The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-07-01

satisfactorily.
ION the remainder of the British
front raidinS parties again succeed
ed in penetrating the enemy's de-
lenses at many points. fnf1ctin&
loss on the enemy aEld taking some
prisoners"
LONDON. July AFTER weeks Of
intense bon1bardment with guns OF
every caliber firing a million shells
daily, the British early this morning
launched a general offensive against
twenty miles north Of the river
Somme. They succeeded in taking
the German fronE line trenches and
capturing many men
The reach on the British right CO
operated In the attack When the
last dispatches received thus far left
British headquarters fighting was
cesses- it was reported, were being
recorded
Long Planned
The front selected for the British
offensive was decided on many
months ago and the bombarduent OF
the lines as well as the frequent
raids which procured important in
formation as to the disposition Of the
Germans was designed to keep the
German generals uncertain as to the
point at which they would be called
upon to meet the brunt of the ac-
tack.
This is the first time since the OUT
break of the war that the intention
of an army to undertake an offensive
has been SC well advertised A week
ago when the German attacks against
Verdun began to make further head
way and il was feared the army Of
the crown prince was getting within
a distance of Verdun which was dan
gerouS for the Allies, the British
guns began to speak. Since then eS-
cept for the hour when British in
fantrymen were raiding German
trenches u continual bombardment
has been maintained
Defenses Smashed
Batteries which are now innurner-
able took turns at smashing the Ger
man defenses. destroying comnunf-
cation trenches and blowing up am
munition depots- New trench NOR
tars particularly destructive tore
away wire entanglements, broke
down parapets and generally opened
the way for men with rifles and bay
onets. Big guns of fifteen inches and
other large caHbers prevented the
Germans from bringing up support,
Erecldng everything within range
The artillery fire was particularly
intense on stretch OF the front north
of the Somme and earlier dispatches
told of the destruction of the towns of
Thiepval and BeaUcourt where the
Germans concentrated ammunition
Early this morning more guns were
brought into action on this twenty
mile sector and for an hour and a
half the Germans were subjected to
bombardment which is described as
the dercest experienced in this war OF
heavy artillery
News Causes Excitement
The news of the British offensive,
which was quickly circulated in Lon
don. created the greatest enthusiasm
and details of the battles are being
anxfously awaited Only this morn
Ing the correspondent at the front Tor
British newspapers, while writing OF
the British artillery and raidtng sue
cesses, warned the public that an ad-
vance must be made by infantry and
not by artillery and that the BIT
ish army could not expect to come
put of the engagement scath1ess- FIRST
accounts of the battle, however, state
that the British casualties were not
heavy
The news spread throughout Lon
don like wrdfre There was a fran
tic rush to obtain special editions OF
the evening newspapers
Along the Strand and other thor
ouGhfares there was turmoil OF ex-