The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-01-13
BURIED ALIVE BY
A BRITISH SHELL
Wounded German Officer De-
sCrIbes Awful Plight.
PINNED DOWN IN DUGOUT.

Almost Entire Company That Occupied
Rombproof Trench Wiped Out by
One Missile--Picturc of Horror Greet
cd Few Survivors Who Saw Com
/ panions Buried.
Some frank tributes TO the efficacy of
the British artillery in Flanders are
| paid by a wounded German officer in
| the course OF narrative published In
| German newspapers received here,
says the Pail Mall Gazette. The writ
or appears TO have been in command
of company In the enemy trenches
before Ypres. and he mentions that for
three days his men have hardly had
any sleep.
1.-THE English" he says. ARE sending
us along explosive shells. shrapnel and
mines In motley succession. and today
the English shells have been dropping
better than before in our trenches and
dugouts.
II gave the order Half the party
stand; the other half lie down with
bayonets fixed beside you, and l seat
ed myself In the last dugout that could
be found. 1t was battery observa-
ton post with two officers. noncom-
mlssioned officer and telephone oper-
ator. | sat down on the earth with
them and awaited events.
Fire Was Accurate.
Hardly had we crept under when
the first shell arrived. With a WOO
ee-ee-ee-craal- boomr it burst close to
us. Dirt. pieces of iron, stones and all
kinds of scraps few around us and
among them full tin of English pre-
served meat a glance showed me
that the shell had burst in a British
trench close at hand which the Eng
fish had been careful to evacuate dur.
ing their artillery fire because Of the
danger. and the explosion had blown
the tin over to us.
"The second shell burst considerably |
closer. First shot good; second might
have been a bit shorter reported Lieu |
tenant X. from his battery observation
post
1.-THE third British shell whistles
along toward us. near indeed. The
English are shooting devilish well to-
day. Silent and grave, our men lie
down on the ground. Nobody moves
from his place.
Another shell falls in our immediate
neighborhood. and a column of dirt and
shell fragments spurts into the air.
Things are getting more and more I'M
Lieutenant l.. opines that
was devilish near. though
Shell Destroys Dugout.
THE telephone again talks. Battery
lsking how the last shots were placed
First shot placed The reply is sud
ienly broken off. for at this moment
,omes a stunning crash and then the
ilence of death. A moment of uncon
ciousness follows; we can see and hear
lothing. and the darkness of night is
bout us. We are buried! Despairing
houts of Help. helpn go round
"A shell has fallen right on our dug
ut and destroyed it. was stuck fast.
yer the head in sand. hardly able to
pen my eyes and unable to shout.
With toll | craned Ey neck up a
title. and then. right opposite me,
aw veery feeble glimmer of light.
'ieces of timber and iron rails were S
wing GA my body. | tried to lift my 9
elf up bit more. but sand fell on me q
gain. AT last | managed to free my b
cad. q
"a picture of horror greeted me. {
Wounded men were lying amid sand /.
nd wreckage-groans of agony OF bur- e
ID and wounded companions.
1.-THE direct hit of the shell had COM b
letely destroyed our bomb proof dug a
ut. The noncommissioned officer had Q
cen killed and the two artillery Off G.
RS severely wounded. 1t was the most n
,arful of all my experiences in this r,
ar" b