The Washington herald., 1915-04-26

London. April 25.-The official press bu-
reau tonight issued the following "eye1
witness account of. the fighting at Hill
No. 90 in Flanders:
At p. IN. on April Il. seven mines
were fired simultaneously under the Ger
man trenches. The trenches and para
pets of sand bags disappeared and the
whole surface of the ground assumed
strange shapes. here torn into huge
craters and there forming mounds of
fallen debris.
las the reports of the explosions died
away. and while dense columns of smoke
still hung in the air. our men, led by
their officers. spranS from their trenches
and rushed across the intervening space
Of some forty to sixty yards lying be-
tween our lines and the gaping craters
before them
The front covered by the attack was
only 80 yards LONG. MANY German
soldiers Mere surprised in their shirt
sleeves without their equipment. Stun
ned ny the violence of the explosions
and bewildered by being suddenly sub
jected to rain OF hand grenades their
own by our bombing parties, they gave
way to panic, cursng. shouting and
falling over one another, fighting like
madmen in their hurry to gain the exits
20 the communication trenches.
In Terror Kill Comrades.
Some of those in the rear. maddened
by terror. were seen driving their bay
onets into the bodies of their comrades
in front
Our men fell upon the enemy with
the bayonet. hurst through the maze of
trenches, poured into the craters and
pressed OH down the communication
trenches until they We're stopped by bar
ricades defended by bomb throwers.
The first line of trenches over the
front assaulted was captured in a few
minutes with little difficulty and tif-
teen prisoners taken.
Then the real struggle began. for
the Germans quickly recovered from
their surprise soon the position became
obscurcd in the smoke of bursting shells
Our batteries maintained terrific artil-
lery fire and, as darkness fell the scene
was magnificent.
British Driven from HILL
1.-THE enemy's infantry threw hand
over the barricaics. and also |
into the mined Craters. on the ,rumhling
side of which our men were clinEing in +!
an endeavor to obtain fOothold
''ThroughOut the night the fighting !
eliminating early on the |.
of the 18th in two maSScd at !
lacks by the enemy. These were beaten !
Off principally by the fire of our ma ,
chine guns. some Of which had been |
rushed forward on side cars.
Nevertheless. in spite of the heavy |
Osses. which left the hillsdes piled with |
lead. the enemy continued bringing great |
pressure during the whole Of Sunday,
until we were gradually driven from the
southern edge of the hill.
At p. m. re-enforcements arrived |
and swept the Germans from the foot
lold they had gained.
"On Monday the 18th. a severe can
lonade was maintained by both sides.
cut no further infantry attacks were at
In the course of the day we
'aptured thirty-fve more prisoners.
The enemy did not confinc mis- atten-
ton to Hill No. So the whole of the
area around Ypres was heavily shelled,
rs well as the town itself
On the Goth the Iull was broken. The
Germans now unmasked a fOrmida BILE
of artillery. Hour by hour
heir fire grew heavier. and Ypres itself
vas hombarded by pieces OF 42-centi-
meter and 35-Centimcter Caliber
in the evening the fire against Hill
No 50 grew hotter and at so y. m
he hostile infantry once more advanced
q the assault. The attack was beaten
IF and another assault at p. m. suf-
cred the same fate
''All night long parties OF Germans.
armed with hand crenades made raCeat-
ID efforts to drive us off the hilr the