Evening journal., 1915-02-26
BRAVE men
SNAP FINGERS AT death
CcontInuea from Page u

lCOnunued from rage ~
pare these surprises OF. as frequently /
happens, since attacks by large num-
bers Of infantry have become impossi- (
ble on account of the water, to make
she dash themselves.
Here is an Illustration:
1t was learned that the Germans
had established themselves on one
o. the many islands jutting out of the
foundation and were using it for var'-
Gus effective operations An OBJ
server. posted IN the massive tower
OF a mcdiaevel church there was Civ
ine most deadly instructions by tele-
phone to ;hc German batteries Of
eight-inch guns situated so far back
thai the much lighter Belgian guns
were ineffective against them. Some
thing had to be done to put this out
post out OF commission.
The first night twenty men were
sent out to capture the island, it be-
ing believed that it was occupied By
only eight or ten men. None Of the
twenty came back
The second night one Of the 100
left the Belgian lines alone, swim
ming. When he returned shortly
before daylight he astonished every
body by reporting the tiny island held
- Two Zone sontrios. A large island
however. some 200 yards further
hack. held some 25O men and between
shis island and the tower ran a cause
way made of brush tied in bundles.
The scntries thew up Illuminating
bombs at regular intervals, and upon
discovering the approach of the
enemy gave the alarm, whoreupon re-
K iniorccments ran over the causeway,
took positions about a tiny fort built
around the tower and by the aid OF
machine guns stood their ground.
Tho following night fifty men start
ed for the island in scows, which
swimmers and waders pulled silently
. through the food They halted just
outside the range of the illuminating
bombs and the scout of the night be-
fore went forward alone. Two bombs
. lin succession would be the signal for
'lthe party to land quickly. Fifteen
minutes of absolute silence followed,
then two balls of fire rose and hoated
in the black night The fifty men
shot forward.
They landed without opposition.
The body of a dead German lay on
the ground lt was Sentry No. I. His
helmet was missing. as was his coat.
On the breastwOrk about the tower
few feet away, stood what appeared
10 be a German heckoning to the Bel
glans. This was their own man wear
"a ing the coat and helmet of the Ger
man sentinel Inside the trench, be-
side a machine gun, lay Sentry No
2. The Belgian had slain both with
+ nut a sound with his thin sword, the
| rst by surprise the second by i'm.
ersonating the first.
While destroying the brush cause
+ way the Germans on the little island
nearby found out what was going on
/ and attacked.
They were rcpulsed and the twenty
Beleians of the night before were
more than avenged Today the Bel
sians occupy the island and its tower,
though daily battered by German ar
lnlery serves as an observation post.
u iat52cir turn, besides keeping a per-
& manent defense force on the island,
j inc Belgians have connected il TO
Il heir first line OF trenches.
Tho men of the 150 are anonymous.
Il is said that many of them are
nobies. The man. who single-handed,
captured the tower without making 4
sound, so the correspondent was told
was a Brussels lawyer of nationwide
reputation. who, when he volunteered
tor the service. presented himself in
, frock coat and silk hat.