Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-07-07
Stories of the War



It is no easy thing walking t77rorqrn
the front trenches saws a visitor to
rf7e French lines They have tried to
floo7, them to keen tho men raised ont
of tha Sficv, c1av r2n+ +be floor is of
round s9nlfngs 9b017+ the thickness of
+e1agranI7 rCiee Iafd sfFa nv gilia max
ms. a bunny surface II is all r,igh4
for +ha ,,oi1J7 i'm T7is wooden ssIg0+s
I21l+ f7r = riy-i7fa77 if is fiI-a eoing over
railroad ties And besides there is the
zig-zag for the trenches r11rn sharply
rI-ar-z- tvz-eI7+z- faaF Ana rba Width Of
these CLAW walls is no greater +n9D
fO1I7. fapt-r7711rh Hike eycaz,a+iOns one
secs i'm the e+gea+ fo7, a saver ar eras
main F-7rerZ- }7uTd,na feat t7a z-isi-
tors head strikes one of the heavy
timber bridges thrown across the
trenches
see how this works said a Young
officer commauding this section Of
trench as he nOinTed to a chevparyz-
de-fYisa balanced above the trench
ready 10 dr0D and bar all progress
should the German break through. A
long wire ran ayvav to n DOint of OBJ
serva+i01
CLOSE the french - shor+ad the
Young officer. and the cheveaux-de-
frise came tunbIing down. fitting ex-
aCtly across the trench. and immOv-
able in lis barrier of twisted wire.
Every few feet the CLAW wall OF the
trench showed a large black 5OIe-rha
entrance to the sllbt errappar Dite
where the men sIeer and eat and live.
General Hellouin wanted the party to
see evervthing-the real living COndi-
ton of the Tneu-so down one of these
black holes the guests went Soon
the DAYLIGHT dfsaDpeared and there
was darkness of a tunnel and the
damp earthly smell of being under
aroItn7 T7Lara TTae q ali foT5 candles
and +7cn sr57a,7Izr This cavern v,ra :
CURRENT was +rIrned on for the cen
eraJ and his uar+v Now +be men
could be seen MAINLY. some in the
narrow hunks ranged AGAINST the CLAW
walls, others at a table with a Ian
tern. Al the further, end was q small
teT,s of Inc officer cnr7n7andi77q~ +7e
french Ea had mn I'M T,ho+o9ra nh :
on +Ta o1aTr eiC7ae one IF tr1aT77 = 10
lure of General Joffre and his LITTLE
| table had several hooks and +rfnlzefs
III is MOI So had " he said With
nride as he showed his +binos and
| If is verv practical and even com
Portable when Won GET 17sa1 IN it,
A telephone stood handy to the
| con7nanfp1. # the section and the
! teIeDhOnc wire creased in a wire
v-C41Dd Y171Fo1, hose ro7716 he sHer
| leading off In ali +La rarnifications OF
| the trench DnY-r1i+tfnor the commander
/ tn oon1noITniosi+a With anz- mart of his
| section. II was a. ffghfing section
| and fine commander noin+p5 out his
noiIus coming ana going to- the guns
/ Two hours is tbe Allotted time f0r, a
| man to work The eurE under fire Their
| an0tI7nr man takes his Mace and +her
| another with as much regularity as
! the force and then urgenctes of the
| fightine- permit
| A SQUAD of these men. in a trench
| battery. were manoeuvring their guns
so as to GET a GOOD aim. The Opening
! tf77Oueh which the rouzzIe of the g1IT
nroiected vas orIv five inches wide
! sr-eeniDg +bn faId cast and vvas+
! S+ooI 1rSiIs bod bae,, IItiiizad for t17e
/ n,,ofactiT[a aI,57oy and tLa muzzIa ri
| he onl SWINE ha+T+na7 an miner anf
! IoTIraT 1-aiI Of Stool The nft was low
! r,aCTirinar ne men +o bend double and
! increasiTp tI7e ,rrearinpss of their task
| There We're hundreds of these guns al
| intervals earh Giving off IFS bark AND
! adGinG to +ba c9rnage and devastation
! abead
In = baa1zi11v x,,oodad 7-avine s+co1
! ono of +Lo 11iG GINS inactive FOR t1oe
! moment ana 2oVerad with tarpauiin
| Danse ebTIir1be1,v in front and above
Kent the niaces screened from the OBJ.
$50 +iDI, F oTaT1,v fieId gJassas n,