Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-11-01
BUILD A SUBWAY
TO yERDUN FRONT
Tunnel, as Feet Underground,
Leads to Within 300 Yards
of Germans.
AMERICANS MAKE THE TRIP
New York Lawyer Narrowly Escapes
Shots as He Views Trenches
Tunnel Cook Was Formerly
Chef to an Ambassador.


Ferdun.-Just west of here. in the
forest of ArgOnne, there is a remark
able military tunnel, IS feet under
ground, running right up to within
800 yards of the German trenches.
1t Is one of the most hard-pressed
points around Verdua, but through this
tunnel re-enfOrcements move forward
without danger, relieving every two
hours the men on the firing line.
There was a very American atmOs-
phere about this tunnel when the writ
er visited it, for the curious fact de-
veloped that the two officers in COM
mand were American residents. one a
stock raiser in Alberta, Canada, and
the other a bank official of the Franco
American bank at Los Angeles. Cal.
Both were born ia France, and when
the war broke out left their American
businesses to come home and fight. And
now they are in full charge of this IN
dergr0und highway. leading up TO one
Of the most desperate positions along
the fron1. They are SO American that
they speak English instead of French
and the commandments headquarters
a little nest in the clay-has big
picture of Uncle Sam hanging on the
wall.
Creeping through this tunnel to-
ward the front line, the members of
the visiting party knocked their steel
casques on the roof. and plunged
through water ankle deep. Paul D.
Cravath, the New York lawyer. man
Of large build, 6 feet 6 inches tall.
was bent double in the struggle through
the tunnel. Along the way they passed
an electric plant, throbbing with en-
ergy, and pumping the fresh air which
keeps the tunnel habitable. Farther
on. in a large clay hole, a kitchen
was In full operation, with soldiers eat
ing bowls of noodles.
Chef to an Ambassador.
Let me Introduce you to our chef"
said the commandfllt, as young SOL
der cook came forward. He is now
the cook for this tJnneI-and he ought
TO be a good cook, ter before the war
he was chef TO the French ambassador
at Rome"
Emerging from the tunnel into the
front line, the German trenches were
plainly visible on the crest only 800
yards away. The intervening space
was swept clear as though by a cy-
clone. Instead of the beautiful green
Of the forest, that was left at the other
end of the tunnel. here the whole out
look was gray and desolate; the
ground jagged and torn as by eccentric
piows, not vestige of grass or
verdure, and the few gaunt trunks of
trees stripped of their last leaf and
looking like so many scarecrows.
This has been rather quiet day
only two mine explosions" said the
commandant, two men injured. one in
the shoulder, the other In the leg. That
is lltte, for often we have forty to
sixty men killed or Injured in these
mine explosions, which go on contlnu-
ally as The Germans try to mine under
our trenches and we try to mine I'M
der theirs"
Even beyond the front line French
trenches the French soldiers had
pushed their observation posts into the
fire-swept dividing line, 300 yards wide.
Some of these daring men could be
seen almost up 10 the crest, where the
German line ran. They were crouched
behind heaps of bowlderss rifles ready.
"Those men are only ten yards from
the Germans, said the commandment.
AS he SPOKE, Mr. Cravath of New
York. said: - see a German; there
he is on the .rAst; you can see his uni
form viii. IRE round cap
"And he sees YOU too" said the COM
mandant You have been under fire. :"
he added as he led Mr.. Cravath and the
others to more secure position.
Americans Are Lucky.
ats good that German didn't fire"
remarked Cravath. 1T might have
been an international incident. Think
Of it-kilIing an American visitor to
the French trenches"
Coming back from the frontIine