Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1916-06-28


IAN ARMY. June 49, Zagor'
which is little mountain hamle
that was buried in oblivion befor
the war. is famous today as the onl
noint on the Austro-ltalian from
and perhaps on any army front
where enemy trench lines actuall
run into each other. For 400 mile
ON this front the Austrian and Italian
trenches run parallel, being often a
close as thirty to fifty yards, but a
Zagora they slide into each other an,
then slide away again. uphill ant
down dale. following the genera
trend OF the lsonzo river, which emp
ties into the Adriatic sea far abov'
Venice.
II was decided that the Lest time
TO see Zagora was in the early morn
ing, when the actual firing was desul
tory. Many miles of walking before
daybreak over a pontoon bridge
spanning the lsonzo river. and up q
mountain side protected from artillery
shells by tunnels. brought the party
TO the headquarters OF the officer Ia
command Oh the hill forces. The
commander conducted his visitors
still further up the mountain towards
Zagora, already visible as heap OF
ruins of what once had been the
peaceful homes oil peasants. The
visitors went up at an angle of sixty
degrees, in the shelter Of old trenches
that once had been front trenches.
Al every turn were visible little plots
of wooden crosses where Italian or
Austrian soldiers had fallen during
the terrific fighting carried on by the
Italians to gain their way up the face
Of the mountain.
1T has been like sword duel
between US all the time" said the
commander with little artillery fire
in view OF the closeness OF the OPP
posing trenches, kill both friends and
enemy
ITS wonderful the way the soldiers
have kept up their spirits here" he
went on. For a whole month last
fall, when the mountain was mass
Of wet rock and mud, when IL was
possible to get food up only by night.
when the men could not be relieved.
when to strike light meant death
from a sniper when our trenches
we're but hastily constructed piles OF
stone felt by the Austrians as we
pushed them foot by foot towards the
mountain top, the men held on with
amazing cheerfulness. Not even the
wounded complained. The death |
struggle developed the best qualities
Of our men. Even the socialists among
them, whose principles do not include
lighting, became some of my best
soldiers"
AS the visitors came full upon the
shattered blackened stone walls OF
the hamlet of Zagora, the commander
advised: "Stoop low, now, and run
quietly When you reach our front
line, don't talk, don't even whisper. .
The Austrians will hear you and /
begin an attack, thinking we our
selves are about to start one
The party halted near the walls OF
what once had been huge country
Kitchen, built under the lower side
Of house, facing toward the noun
tain top. Within stood men against
the wall with rifles in their hands
peeping out little aperatures. On the
other side of this wall. not two feet
away, stood silent enemy watchers,
always ready to fire. The place might
have been tomb, 80 silent were its
occupants. The only sound came
from the floor. where men were
sleeping with their faces covered
with blankets to deaden their snores.
This place OF Zagora. with It's
silence fraught with expectant dan
ger, was more impressive than any
open field filled with the shrek of
bursting shells. The party crept from
this silent corner through dark tun-
neled ways and zig-zagged about
other ruined foundation walls, where
other soldiers stood, and on, down a
line, until the Austrian trenches
could be seen through maze of
barbed wire defenses.
An officer pointed to the barbed
wire and said: 1--WE are on such
intimate relations with the Austrians
That we and they use the same