West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-04-08
York. New Walk Terrace II,
Feb. g, 1915.

Feb. g, 1915
My dear SIR
This is the true relation OF our trip
from Antwerp from the 7th OF Oct.
1914 till our arrival I'm England. and
our journey then till up TO date.
On the 9TH OF Oct. at midday the
German General Fonbesserer advised
the headquarters OF the Belgian army
that II the town was not surrendered
at midnight he would lombard It. In
accord with the English Minister,
winston Churchill, II was decided that
the town would not be surrendered.
Advise of this ultimate decision was
given to the civil authorities i'm Ant
werp. The Belgian army must evac-
uate the forts and leave for Bruges
and Ostend in West Flanders. The
British army Infantry and ARTILLERY
would occupy the forts and assume
the defense of the town. We decided
to remain in Antwerp and take our
precautions in that way.
"bhI VI OCt. fCn the urSt
bomb was thrown by the Germans and
fell in our neighborhood on a house
which was totally destroyed and four
persons, two civilians and two soldiers
were killed. We had gone into our
cellar, my wife, my daughter Made
leine, my married daughter Mia, with
her two children, five and four years
old, and myself; the husband of nv
daughter was a ri1eman and had the
guard on the town gates. Every min
ute we heard the noise OF the bombs
or shrapnells. falling in great mum
bers In our neighborhood around our
house. We lived right over the hos
pital of Berchem, Antwerp. Two
bombs fell on IL and DESTROYED houses.
and killed again two civilians and two
rifemen. II was a terrible moment.
At five O'Clock my son-in-law came
back, the rihemen having been sent
home. My youngest son, the author
OF the enclosed letter, was also a rifle
man but did his service on the other
end OF the town. My son, the soldier.
was also there on the ramparts.
At five o'clock, on the morning the
situation was untenable for us. Two
houses enclosing our garden, were de-
stroyed by bombs or burned. We must
thus choose TO be inferred In our cell
lar or leave IL at our risk TO save our
lives with flying; we preferred the last
and may assure you that It was a
tremendous item.
With little luggage, all that we
could save, wo thus left our home.
| The persons above mentioned, and my
son, the soldier, who accompanied us
as he also must go to Bruges or os-
tend to rejoin the other part of the
Belgian army; amidst a rain OF bombs
and shrapnells we crossed the town
from one to the other. houses fell in
or burned. Several persons were kill
ed In the streets In our presence. Hap
PLY we escaped and after a trip OF one
hour we arrived at the Client Railway
station hoping to find there a train
for Bruges. In the meantime we
/ crossed the docks. a bomb fell on q
small ship and killed the captain. In
one street a bomb scaled about fifty
yards before us and damaged a house
which two minutes later was I'm fire.
In another street four houses were
touched and the whole street was full
OF glass a foot high, and we were
Obliged to step on t. wounding our
feet, and note well. my wife sixty-four
years old. sick with rheumatism and
bronchitis, and two poor little children
must endure all this. You can easily