The Hartford republican., 1916-03-10

1
short time ago word was received
from the medical division to be ready
for an attack. The soldiers seeing
the ambulances' now know the time
has arrived.
And then 1t breaks. Somewhere
near by there is deafening explo-
sion. 1t makes some Of the men
crouch for an instant with the
thought of an exploading shell at
close quarters. There are three
quick repetitions and French
seventy-five battery concealed on the
other side of the houses begins to
shoot death at the Germans in their
trenches over the hill
Its sound is Immediately lost in
the roar that now bursts upon their
ears, and 1t seems as though the
drums must break. The world itself
seems to be breaking apart.
1t is a fearsome din. The surroun-
ding hills roar and resound with the
crash of mighty guns and the sky Of
the gathering night is filled with the
continuous flashes. Guns of every
kind now shoot death from every
corner, the fields around the town
are full of them, it seems. The
place shakes.
Over on the hill the shells break
with glare of flashes. 1t is strange
that men can live there in the midst
of the clashes and the thousands of
mangling grenades tossed from
trench to trench. There is nothing
individual now. Everything is lost
in the terrific thunder, the horrible,
pounding, swish, roar, tear and shrek
that blends into a great pulse beat
ing swift and regularly like the work.
ing of some vast supernatural ma
chine of imagination.
1t pounds on the ears, eyes, face;
everything shoots through the head
and benumbs the senses. The SOL
diers standing around awaiting or
ders feel sort of elation, a mighty
sense Of protection, as the roar OF
the guns continues.
Evening comes on and the bonn
bardment goes on. The Germans re-
ply to the fire and try to exterminate
the men in the first trenches, know
ing that hundreds are gathered there
ready to spring out at the finish of
the bombardment. Come orders for
more men to fill the places of those
splattered out of existence.
The road now as far back as the
eye can reach is packed with troops
on the march up. There are wagons
of every description, numbering mo-
tor trucks jog by, staff cars filled with
officers rush past, motorcycles and
the iron wheeled ammunition trans
ports rushing up more shells to the
batteries skid along behind long
teams of painting mad steeds dashing
along with the fury of over-exertion.
To prevent the supplies from reach
ing their destinations German guns
now spout death over every part OF
cars crouch low as shells burst about
them. IN turn they answer calls
that begin to come in, picking up
wounded here and there and rushing
hack to the dressing station. The
wounded from the trenches have not
yet been trought down. Tas fire IL
100 hot.
Night comes on and still the bonn
ha-dmenr continues. The as sad
denl.y os j. began It stops. A stray
r"s .unding report here and there fol.
lowed by the muffled explosions of
the shells bursting on the hill and
for few breathless seconds there is
no sound. One catches ones breath
from trying to listen.
Then through the heavy, choking
air comes a new blast of sound, sharp
countless reports of bursting gren-
ades and a din as of thousands Of
ticktacks. German rifles and scores
of machine guns wither away the
French ranks as the crack men of the
Iron division spring from the first
line and with the bayonets fixed on |
their rifles charge across.
The distance is interminably long, |
seventy yards perhaps, and it seems
as though it can never be covered.
They fall in heaps, while those behind |
stumble on and also fall. Their dis
torted and yet eXpressionless faces
are horrible to see in the greenish
glare of the score of rockets. These
are the men from Paris and Lorraine.
the best soldiers in France, doctors,
lawyers, school teachers.
The French artillery again opens
up. 1t is mostly the .75 guns now,
because accurate range is imperative, !
In efforts to finish the men at the
machine guns in the German trenches
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