The Dolores star., 1915-12-03
blinded SOLDIER TRADES STRENGTH
Of BODY FOR WOUNDED MANS SIGHT
canada Who Recovered Use Of His Eyes When the Hesperan
Sank Teas Of Reaching Hospital Guided by Injured comade
He Carried on HE Back-Unt Almost Completely
Wiped Out at Battle Of Ypres Canadian vaor.

o. John. N. B.-I was stone blind.
heard the moaning Of . wounded
aan near hy. and gr0ped and STUN
Nd along until ! found him He had
Asen shot in the side. I stuffed his
wound with bandages. Then ! told
Tim that II he would direct me ON the
Gay would carry him on my back TO.
Ne dressing station.
The way was very long and ex-
ersnsly rough. fell many times.
Often my guide became unconscious
a1rough the shock OF the fall. There
was always the danger that he would
~ recover-that both of us might
IN for the last time on the shellswept
asid. without him was alone and
helpless in q darkness blacker than
I'D ever known. without me his life
seuId ebb fast from the gaping hole
which Slapped his vitality in Grim
ssn stream.
Family he whispered where the
say was safe and gasped encourage
nent a. staggered on. Then I. in
t1rn, encouraged him when brought
Ai@ back to the world gone mad time
md again. after pain and shock OF q
nm had given him release from sui.
tsrfng In unconsciopsness. At last We
eame to the end Of the road Of horrors
and gentle hands cared for US at the
dressing station"
In these words. Stanley Chambers.
sho has already been proclaimed
Asro OF the fight at Ypres, told the
people Of ST. John, N. B., to which
he has Just returned. Of his experience
- the feld of battle. How Mr.. Cham
bors was blinded by gases and did
- recover his sight until plunged
'Dto the waters Of the Atlantic by the
sorpedoing Of the Hesperian. already
has been told. But the detail Of how
~ Canadians 30 CALAMITY accounted
~ themselves was not told until the
1eOple Of st. John gathered to vel.
come their hero home.
vaior Of the Canadians.
No words can 80 vividly tell the
gripping story OF the fighting Al those
y which Mr.. Chambers described the
valor Of the Canadian contingent to
tho audience, 20 moved by the story
that the only applause was an occa-
st1nal sobbing by those who had
friends or relatives In the battle gone
& France. In telling the story, Mr..
Chambers said:
During the first mine weeks We
vfe - the flring line we did mot sec
. German. We were inspected by
0snerals French and Smith Dorien
m the latter complimented M on
sr appearance. We were afterward
eold that this meant We were soon to
- some excitement. We later were
ssnt TO Ypres. where We relieved
Hfsnch unit and the Frenchmen. seven
Aundred Of them. with great courtesy.
sAook hands. each IN turn, with NJ
and wished M well. Tho farewell of
- French soldiers occupied one and
. half hours.
"On the morning following our ar
rival at our new position some Of the
b0ys peeked over the parapet and saw
The bodies Of one hundred and nifty
0eemans lying beyond our trenches.
The dead had been on the field from
November to April. After a survey
Il our now position we decided there
wss an excellent chance to secure
trophies and two hundred of us
climbed over the parapet and started
cellecting. We we're soon subjected
- machine gun nre. the Germans
probably thinking that . charge was
about to occur. but We returned to our
arenches without the loss OF man.
-Shelling Of our positions by the
Germans continued for Ave days. We
ehea were relieved. Some Of our
troops were Quartered in q brewery,
and one Of cur number. son of q
Methodist clergyman, announced one
aight when the firing was heavy that
- would have to leave the building,
q dad would never forgive him II be
vere found dead In q brewery
-One afternoon the Tenth and Six.
sssnth battalions formed up at dusk
On the canal bank to make . stand