South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-05-15
French Trench
Is Built Along
Mountain Edge

ParocheS and ChauTOnCourt east or
Pierreftte. wooded heishts protrude
into the valley of the Meuse ar 81.
Nihiel, slOping steeply towards the
meadows. Guided 10y our Moroccan
colonel we follow the trenches alone
the crest of the hill
These trenches have been hcwn
into the stony soil. They are mar
row but deep. When we step mp
upon the shelves and look through
the loopholes of the parapet we see
nothing in front of us but the pre-
cipice. The trench is made as near
the edge as possible its wall is
merely a thin shell. its parapet con-
sists of big rocks which a well aimed
German shot sometimes sends tum-
bling down into the trench.
The whole thing reminds one Of a
medieval fortress. Every few
yards YOU see small dugouts into
which YOU ind your way by the
light of a lantern. When we have
reached the bottom OF the cave the
soldier is ordered 10 put out the
lantern. and a screen is drawn aside
from a small opening through which
the machine gun fires
Built on Mountain.
It seems utterly Impossible 10 take
by assault a position like this. built
on the edge Of a mountai1 over
hanging a precipice. and still IL is
positions 10 times more impregnable
than this which the Italians for
more than II months have tried 10
storm and many Of which they have
actually captured
Opposite us. on the other side of
the river. on another promontory.
lies Camp de- Romans which the
Germans captured many months
ago and which dominates the coun-
try. ON either side j is possible 70
watch the smallest movements of
the enemy.
Dusk is falling now and every
thing is quiet The French trench
es along the edge of the cliff are
empty except for a listening post
every two hundred yards. No GER
man assault ia expected. The Ger
man troops have just been relieved.
have seen not only the arrival of
new troops but also a cortege of
hOrsemen with gIittering helmets.
evidently high officers.
This means an entire change OF
command and the new troops must
have time TO get used 10 their sur
roundings. Perhaps. though, they
may be heard from during the night
As a matter of precaution we are
carrying our gas helmets.
Here, between Chauvoncourt and
Les Paroches a little incident hap
pened not long ago which shows
you a glimpse Of French humane
ness.
Effect Was Dreadful.
The French hat EXPLODED a mine
under German trench. The effect
was dreadful. After the explosion
four German bodies were lying on
the edge OF the huge crater. A
fifth soldier had been buried alive
up 10 his shoulders
This happened in the early hours
of the morning. All day throughout
the following night the French sol
diers as we'll as the comrades of the
unfortunate man heard his cries Of
anguish and despair.
What could they do. however?
The man was lying 20 yards from
the French, o yards from the Ger
man position. The next day his
cries were so awful that the soldiers
could not bear listening TO them. A
French captain shouted i'm German
TO the buried man.
Tell your comrades to come out
and pick you up. We will not fire
at them, and if they are still afraid
We shall come out and rescue you. -"
Five minutes later a German ser
geant, unarmed. came out Of the
German trench. followed by two
soldiers. They tore their comrade
loose. zone leg was crushed) and
/ carried him into the trench The
| French soldiers had followed the in
cident breathlessly. Shortly after
wards they noticed a commotion in
the German trench. About a hun
/ dred German soldiers had gathered
and swinging their grey caps they
shouted:
"MerCi, comrades Mercit'
/ (Thanis. comrades. thanksD