transfer, the
descent into the black dugout, tho Jostling
and disputes as the men get placed In the
da H. chill wind sweeps through the
underground gallery. Some one strikes
= match and tries to reklndle with straw
from the floor the embers that shoulder
here and there in holes picked out OF
ne wall. The sergeant stops him be-
fore he has gone very far. II VIII soon
be daylight when no blue smoke must be
seen curling out of the pine trees.
Aud while we are getting settled
hrus1ue voice OF commanl calls In
through the doorway, Formally forbidden
70 90 out during the day IL IS sinister
confirmation of the reports of the peril
- our situation. Certainly, shivering
rcre in the unfamiliar dark, the prospect
81 the six days before us is not cheerful
Trenches Like Catacombs.
Guerre des tranchecs, What is 1t that
lns word trench" conveys TO those VINO
.ad il continually In the war bulletins
Hose who are dsntcrested, with curios-
g; those whose hearts are at the front
anguish? Probably much Of what II
'Huld have conveyed to me before the
.H.--a kind of open irrigation ditch
erc the soldiers had TO night up to their
N'"s in water, how they slept and how
"r ate being questions | did not ask
N"selr Certainly the condition of the
''n0ttants Is not anything like this, yet
on the other hand the comfort and elab-
crate construction of some OF these works
81 defence, such as / have seen them
described by soldiers in their letters home,
40 OF examples whiob ! at least have
Yer had the good fortune 10 inhabt.
The typical trench dugout resembles
r'lteombs more than anything else. A
.1Ng gallery Is cut In the ground with
i.iA and shovel lite dimensions are about
oS" ut the cages which Louis N. devised
Tor those Of his prisoners whom he wished
especially 10 torture. that is, the height
Dis not great enough to permit a man TO
sand up and the breadth does not allow
Itn 10 stretch out. Down the length OF
one curving wall the soldiers sit huddled,
i'essed close, elbow 10 elbow They are
smoking, eating morsels OF dry bread or
S'd''ng blankly at the wall in front of
mem Their legs are wrapped in blankets
'''r heads in mufflers,
sung or piled about them, hlling every
' or extra space, are rifles, sacks,
Ga dgc belts and other equipment \
'.I'4pus dr1ught sweeps by. Tobacco
.""Ne ana sJcamlng breath snow now
''.'H IT drives through. The floors are
severed with straw, in which yermin