The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-02-06
VISITS VERDUN,
HEMMED IN BY
GERMAN LINES
Correspondent Philip Sims
Describes Conditions in Be
sieged City in France.
SEES A BIG GUN DUEL
French in Outlying Entreneh-
ments Keep Princes Army
at Safe Distance.
eY VIM. PHILIP SIMS


PARIS. Jan. s5.-By Mail to
New York; have lust returned
from Ncrdun. the most closely
watched, fortressed city Ia all
France.
Correspondents we're told, almost
without exception. that trip to
the besiegcd city was out OF the
question
A newspaper man might reach
Scrdun. they we're told. but he
would find himself bottled up uu-
an the end OF the war.
Yet my credentials carried mo
into the city itself aud out again.
aud on tour OF the entrench-
ments beyond. which the army OF
the German crown prince steadily
continues It's attack.
Nerdun has never been cut Off
from the rest OF the France-or. at
least. Il was not M 60 this date.
The German lines, ranged In a sort
OF loop about the city. with Saint
Mihiel as their western point. had
not been pushed forward 10 com.
plete the circle.
Communicate With Paris
The French were attempting to
drive a wedge into the German
lines southeast OF Nerdun IN an ef-
fort TO force retirement from 81.
Mihlel.
The city Is amazingly guarded
Every path leading into tho town
Is patrolled by ring after ring OF
pickets.
A commissioned officer accom-.
panied me through this Gordon and
10 every section OF the entrench-
ments.
Telegraph. telephone and rail
roads were keeping the defenders
In close touch with Paris. sup
plies and mails were arriving reg.
ularly
Way 20 City Blocked
There seems TO have been some
mystery In why the crown princes
army has not shelled verduu.
After round OF the French en-.
trenchmcnts the reason Is plain.
The Germans are not close
enough for effective work. They
were closer on Sept. s than at any
time Even then they succeeded
In landing shells only on the outer.
most ring OF the forts.
The French learned lesson In
the fall OF Llege and Namur. When
the crown princes army formed the
attack on verdun. the French
forces did not settle back behind
the forts and wait until tho Ger
man mortars battered in the walls
upon them.
pegoud Leads Avistors
Instead they set up field works
miles from the outskirts-works OF
such formidable character that
/ the army OF the prince had not
succeeded In penetrating even tho
most advanced OF these forts when
/ I loft verdun.
The only shells that have fallen
upon the city we're dropped by avi-
ators. They did some damage. but
no lives were lost. the German avi'
ators meeting their match In a
crack aerial squadron OF which
Pegoud. OF loop the loop" fame, Is
member.
The show place In verdun's de-
I lenses is a steel hill. at the south
ernmost end Of the forts.
/ From the crest there IL mag
nificent view OF the battle line.
I When | was there the sun was
I Just sinking. A French battery to
our left was plugging away at the
Germans masked In a clump OF
/ trees.
Sees an Artillery Duel
After the flashes came the
steady boom. boom. boom" OF the
pieces.
To the right. and some four or
/ five miles distant. highly-colored
/ flashes over the tree tops and
booms Of different tone. told OF
another kind OF artillery fighting.
French shells were sprinkllng the
woods with shrapnel The Ger
man guns we're pounding back In
reply
/ AZ we stood on the crest the
booming swelled into crescendo.
At first only the battery 10 our
I left was In action. Then came the
shrapnel from the right. and final.
/ ". as We watched and night came
on. the whole horizon to the right.
left and front was punctured by
the light flashes
! The cannonade became general.
The incessant roar OF artillery
rent our ears. Fireworks filled
the air--the most gorgeous ] have
ever seen.
II was n general artillery duel.