Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-12-27
Arras StOrmed
Friday Afternoon
HUNDREDS OF SHELLS TORE
THE AIR OVER THE TOWN
ORGAN STRAINS, SHOTS
Echoes of Shots Had No Sooner Died
Away Than the Life of Christmas
Eve Began to Show Itself.

Arras, on the French Front Dec. 26.
Hundreds of big shells tore the air
over Arras all Friday afternoon. The
echoes of these were the last comph-
ments of the season and they had no
sooner died away than the life of
Christmas began to show itself through
reopened cellar doors and windows in
preparation for the usual Christmas
| eve festivities.
The people of the Artois region rise
above their Affections due to the war
| and the spirit of Arras survives among
| the heaps of ruins.
PopuIace Used to II.
TT would be really a shame if we
! had not gotten used to it during all
| these MONTHS said a woman selling
! postal cards and stationery by candle
| light on the first floor of a building
| three parts open to the sky.
What we have got to do the wo-
| man continued, lis to hold out for fl
| nal victory and lasting peace"
| After the usual systematic shelling
| died down rifle shots and the ocCa-
| SiOnal rattle of machine guns was all
that broke the stiffness that settled
over the city. The cathedral, where
midnight mass was said last year un-
der the jhtSlder of cannon. stood out
| against the twilight in ragged ruins
like n speCtra. with Crumbiing walls of
demolishing buildings all around, Civ
ing the aspect of a gigantic cemetery
with decaytng headsJones.
Rattle of Machine Guns.
The rattle OF machine guns struck
up again and few rifle shots rang
through the cold air Towards eight
o'clock the soft strains OF an organ
were heard. Going through heaps of
stone and glass to a chapel entrance
one could see q candle light nicEering
through the darkness 4 short distance
away. stan officers, waiting for din
Her. led the correspondent of The As
| sOCiated Press to an adjoining room
which resembled the crater of a minia-
ture extinct volcano.
IF it continues much longer you are
likely to have your dining room also
opened to the weatreh." said the cor
| respondent to the officers.
| That is quite possible" replied a
captain, but the destination of a shell
| is something over which we have not
found any control yet, have we lieu-
tenant But the lieutenant was alb
sorbed in an illustrated paper which
had just arrived and made no COM
ment.
Christmas Spirit in Evidence.
/ Santa Claus and the Christmas spir-
1t in spite of the war were in evidence
| everywhere along the ArtoiS battle
front where the correspondent passed
Christmas eve. They were in the
trenches and shelters with the sim.
|
racks where tine traditional Christina:
, eve theater was occupied by an impro'
vised concert and vaudeville that ri
vailed the best Paris could do in tim,
of peace; in the quarters where the Of
) hCtrs celebrated with no less simplicity
I and dignity and in the first LITTLE
church. still dcfyiBE shell fire. that on
: finds behind the battle front midniEh
/. mass was celebrated. From the roat
: running almost parallel to the trenches
I IL E.ar.v
both lines recalled the Four of Jul!
= | fireworks in America. An officer eX
: planned that this was partly due t
: habit.
e Fuses Set of Every Night.
e Fuses are set off eveHy night" tn
f officer explained, even when the mool
e shones brightly as tonight and beside
I the Germans may, as last year, hav
an idea that we are going at them be
fore morning"
The fuses multiplied at the approach
| of midnight and on the stroke of twelv
the line as far as the horizon was il
= Illuminated as by long line of bril-
| liant stars.
Flashes of different coIors could b
| seen far away to the north, although
! | no reports were heard.
: They are firing up there aroun
= Souchez," a lieutenant explained.
s Soldiers Entertained Each Other.
e Several miles up the deep wide ditc
y with twelve inches of Chalky mud at ii
e bottom, just far enough from the Ger
s man line to permit traaquail sleep, sol
> diers entertained each other with sim
n pie songs of their home regions an
examined parcels from home and talk
n ed of victory. One soldier read a lit
! tie note from home which said:
This year il is l who played father
Y This year 1 broke open my saving
4 bank and am sending presents to pap
: at the front"
), The soldier did not explain who tn
; writer was, but his thick beard faiIe
TO hide touching smile with which n
accepted the reversal of Christina
roles.
They're singing over there" said
soldier just back from the first lin
l. trench. They've got an orchestra an
they're shouting to beat all, but
doesn't sound very gay"
Impromptu Concert.
q Meanwhile the impromptu concert Il
n the trenches went on in tones that wer
Y light, gay and confident. The sam
e phrase was heard in all the toast
d given here. II was Peace throug
e Victory"
+ A little farther from the trenche.
I in a bombarded barn covered by an i'm
d provised roof, the midnight watch wa
e preceded by a concert in which the sol
e diers who jOlSed the military on tn
stage in peace times reversed the Orde
= of things and with the greatest Zes
d caricatured the civilian behind tn
a zone occupied by thearmies
+ Going to Old Village Church.
Al along the roads. in this region
g two lines passed in different direction!
a Some with pick, shovel and rifles wer
n going to take their turn i'm the trench
es, while others were going back TO tn
old village church to swell the conErat
ulations. Officers, including generals
colOnCls, captains and lieutenants. wit
k a sprinkling of civilians and many wo
= men were in attendance. As in I'll
e quarters OF the soldiers near tn
n trenches. everything in the attitude {
2, the service brought out the same note
It Peace through Victory" \ chaplai
= with the Red Ribbon Of the Legion {
Honor on his surplice. who had los