Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-11-10

N0AISh - al1ScACN
Take these men to safe places,
please, and look after them. They'll
probably come around all right after
a while. You can get a doctor. can't
you? One of you is a doctor? That's
good" He detailed a couple of the less
injured soldiers to assist. "When those
men recover you'd better join any
other battalion you al find, unless you
happen to learn where We'll be-"
Wray. with the captains and the
~lieutenants, was reforming the com
panies by physical force. pulling about
the men and pushing them into posi-.
ton. Were going to the subway
noww the officers promised. "We're
going as direct as we can to the sub
way!'
The battalion dazedly formed in col.
umn. "Forward!' The men trailed
through the debris In the avenue and
went on. Column right!' 1t was
marching on a cross street, with Cen
trail park on the right. 1t passed the
end of Fifth avenue and went on. Jim
recognized Columbus circle. The col
umn beaded for the kiosk to the sub.
way and halted. The major went
ahead to make explanations. The col
umn learned, while 1t waited, that the
subway or the power plant or some
thing had been damaged sc that only
a few trains might be run, and the
whole subway system had been taken
over by the military. Wray reappear-
ed. Evidently he had won dispense
ton for his men suffering from shell
shock. Company E began to file down
under the street, f gratefully followed
into the subterranean world where the
sound of the shells-even those shells
which tore whole business squares to
bits and killed or crazed a score of men
without marking them-was dull and
distant and where you could lie back
on the rattan seat of a steel car and be
quite safe again. Where the train was
taking the battalion and why no n
at hat moment seemed to care.
Swenson, who sat beside Jim, was
opening and closing his hands and star
ing at them. THAT'S funny" he said
slowly. ut was my right l couldn't
feel moving. Now it's the left"
Jim again tried the muscles of his
hands and feet. Kilbane appealed to
him in a whisper. as siven time nine
sixty-threeT'
Jim considered. Then he nodded.
~AFasLEe awful pain here?' Kilbane
touched the back of his head.
"Awfuli"
"Then you and neil watch aich 9th
or. They make you dippy after awhile
sometimes, we've heard?"
"Yes. I've heard"
"Worth street, an officers voice
warned. 1.-The next is ours, boys.
Brooklyn bridge"
Did that mean marching on the sur
face again or going in cars exposed to
fire? Why couldn't every one stay in
the subway? 1t went to Brooklyn safe
deep down under the river. The train
battalion started up to the street. The
shells. They were bursting ceaselessly
just above. The conclusion of them
battered down the subway stairs and
the noise above was awful. Not only
the sh~ells-screams also and cries of
men in panic, terrified, beaten.
forward boys! Come on, every
body. Forward"
Smoke-black, binding smoke, hot
and scorching-eddied down INTO the
subway. The battalion struggled
through 1t. There was a fight at the
top of the stairs. Soldiers were trying
to turn back men who were crushing
to get into the subway. They strug-
gled and swore. The battalion brought
help to the guards and cleared the
stairs. Company F, following Company
e, came out to the street. The end
of Brooklyn bridge lay before them,
shrouded in the smoke which rose from
the tenement blocks which were burn
ing. From the smoke men staggered
and stumbled-men In uniform and
with rifles, uniformed men without
guns, and others without uniform or
rifle, but wearing the arm bands and
the brown shirts of American recruits.
Shells burst above them and scurried
them on. These were not the monster
shells which had been striking further
up In the city, These were smaller and
came much quicker and burst with two
different sorts of defamation. One sort
made little noise. The other burst with
shock and roar of the same type, only
much less, as the shock of the shell
which had dazed the battalion.
"Shrapnel that! And that's high ex-
plosive!!'
"Yes!"
Column tours! Column fours!' the
company officers were begging. "For-
ward. Forward, men! March,"
A bugle blew the signal over and
over again. The battalion moved slow
ly toward the bridge. Shrapnel and
the quick, ceaseless high explosive
shells were bursting above Company