Tensas gazette., 1916-11-03
BUILD A SUBWAY
To vERDUN FRONT
Tunnel, IS 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.

Verdun.-Just west of here, in the
forest of ArgOnne, there is remark
able military tunnel, 40 feet under
ground, running right up to within
3OO yards of the German trenches.
1t is one of the most hard-pressed
points around Verdun, but through this
tunnel re-enfOrcements move forward
without danger, relieving every two
hours the men on the firing line.
There was very American atmOs-
phere about this tunnel when the writ
er visited it, for the curious fact de-
vAOped 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 in France, and when
the war broke out left their American
businesses to come home and fight. And
now they are i'm full charge of this un-
derground highway, leading up to one
of the most desperate positions along
the front. They are so American that
they speak English instead of French.
and the commandments headquarters
a little nest In the clay-has a 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
fhrnnDh onklA D.,,, n
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 large clay hole, a kitchen
was In full operation, with soldiers eat.
ing bowls of noodles.
Chef to an Ambassador.
Let Inc introduce you to our chef, u
said the cOmmandant. as young sol.
dier cook came forward. He is now
the cook for this tunnel-and he ought
to be good cook, for before the wal
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 3Ol
yards away. The Intervening space
was swept clear as though by a cy
clone. Instead of the beautiful greer
of the forest, that was left ut the Other
end of the tunnel, here the whole out
look was gray and desolate; the
ground jagged and torn as by eccentric
plows, not vestige of grass oI
verdure, and the few gaunt trunks o
trees stripped Of their last leaf ant
looking like so many scarecrows.
This has been a rather quiet day
only two mine explosions" said tn,
cOmmandant, 'twO men injured, one II
the shoulder. the other in the leg. Tha
is little, for often we have forty t.
sixty men killed or injured In thes,
mine explosions. which go on cOntinu
ally as the Germans try to mine unde
our trenches and we try to mine un
der theirs"
Even beyond the front line Frencl
trenches the French soldiers ha,
pushed their observation posts into til,
tire-swept dividing line, 300 yards wide
Some Of these daring men could b,
seen almost up to the crest. where tn,
German line ran. They were crouche'
behind heaps of powders. rifles ready
Those men are only ten yards fron
the Germans" said the cOmmandanl
As he spoke, Mr.. Cravath Of New
York, said: Il see a German; ther
he is on the crest; you can see his uni
form with the round cap"
"And he sees you toO." said the com
mandant. "You have been under fire,
he added as he led Mr.. Cravath and tn
others to more secure position.
Americans Are Lucky.
Its good that German didn't fire,
remarked Cravath. 1T might hav
been an international incident. Thin
Of it-killing an American visitor (
the French trenches"
Coming back from the front-Iin