St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1916-03-18
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| cabinet, where they keep the ma
chine guns. The German trenche!
| have one to every fifteen men
These are commonly called gun pits
In the defense Of the trenches there
are used bar bed wire entanglemepts
| Sharp sticks are placed in thu
ground, which are strung with tele
graph wire. put up in small strands
OF course the only way in which tnt
defense can really be made is by. {
great. deal of artillery fire. This l.
necessary because the ENHANCEMENT!
must be destroyed before the men
can cross to tie enemy's trenches
The French have succeeded in pass.
ing them by placing large strips o.
EDoleum over which they cross.
II you look at the trenches from
a distance they look like nothing
but ditcnes. Not a living soul car
be seen. The space between these
trenches looks yellow, mushy in wet
weather and dusty in dry. Even tbs
foliage of the trees is brown. It is
due to the poisonous gases used. In
one district where / looked over the
LlCACAC0 lACSC IL CA(ACS tA0A VOOu
i placed in an old field where the
grain was becoming ripe. From
some of the odors coming from the
grain, did not have to look to know
what was concealed there.
Trench life. to. the soldiers. is
rather difficult. There is no getting
up and fighting. Wlen it is raining
there is nothing but mud. and it is
always raining. l might say that
trench life is nothing but misery and
muck. Many of the soldiers stay in
these trenches for weeks at a time,
unable. to battle and always covered
with mud. Their clothes are filled
with vermin. On account of this
trench warfare many of the men
come to the hospital without wounds,
but are nervous wrecks. The ex-
posture they have to take brings on
bronchitis and pneumonia, which is
more deadly than she'll wounds.
Nevertheless the French soldier is
we'll fed and his clothes are warm.
When the men come to the hos
pitfalls, which provide immense BATH
ing establishments, their clothes are
sterilized, even their papers, so as to
destroy the vermin, which is SO pro-
life in the trenches.
The French have recently adopt
ed, in place of the uniform cap. a
form of helmet made of blue steel.
This Is extremely light. but it pro-
tects the head from splinters of
shells, etc. It is a remarkable thing
tnat this French helmet 10 practical
ly the same headdt ess worn by our
ancestors. In these trenches, when
the men are not busy, they have
means of diversion. Many of the
men are artists who really do some
beautiful work. Many Of the Ger
man shells are covered with alumni
mum, from which the French SOL
diers make rings. On one occasion
a man anxious to make. ring saw
a large piece of aluminium fall just
beyond the parapet. As. he put his
head out Of the trench he was 'sho1
from the German lines. Another
man, trying to pull him back, was
also shot, as was another who tried
to help the second man. This was
all done against the instructions
given, as the men were ordered not
to show their heads outside of the
trenches. Back Of the trenches one
Is. constantly stumbling upon field
guns. These are large suns, AMI as
they are heavy they cannot get near
the 'front.'. The means used to con-
ceal these guns from aeroplane OBJ
is sometimes most elabo-
rate. In one place an artist of Paris
= man who painted scenes in
theatre. was employed for this pur
pose. In some places I have seen
the guns covered with canvas
painted so as to resemble tree tops
and others painted like the ground.
The aeroplanes are constantly spy
ing out the batteries. The large-
guns are concealed in cuts covered
over with heavy logs, which are
covered with branches while the
guns are not in use.
While visiting France, / had
splendid opportunity to see shell
ire. Shell fire is directed entirely
by observation stations. In each
station is located an officer who
watches the effect of the firing, and
" cav SSeeOPAOAC0 OuCA III lie UdJIorl0S
as to the effect Of their firing. On
this occasion was travelling with
one OF the admiTals. We were driv
ing In his car. We stopped at one
u these stations and l was told not
20 move any branches, as we were
lpt to be discovered and shot. TAX
ng up pair Of field glasses, / look
Cd at the trenches. The officer made
certain calculations, which were
transmitted over the telephone, and
ne told me to look toward the enc
nys trenches. In a few moments
1eard the report OF six shells being
lred, and every one, apparently.
anded in the trenches OF the enemy.
nave often wondered il these smells
'ost any ones life. The fire Of these
.uns Is directed from these observ&-
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