Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-04

In the roar Of the army IS dotted with
camp fires far over the plain: these
make little spots OF red that throw
radiance over the snow.
Behind the ceiling of clouds the
moon IL shining. Through it's misty
light I can see three battalions OF
Fusiliers louhging up to tho front.
| LouhginE Is the right word for the
Russian. He is a happy .go.lucky SOL
der, but you can always depend on
him to fight stoildly Us he moves.
These battalions are on the way to
relieve tho men now in the trenches.
The noise Of cannon IRE comes In spas
modic booming. with flashes like heat
lightning to show for a few seconds
OH the horizon.
With mud almost up TO the radiator
or our motor car, we plow along the
roai. getting nearer and nearer To the
firing. guess we are within tour
miles OF the rear line batteries when
We turn southwest. Every revolution
OF our wheels brings us closer TO the
| firing
We turn west once more, and there
spreads before us a glorious hattie pic
turc. The moonlight through the
clouds sivos an cffulgence Just strong
enough to shape shadows on the snow
covered fiat white fields, which are
bounded With frlnges OF black woods.
At the back OF these woods are the
guns. They stretch in n long line HH
far as the eye; can see. their irregular
positions marked by tongues Of rod
fiame and Noise like Thunder.
In the distance where the Sky meets
tho plain are other flashes from the
German guns. Sometimes fotr flashes
break out In the darkness ST once. a
sudden light hides the surround Ing
country for second. when another
marc catches your oye Mt the Tety.
frame OF the picture. 1t Is tho silver
light of bursting rocket that falls
IN thousand stars. Illuminating tho
fieids OF snow that sparkle beneath It,
Another light appears In the misty
skyi splash Of guid. That IL burst.
Ing shrapnel. Almost in the same spot
three more OF these bombs of gold and
red light explode, then the long arm
OF searchlight shoots across tho heav-
ems anu bring house. fence and rond
Into clear outline. Irresoiutely 1t wan-
ders over the plain ms IL seeking. some.
thing IL cannot lind. At last ii droIis
its shining beam into a ravine and
holds il there.
BATTALION ADVANCING
ON ENEMY's TRENCHES
Then tiny flashes. that from a dis
lance look like suddenly struck match
run In straight line that indicates
the position OF trenches, another line
OF sparks comes into being Mt what
looks like a apan beyond: this must
be battalion advancing on the enemy.
Suddenly ribbon OF flame cuts
across the shadow and the sharp
echoes OF machine gun bites into
the night air.
The picture is on such n large scale
that the eye can hold details only one
at time. With the fighting at its
highest tide the different flnshes fade
into each other as far as tho eye can
reach. The same is true Of the sounds
The Russian guns and the German
Shells explode with reports that blend.
1t is impossible to distinguish tho
different rattle of infantry fire, but 1t
What ] make out Is that the Russian
lines are now in n perfect blaze of
sparks. The racket of rifes il so loud
that it's note takes a higher and more
stringent key that for the moment
browns the barking OF the guns.
p Then, as II blown by A sudden
breeze. the flashes from the rife go
out, but not for long. In minute
where the rifies had belched, there is
a Ill Of an explosion Of she'll. trace
their coming and decide that they are
from the Russian batteries This tells
It's own tale. 1 learned later the Ger
mans took one OF the Russian trenches.
holding 1t for some hours.
For hours theirs was little change in
the scene The cold worked through
my sheebsklh coat until my feet and
suggested moving back to the hos
ptal station mt Dielit8 followed
willingly.
-St-------------------