Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-08-18
IS NIGHT IN HELL
German Writer Describes Visit
to Battle Front.
Every instrument of Murder and De-
struction in Acton-FearfuI Con-
cert Splits the Ears and
Rakes the Nerves.

Rakes the Nerves.
Berlin.-The Berliner Morgenpost
publishes the following vivid descrip-
ton of the awful battles north of
Arras by DR.. Max Osborne, a special
war correspondent who had been at
the western front since the beginning
of the war:
with four or five other correspond
vanced trenches near Arras. Two Off
GERS. a captain and a very young lieu
tenant, offered to lead us to the outer
German positions. They jumped into
our car and silently we sped on
through the night.
After a while the lights of our auto
were extinguished. Not a sign Of life
was discernible around US as we ran
along the road cautiously but swiftly.
Then we noticed gray shadows moving
through the darkness singly and in
groups.
Suddenly our car stopped and we
had to advance afoot over the dusty,
through the darkness, in beautiful
curves, bursting high in the air and
sending sheaves of fire in all direc-
tions. Great white lamps, resembling
large moons, lighted up the country
for miles around. 1t seemed as if light
houses had suddenly been built into
She air. These mysterious lamps were
light-bombs attached to parachutes
which keep them floating between
heaven and earth for some time.
"a moment later there was fire all
around US. The artillery on both sides
had commenced it's awful work. Ear
splitting, Internal noise now accOmpa-
MED the fantastic fireworks. The dull
roar dissolved itself into innumerable
sounds and noises. With faint shrieks,
like scared little birds, the French in
fantry bullets whizZed over our heads,
the machine guns ratified, shrapnels
exploded with a deafening roar and
the great howitzers spit out their
charges with a gurgling sound. Every
instrument of murder and destruction
was in action.
Covered by earthworks and sand
hills we slowly moved along. We were
told that about this time of the night
the battle was generally becoming
less violent, but after we had passed
the last houses of a village a veritable
hell broke loose. On hill about fifty
yards from us French shell exploded,
and then another one. We tried to
reach the nearest shelter, but shells
struck on all sides of US, moving down
the trees, tearing great craters into
the field and meadow and sending a
hail of sand and stones over US as
they exploded.
"All the devils of hell seemed to
have escaped. A fearful concert split
our ears and racked our nerves. In in
organic, distorted rhythms and hun
dreds of discordant sounds the satanic
symphony roared over the country,
shrieking, bowling. grinding. rafting
and at times almost laughing. The
earth trembled beneath our feet, more
terrors to the hellish concert above
and around US.
At last we reached the shelter and
here, safe as in a box of a theater, We
watched the indescribable spectacle.
We were as if in a trance, completely
carried away by the wild dance of
death before our eyes. Near the bomb
proof shelter the soldiers moved
around with serious, calm faces. The
rain of shells and fire seemed to have
no terrOrs for them, as they did not
even hasten their steps when they
passed a particularly dangerous spot.
And a year ago most of them were
peaceful citizens and civilians like
myself, and my colleagues. What men
war has made of them
The night of horrors seemed end
less, but at last weak ray of light,
which fell into our shelter, and the
warbling of lark told US that morn
ing was near. Still the guns were
laundering and roaring. but as the
sun slowly began to rise the firing
ceased. For a few minutes not a shot
was heard and in the pale twilight my
overheated brain drew a fanciful pic
ture of a God walking over the land
and commanding peace.
The dream was short, however.
French shells came again tearing
through the air, our cannon answered
and the small guns chimed in. With
in TED minutes the battle ragged as vio-