The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-09-30
German Writer Describes Visit
to Battle Front.
Every Instrument of Murder and De
struction in Action-Fearful Con-
cert Splits the Ears and
Rakes the Nerves.

liz DCIl1uC1 NOA 6OAPOoe
publishes the following vivid descrip
ton of the awful battles north of
Arras by DR.. Max Osborne, special
war correspondent who had been at
the western front since the beginning
of the war:
with four or five other correspond
ents l had decided to visit our ad-
vanced trenches near Arras. Two OIL |
GERS, captain and very young lieu
tenant, offered to lead US to the outer
German positions. They jumped into
our car and silently we sped on
through the night.
after while the lights of our auto
were extinguished. Not sign OF life
was discernible around us as we ran
along the road cautiously but swiftly.
Then we noticed gray shadows moving
through the darkness singly and in
groups.
Suddenly our car stopped and we
had to advance afoOt over the dusty,
rocky road Great rockets swept up
through the darkness, in beautiful
curves, bursting high in the air and
sending sheaves Of fire in all dlrec-
t1OuS. 1ICdt Nu1IS 1ea1Aip1, ASoCAAASAAAAS
| large moons lighted up the couniw
for miles around. It seemed as if light
| houses had suddenly been built into
the air. These mysterious lamps were
| light-bombs attached to parachutes
which keep them floating between
heaven and earth for some time.
"a moment later there was fire all
around us. The artillery on both sides
| had commenced it's awful work. Ear
splitting, Internal noise now accompa-
MED the fantastic fireworks. The dull
roar dissolved itself into innumerable
sounds and noises. With faint shrleks,
like scared little birds, the French in
fantry bullets whizzed over our heads,
the machine guns ratified, shrapnels
exploded with a deafening roar and
the great howitzers spit out their
charges with a gurgling sound. Every
instrument of murder and destruction
was in action
Covered by earthworks and sand
hills we slowly moved along. We were
told that about this time Of the night
the battle was generally becoming
less violent, but after we had passed
the last houses of village a veritable
hell broke loose. On hill about fifty
yards from US French shell exploded,
) and then another one. We tried to
reach the nearest shelter, but shells
struck on all sides of us, moving down
the trees, tearing great craters into
the field and meadow and sending a
) hail Of sand and stones over US as
) they exploded.
'All the devils of hell seemed to
have escaped. A fearful concert split
our ears and racked our nerves. In in
organic distorted rhythms and hun
: dreds of discordant sounds the satanic
: symphony roared over the country
! shrieking, bowling, grinding, rafting
and at times almost laughing. The
earth trembled beneath our feet, more
: terrors to the hellish concert above
S and around us.
q At last we reached the shelter ant
. mere, safe as in box of a theater, We
watched the indescribable spectacle
We were as if in trance, completed.
: carried away by the wild dance o
! death before our eyes. Near the bomb
q proof shelter the soldiers move
/ around with serious, calm faces. Tn
- rain of shells and fire seemed to hav
IL no terrors for them, as they did no
even hasten their steps when the
passed a particularly dangerous spo
And a year ago most of them Wer
Il peaceful citizens and civilians Xix
I'd myself, and my colleagues. What me
= war has made of them!
- "The night of horrors seemed EN-
tx less, but at last a weak ray of igh
which fell into our shelter, and tn
warbling of a lark told us that NOR
ing was near. Still the guns wei
it. laundering and roaring, but as tt
sun slowly began to rise the frir
~ ceased. For few minutes not sh'
Id was heard and in the pale twilight n
overheated brain drew fancifu1 pi
ture of God walking over the la1
and commanding peace.
'The dream was short, howeve
French shells came again teari1
he through the air, our cannon answer
at and the small guns chimed in. Wit
"a in ten minutes the battle ragged as Vi
: 1ently again, all during the long nigl
ne He'll had only taken a breath"