The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-05-20
CANNON bUBNlP
FABULOUS suns.
Observer Writes OF Artil-
Iery Battle Around
YpIrlt'!eI:s.

LONDON, Nay 2O.-"This is the
srestest artillery battle in the his
tory q the world; the expediture Of
ammunition Is fabulous writes an
observer from behind the, British
lines at Ypregs describing the fighting
OF ApriI rs and 26, which resulted
ii eonsIde gains for the Germans.
4fter describing the almost contin.
nous cannonading that had been go.
ffig on for two days; with literally
thousands Of guns in almost continual
actfon. theSo observer suggests that the
Intensity Of the firing may be judged
by the fact that at one small bridge
across the User twenty German guns
fought eighteen English and French
guns ali night, until finally the Ger.
man guns were Isil fenced. The French
76ss ne notes; were fred SO rapidly
that they sound ed like an endless roll
OF thnnder multipl by thousand"
Touching briefly on the Canadians
part In the battle, he says: One OF
tie most notable incidents Of the bat
tie was the work done by the Cana
dian supply column. Not q cartridge
or shell was q second late in reaching
the man behind the gun, and when
the black fumes blew across a sec:
ton ofFsupply men and they fell, 9TH
ers rushed In and kept the lighting
Inc replentshe led until the wind blew
apdFing the afternoon two aero.
planes-supposed to be British
marked and shaped exactly as the
British aircraft flew over the Ger:
man lines. and twas noticed that the
German shells played all about them
without effect Then they would fly
over the British lines and back again,
but the German shells always fell far
short of bringing them down. On
their third visit the Canadian field
battery act them have several shots.
one aeroplane. badly damaged, vol
planned down into the German lines,
aud the 0tier fed out Of sight behind
the German trenches"
Describing the artillery fighting,
the writer says As far as our
gtnsses could carry, we could see the.
white bursts OF shrapnel, the black
bursts Of the German giant guns, or
the feafhery floating clouds of anti.
afrcraft shells which broke in the.
reverberattng dome of the sky, where
both German and English aeroplanes
SCARED. The old theory that shooting
causes rain was ldisproyed, for the sun
si1one brightly over the indescribable
scene. The wind was SO strong that
the aeroplanesf facing it made no head
WY. and standing into the wind in
one place like kites. the British aero.
planes seemed las stationary as the
fop Of the Ethel Tower, directing pre-.
sunsbIy the British gunfire.
SF'rom behind our hill two British
monopIanes scared SO low over us
fhat we could see their guns; they
climbed into the sky to drive away
Tanbe biplane (which was flying over
the hill sidewise in the heavy wind
The Taube took to flight at height
so great that iti ooked like dot IN
the SKY even without glasses turned
on IL Soon the white putrs OF tne
German antt:aircraft guns and the
inuddier white lpuffs of the British sky
Guns punctuated the 3 sky, above and
below the gill tering dots which were
the asropIanesa cleaning in the sum
light.
eBehind our hill were Belgian peas
ants piouEhing. Further behind them,
in meadow, we could see men play.
ing football. Z discovered later that
zone Of the men in the match were
Is march i've miles tonight and enter!
fhe trenches IN the maelstrom Of fire
which welWere beholding. I spoke
10 one Of these men who told me that
he was one OF those who had been the
first to be sent to the war last August.
The umpire impatiently called time
While i talked to the goalkeeper
ssronight the glares OF the battle
fIIuminate the EBky4of Belgium for
many niles The tower Of the Cloth
Fail DC Ypresg and two church steep,
lei we're Visible in the rays of the
evening sunset, but many fires were
burning In the town and my glimpse
al Tie ruins OF the Cloth Hall tower
nay have been my last, for the Ger
sahtIyss
Booster Lard Hooper cent pure at
a1.sySffN ~ b.19-3t'