Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-21

ths gray daylight. and You hear the
enemy's bullets psttering against the
walls. incessant. and SET s1 vicious
\ tunnel partly underground. and
partly broken through the walls Of
rooms End houses leads ~ 10 the ar
iiilery observation stand From here
We overlooked the battle ground The
nosiiie trenches lie VERY close o. each
other. 10 one point not more than
Thirty wards The river User now
carrylne high water. constitutes the
dividing line here. on the other side
Ne could see the French. mostly fns.
rines. moving about in their trenches
rather carelessly~-whaf they might
well DO as We were not answering
their wild fuslIlade.
Trenches Filled With Water.
II have now seen trenches all
along the western front. from the
Swiss border to the North sea: but
have nowhere seen such trenches
a. those along the User here. The
ditches are cut considerably below
the water level Of the river. and the !
result u that they are constantly hll- |
ed with water They are cut. not into 4
earth. bw into fully saturated mud. 1
and water Is all the time collecting /
IN them. Hence the bottoms are coy
cred with brush, under which brook
lets can be heard babbling. yet with
out awakening any poetic sentiments
in the midst Of this perpetual rifle
lire. Al intervals sinks are dug In
which the water collects, and men are
kept busy day and night dipping 1t
out.
i went forward into our most adj
yaDced trenches, and what learned
there ia well worth telling Men llv-
ing under conditions. the most un-
comfortable that can be imagined. yet
laughing over all the discOmforis Of
me war. and cherlshing only the one
wish that the inaction imposed upon
mem BY a wise strategy may soon
come to an end and that they may
be allowed TO attack the enemy that
has been lying before them for many :
weeks. AZ the same time French
,orDses are still lying unbnried be-
'Ore our positions. left there from
he repeated attacks that failed AZ
er frightful losses for the enemy.
lifting ones head cautiously for a
moment above the edge Of our :
rench. one sees piles Of silent dead =
men with blackened faces lying out }.
here in blue French oyercoats II is
horrible sight. but owing to the in
essant fire Of the enemy, It lie i'm
'ossible to give burial to these =
iodles =
BOmbardment Is Begun.
AS ] was returning from tho
renches through a queer tunnel like :,
he burrow Of a mole--passing I'M :,
er streets and houses, through cell =
irs, rooms and kitchens. and once .
ven under a dripping sewer-the p
nemy prepared for us a surprise that a
I'd not come wholly unexpected. He q,
egsn 10 lombard the ruins OF Dix n
lude with heavy artillery. The first =,
hell struck into a heap OF ruins quite
ear ns and made "A noise as II the =,
'orld was coming to an end. Every -
IAN into the bombproOfs, was COM
handed. and several officers pulled j.,
ie along with them into the subter- q
anesa dwelling OF the commandment | :,
or three hours we Remained there :,
stenlng to the noise and expecting y,
very moment that a shell would l.
rike right over us. Once the very :.
irth trembled the adjoining house "
ad been struck. came down with -,
rash above our heads Now. said o.
Ne commandant as another shell hit: ~
VOW. at one time nearer TO US, al 80
mother further away. And through II ~
] the old Flemish clock was ehim- -.
IL out the hours with its choral Of -
omission TO the will Of God on high. H.
Since prudence is the better part ii
valor and II was uncertain how H.
ng the bombardment would con liz
nue. We finally left DiNnude in the -
idst Of it. 10 the left and 10 the -
ght shells were dropping and walls ~
ere falling with crash 80