The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-20

clanking as the endless line Of
overladen vehicles bears into
.o,.n The train rolls in over the
.,onpy road from the horizon in the
,,ar Passing through the village the
,ons,ming rattle OF chains and the
,e,rhtcd. drawn out creak OF heavy
wheels s,ii'c the senses.
THE soldiers passing along the road,
citing a. windows or standing in door
r.vs feel an ominous tenseness in the
roro,onv OF It and the murky, chok-
70 atmosphere sinks deep In the chest
and s~ufocatcs with a feeling OF an
impending crash.
For the last four days the long limo
. wagons passing up Il the trenches
,.h supplies has been doubled and
he soldiers say there will be an at
.sck. TIE younger of the reserves Of
he famous Iron Division in the town
* miles back would rather face It
, once. The hard strain - printed
m their faces. Among the thousands
.fere IS a little common speculation to
'i,ye thought somewhat and the
,--ln- Of many letters. The last
ais have been big ones.
rlose 20 the trenches In the last
tseck Of a town before the wilderness
utter devastation, the first line men
..atrte-ei here while off duty also feel
ic strain. Here IL seems to en-
ICE everything. In the air there
something that is not dust. for II
as ra.ned for many days. but that
.a.ks a. strange with its heaviness.
IL the result OF the heavy bonn
riding OF the last few days.
The sun through the yellow haze IL
liking blood red. II has been thus
~ four days past. Sometimes a SOL
r reels across the road. unsteady
e.a win rouge. which thing IS a
-..y even among the soldiers.
t,ou. half a mile TO the right
-,ush she forest of blackened stumps
.i torn earth run the trenches.
ch..us has been terrible here for
> months back. In tire asst attack
IDLY more than Il week ago a
llsand soldiers We're wiped away
NE trying TO take ;he crest OF a
-. h'll now vaguely seen from tho
.sl a; the end of the village.
Since then the Germans have been
orhard!ng the first line. They are
.aY.ng yawning holes many g
--,ss with mines. wiplng trenches
II. o. existence and all in them. When
re mines explode the town shakes
a. though in terror. The men say
IA. a. present II is a land of gnash-
.nr teeth and the strain Is almost
70 great 10 bear.
So occasionally. almost periodically,
1ey lead or drag into town the
-ost that leads down from the
.-.nches az the far end Of the street
snme,hins Ike a man. struggling ana
Nm eyes wide and foaminS at the
mou,h, SAYING wild things.
r. soldiers In the town are gath
s..d along the side Of the road still
.-ei with occasional houses. They
-,,g the minutes making little tokens.
Souvenirs for cherished ones back
one. There is bu. little talking. n
ara, some one speaks his voice
y. .nfs strange. There are other
mes When in the face OF almost
tain death these men are merry
-rl iaro On their way 10 IT, IL Is
~ internal thinking, they say. Some
tines a shell whistles over n breaks
ir'o he street. Then generally the
A-.rcird'ers rush out of an ainpu-
'arg- post md picking up something
= 10 roi! take i back with them.
=, ,ow minutes the soldiers forget
'.t e.
T.e Jon. WAGON train pours into
town also. Here II stops II
a.. s,lr is u~n'oaded. The drivers
Zen drive their teams oack 10
s'oty oror more. II they are forced
: -er4.n h"re u would be inherent
''r'ap.. ~. tho drivers are glad 70
To- back adm and lose little time
'as.~ N1lN. Tomorrow they re-
g.. l.' 'la' : another day.
.l,'.y com, q number Of canvas
tr..i umpl,aHyoS alonS the street.
: o. or" .u,o town on" by one n
Ili 10 o. TIVE right hand side or the
70 u,,r a string Of low buildings
tlyu-a some freak of chance left IN
Ia; h- the shells that batter their
va into IN. town daily. The carr
~ drawn up with intervals between
t'm IN case of sudden bombardment.
soon there IS a line OF a dozen
sn5llances and more r coming. Inc
divers stop their motors as they arrive
Sld keep "a their seats. prepared Tor
ta"rgcuov. Most OF them r Ameri-
EHa ~ 0no