Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1915-07-17
.n. AnrocInted Press. !

YPRES, Belgium, July l1.-Ihe last
tenacious inhabitants of Ypres were
dragged from their underground ref
uges and taken by force to places of
safety "a fortnight ago; the cellars
themselves had ceased to afford pro
lection from the continual pounding
Of the German shells. The town today
looks like an unearthed imitation of
Pompeii, not one of its 10000 houses
Is intact and not dozen of those that
remain partly erect are repairable.
The ancient pride of Flanders, il it
ever rises from its ruins, must be en-
tirely rebuilt from the foundations.
OF the famous hall, which three weeks
ago still showed semblance of rests
lance. there remains nothing but a
single little tower standing out against
the sky like gigantic finger raised
in protest. The only part of the walls
remaining Is battered preached rem
nant on the side of the Grand Place"
Only here and there is it possible by
close inspection to discover any trace
Of the details of its former architec-
tural beauty,
There were 10000 people here three
weeks ago and it was still possible to
enjoy Il cup of tea at the cafe on the
Grand Place" while contemplating
the agonizing "Halles" today the only
living creatures that remain are two
cats sticking to- the debris of their
homes la the Rue de Thourout. No
one knows what they live on and the
British soldiers have been unable to
capture them
The dead silence that has fallen
here Is broken only by the occasional
shell that stirs up the ruins, by the
German guns firing over the town at
Poperinge, and by the musketry and
machine gun Are from the trenches
close by to the south. The silence is
oppressive toward dusk when the ar
tillery fire becomes desultory.
Protected by the ruins, one may APP
proach so close to the first line as to
get a vivid and auricular impression
of what is going on in the trenches.
The "Pangl Pang! Pang!" of the rifles
with intervals of the "Pang-a-pang-a-
pang" of the machine guns become
more intermittent as night falls, and
then comes from the trenches the sur
prislng contrast of the refrain, TITS
a Long Way to Tipperary." with the
accompaniment of piano that the
Tommies have dug out of the ruins
and requisitioned for evening diver
sion.
The final destruction of Ypres fol
lowed the attack with asphyxiatine
gas 1t is the common belief In Bel
GUM that the wiping out of the town
was premeditated revenge for the
failure of the effort to occupy it
Shells intended for the British lines
or for the batteries in the rear might
easily stray into the town, but, the,
say, the aim of the Germans is goot
enough not to waste in that way The
thousands of tons of ammunition re
CURED to reduce the place to a ston'
heap, and the only military importance
of the town Is its proximity to tn
battle front. Counting the shots tina
went wide OF any structure, 1t is est
mated that more than hundred thou
sand of different calibres were spen
on Ypres. Thousands more were use
during the gas attack along the rout
from Ypres to Furnes by which tn
allies were expected to send reinforc'
ments. All along the road for a fe'
miles, deep funnel shaped holes. som'
times on one side, sometimes on tn
other and often full in the center, stl
show how seriously the operation wa
organized One of them lies directl
in front of an enclosed plot of groun
covered with field flowers above whic
rise fourteen crosses. Here we're bu
led the remains of a little detachmel
of British troops that were sought Of
by one of the sixteen inch Germs
shells while resting in an abandon'
cottage on the edge of Ypres.
The eventual restoration of Ypr
raises conflicting views. all of whit
originate from sentiment, for the TOW
has long ago lost all commercial u
portance. The attachment of the
habltants to the soil calls for restoI
ton and to this is opposed the feeiii
that Ypres must remain as II Is
monument to the suffering of Fla
ders VI the town is rebuilt, say sol
OF those who loved 1t for its ira
tons. let 1t be farther on along I
banks OF the User, while the ruins
the ancient town remain enclos
within monumental walls for
world to see in ages to come
coMsTock BURGLAR MAKES
OFF WITH the stl