The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-02-23

ID over such ground mat the S0lulers
must p1od with backs bent under
loads Of materials required to main
tain the invlolability Of the first line;
no other means Of transportation is
possible.
| They reach their posts rs rule
ready 10 drop from exhaustion" an
| officer tells the Associated Press, "but
the smoking rata, as the trench slang
has named the rations. and hot cup
OF coffee, restore them quickly; In
different to swollen and blistered feet
they set to work under the heavy
rains. throwing up earth that has
caved In from the parapets, repairing
the FACET supports, ralslng the para
pets. with never a finch and never q
sign that their courage may have suf-
fered from those trying tramps
! through the mud"
There are parts OF the front where
it is possible for the men to carry to
1 the frigld trench primitive foot
warmer In the shape Of a stone heated
by a brasier at the quarters in the
rear; the heat endures long enough
to afford real comfort, but OF
course, the trench must be dry. For
other comforts the men must wait for
their turn TO go the rear.
A head ventures above parapet
and is greeted with n volley OF bullets;
the adversary replies and the fire In
tensils from both sides. All the men
at work drop their picks and shovels
for the rife and the iusillade becomes
general. The bomb singers join in
and generally the six-inch guns fol-
low. covering the lines with fragments
OF STEEL killing some men. woundlns
others, rupturing the barbed wire en-
tanglements and damaging the
trenches. That is the average inven-
tory OF day of the winter campaign
on the French front that the Official
dryly characterizes as calm 1t Is
going on every day all along the front
with constant wastage OF men In
killed and wounded.
."Our shells go no straighter, but
without question they do more damage
than those of the Germans said an
artillery officer to the Associated
Press. I'VE see il every day in block
houses torn to pieces and in ammunl-
ton stores blown up; We can't see oil
the execution our fire does to the
trenches. but we can guage it pretty
well from what we do see"
The principal havoc 10 the German
trenches and field furtifcations is the
work Of the six-inch shell. The three
inch shell is more effective against
troops. in defense, in pursuit, hut not
powerful enough to break through
trench Publications. At nightfall
after one Of those "calm" days OF the
official communicate, the men creep out
through the mud to stretch more
barbed wire where the lines have been
broken, to drive new stakes where
they have been wrenched out by shells.
Two Of the daily cares are the destruc-
ton and maintenance OF those lines.
To drive those pickets into the ground
II is necessary to pound them; each
stroke of the sledge hammer resounds
and draws a shot from the opposing
trench, twenty to 100 yards away;
the shot afterwards becomes a
fusjllade and often brings the first
and sometimes the second line into a
night attack.
"Our soldiers have developed the
instincts Of trapper," said an officer,
from living SC long in close contact
with the enemy they are able by i'm
perceptiblc signs to detect the stroke
in preparation by the adversary, or
a weakness that it Is necessary TO
put to profit without delay.
1.-THE trench is a daily school Of
bravery and heroic patience added
the officer. with no recess, but
little vacation every four days. "Se'
all that goes on but don't be seen,
that is the watchword all along thu
line; it is unquestionably the SAINT
on the other side Of the wire entangle
ments, for every rise OF ground that
gives vantage point Of observation
| is bitterly contested" The slightes
elevation occupied on one side oblige'
the adversary to burrow deeper int
the earth. AT some points the ad
versaries have renowned heights tina
have cost TOO much and have dug Il
on the slopes; they push out littl
listening or observation posts arme'
with machine guns, for the possession
or destruction Of which all imaginable
expedients are employed. At certail
points the listening post is within twI
yards Of the enemys trench, and II
come cases the two adversaries occup'
the same trench separated only by
barricade Of sacks of earth. The ten
sion there Is at the maximum in thu
Iincessant guard against surprise
1t is in such spots so many soldier
succumb or are blinded for life by tn
hand grenade. which. in hands become
expert by a years training have be
come more terrible engine OF wa
than ever before.
THE struggle never ceases thougl
It may not every day give copy TO
the communIque," said an officer 81
takes on all hitherto known and som
hitherto unknown methods. Each de
tachment makes war in the way II
which the lay of the ground and tn
position Of the troops impose \
Where barbed wire cant be used
. spiked defenses. called 'chevatix d.
frise, with sharp-pointed stakes o
steel sticking up to the height Of
man, are rolled over the parapet o
the trench. Where the lines are s
close artillery cannot be used agains
the adversary, the trench morta
called the crapouillot' comes int