Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-19
NANCY TARGET FOR CANNON
Old French Town Wrecked by Shot
and She'll Resumes the Quiet
Of Long Ago.
SCHOOLS NEVER MISS A DAY


CCorrespondsnce Of the Associated Fressl
NANCY, France. March b.--Nanev' the
old capital Of the Duchy OF Lorraine mao
for more than two score OF years inc hSA-
ardous privilege Of occupying front seat
In the theater OF q probable war Tar
sets for cannon" the conscripts sent to
Nancy were called. II was here the iron
davision'' OF the Twentieth army corps
was stationed with the Twenty-sixth
brigade of cavalry, not 70 undertake the
nupposodly impossible task OF SAVING
Nancy. but 20 receive and deaden the
first shook.
The story has been told OF the French
officer, who, anticipating war IN June Oh
last year, sold his little country property
near Nancy. bought villa In Belgium
and concentrated himself that his family
would be far outside the vortex.
while the stout fortress Of Hamur was
crurubling under the blows Of the heavy
oerrnAn guns, unfort,fied Nancy. de-
fended by Castienau. proved impregnaoie'
The French officers family fled to France
with Belgian refugees at the saine time
that Emperor William. who, with lOoO
cavalry OF the guard had awaited the
moment for this triumphal entry into
Nancy. turned back toward Metz. AS 70
the purchaser of the officers country
place. he has not seen a German soldier
and since August a. 1914. the sound of
the cannon has been growing fainter and
less frequent In his ears. II Is only when
the wind Is right that Nancy hears II.
Only once did the German artillery get
o,oaa enough under cover OF night TO
lombard the city. and then II did less
| damage than the dozen visits OF German
aeropIanes and Zeppelins. Nearly every
one OF those visits was tragic, because
everyone wanted 10 see the aircraft the
| two children and wife of barber In the
Rue saint-Jeain stepped 20 the door 70
yet a look at a Taube one morning; all
three were killed. together with -four
other persons. while the barber escaped
without scratch. Four people weFs
killed by a bomb that fell under the WIN
dows OF the prefecture.
The second attempt OF the Germans 10
lombard Nancy with their heavy guns Il
stin the talk OF Nancy One Of tho fit
teen-inch lonE-range naval pieces, put II
position near Chateau selins (salzburg
| 10 send into Nancy the same destruction
that they had hurled into Dunkirk, wal
discovered by air scouts. The French ad
yaneed their heavy artillery TO easy rang
and destroyed the big gun and its tounda
ton before Il had fired a single shot. &C
cording TO report.
Nancy appears today to be anything bu
a militay headquarters. Only few sol
diers on leave. a few convalescen
wounded and officers on various mission
give II the sembiance Of a garrison town
The soldiers quarters in the barracks ar
occupied a thousand or so Of families an
debris OF families from different parts Q
LORRAINE. awaiting the moment to re
turn home. Among the mare eishty-fou
children called the orphans OF Points
Nousson." because their parents have n
mained In the little town shslled recent
for the I7Sth time The women Of thi
colony Of eStles. taking their part In IN
| work Of national defense by turning ou
$4,000 trench sacks, work al which the
can earn 70 cents a day besides thei
board and lodging. II 10 rather eoars
: work for some Of them, expert In the fin
| est embroidery.
Nsncys industrial commercial aud ed,