The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-06-10
VISITS LABYRINTH
and SEES BATTLE.
Correspondent Describes War
Among Trenches. !.
WATCHES VILLAGE BLOWN UP

y y
Eyewitness Tells of Thrilling Scenes In
Great Fight North of Arras De-
struction by Artillery and Mines, a
Bayonet Charge, AeropIanes Soaring
Through Rain Of ShrapneI.
What the fighting is like in the laby-
rinth, that vast amazing stretch of al
most intermingling trenches around
Arras in northern France, the scene Of
one Of the fercest series of battles in
the history Of the world, is thrillingly
described by Wythe Williams in a dis
patch to the New York Times.
I cannot minutely describe the con-
flict. No one can do that at this stage,
says the correspondent.
In many places in this giant battle
field it was impossible for me to say
where were the Germans and where
the French, so completely was turn
ed around on account Of the constant
zigzag Of the trench lines. Sometimes
when I thought I was safely going in
the direction Of the French I was haul
ed back by officers, who told me I was
heading into the German line.
I sometimes felt that the German
lines were on three sides, and often I
was quite correct. On the other hand,
the French lines often almost CON-
pletely surrounded the German. :,
In Midst of Battle.
One could not tell from the nearness
Of the artillery fire whether it was
from friend or foe. finally determ1n-
ed that when a battery fired fast it
was French, for the German fire is be-
coming more intermittent every day.
Late one afternoon, coming out of
trench into a green meadow, sudden
ly found myself planted against a
mud bank made Of dirt taken from the
trenches. We were just at the crest Of
a hill. In khaki clothes I was of the
same color as the mud bank, so an Of
fcer told me was in fairly safe po-
sitiOn.
We fattened ourselves casually
against our mud bank, carefully adj
justed our glasses, turned them toward
the valley before us, whence came the
sound Of exploding shells, and calmly
watched village developing into MOTH
ingness in the sunset 49, ..
There was loud explosion, a roll of
dense black smoke, which. was pene-
trated quickly enough by the long, hor-
izontal rays Of the descending sun to
permit the sight Of tumbling roofs and
crumbling walls. After few seconds
1ntermission there was another explo-
sion, and what looked like a public
school in the main street sagged sud-
denly into jagged pile of stones.
Sees Church Take Fire.
We turned our glasses on the other
end Of the village. A column of black
smoke was rising where the church
had caught fire.
"Where are the German trenches ?"
I asked the major, my guide.
''I'll show you," he answered and or
dered soldier to telephone a message
to 'seventy-five" battery at our rear.
The soldier disappeared. 'Watchv
said the officer.
There were two sharp explosions be-
hind us, two puffs Of smoke out on
the horizon before us, about a mile
away.
'That's where they are," the officer
said. "BOth shells went right in
them.'
Away to the right Of the village, now
reduced to ruins, was Neuville-St.
Vast, still occupied by both French
and Germans, the former slowly retak-
ing it, house by house. We were about
half mile away. We could see little,
for in this business of house to house
occupation most of the fighting is in
the cellars.
Suddenly I heard a tremendous ex-
plosion and saw a great mass Of ma
sonny and debris of all descriptions fly
ing high in the air. knew just what
had happened. The French had ex-
ploded mine. Much Of the debris I
saw flying through space had been
German soldiers few seconds before.
Hears Yell Of Victory.
Before the smoke died away we
heard a savage yell. That was the
French cry Of victory. Then we heard
a rapid cracking Of ri1es-the sign
that the French had advanced across
the space between the houses to finish
the work their mine had left undone
A cry from soldier warned us of a
German aeroplane overhead. A French
aeroplane appeared, and the German
made off. They usually do, as the ma
jority Of German aeronauts carry only
rifles; the French now all have mitrail-
leuses. A fight between them is I'M
equal, and the inequality is not easily
overcome, for the German machines
are too light for mitrailleuses.
Four French machines were now cir
cling above, and the German batteries
opened fire on them. 1t was a beauti-
full sight. We could not hear the shells