The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-01-12
Dangers Of Withdrawing Fatigued
Forces From the German Trenches

the heads were covered with black
hair. Our men would have gladly bur-
led the fallen enemies, but It was i'm
possible to leave the trenches. One
has but to show the point OF the he'll
met, or attempt to stretch the cramp-
ed and stiff limbs to draw a hail OF
iron.
"A yellow mud fioated about in the
trench and ran down the sides. And
In this our soldiers stand day and
night. They are heroes No doubt
this term has often been misapplied,
but 1t certainly is duo the men who In
the cold and wet OF the trench and af-
ter long and dreary weeks of this
know how to smile and crack a Joke.
For eight hours the man leaned
against the wet sides OF the trench.
Then the relief force creeps along to
give the others chance to live for 16
hours In damp cellar. To guide the
men at night white ribbons and pieces
OF pnper arc fastened hero and there.
Like beings OF another world these
men light no fires and speak no word.
"As we returned J. noted a number
OF broken chairs and other pieces of
furniture and was told that these
were danger signols marking points
at walls where the enemy could see
what passed beyond. Death lurked
everywhere.
$50 we went back through the tun-
mel. through tho houses and cellars
and across the yards. and finally came
to the narrow street, which had to be
crossed ct jump. Evidently the
French had seen US slip across the
slip across the open place, and having
probably observed the automobile ut
Eessen. they must have concluded that
some members OF the staff were maxi
Ing an inspection OF tho position at
Dixmude. At 2 O'clock in the after
noon they began to shell the place.
"One she'll after another hit the
ruins about the market place and re-
duced the debris to still smaller d.
mensfons. Standing In a doorway
close to the scene was impressed by
the terrific noise of the bombardment
as sort Of sublime spectacle. IS.
"A shell fell I our street, and the
major ordered us into his cellar. But
we found It hard to- leave tile iron
concert which .whtstled and sang,
crashed and rolled through tho ruins
In a thousand keys. IS, e 81
"Of sudden I was thrown against
tAo COFpOIdI WuD uBu DGcu 6LAuQlu& Oy
my side and the two Of us few to the
ground. A shell had struck the
ground 80 feet away from us and the
hirwave Of the explosion had knock
cd us over re.
AFTER that we followed the mayor
willingly enough to his room, IN the
cellar. II was very still there ana tho
dreary cfickering flame OF a 8 candle
seemed 70 make Il more so. But above
| our heads tho. detonations continued,
Whenever one OF the shells hit close
! enough to the houseito shake to It's
very fonndationi the major woEld says:
"'Now!. .l,a s.i;:.5, Isl
"For a while that >vas !. the sony
sonna among thnaa whn sat ahnnt the
homemade table In the cellar. Later
somebody tried to master the peculiar
excitement which held us ali sii,s. fits
grip by tolling funny stories. But In
spite OF the stories and the cigarettes,
the excitement. caused by, the unc sr-i
|! ta!nty Ahe-e the ssSs shell: vet Id
strike, held on" ;!s.s st
{ When tho bombardment' had sub.
| sided the correspondence mad their
way back to their automobiles. con-
tending On route .-5.:..!.: .-5.:..!.: two friendly .y
elements-mud and moro shells and
shrapnel. 8. 4