Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-02-24
Gas NIGHTMARE OF TRENCHES
Former Williams College PrOfes.
sor Describes Horrors.
Most McrciIess War in History-NO
Truce Allowed Even for Burial Of
Dcad--wcunded Die after Days
of Agony,

The horrors and fluctuations OF life in
thc trenches are wildly depleted in let
ter written from Champagne to Profess
sor Weston, of Williams College, by j.
Norton Cru, once professor OF French at
the same institution, who is serving as
q sergeant in the French army. I'm
molested and uudisturbed Professor Cru
scrubbed the epistle in an underground
passage while the encmys big shells ex-
ploded above.
Gas is the only thing that is really
feared in the trenches, according to Mr.
Cru. and the forces are kept busily en-
gagged combating gas attack. The war
is characterized by him as 'The most
mcrciess In history" No truce, even
for the burial of the dead, is allowed
and consequently innumerable corpses
are rotting they fell months ago in
mo mans land" Extreme difficulty is
experienced in producing sufficient guam
titles OF water When ground is won
from the enemy this difficulty is in
creased because the Germans, knowing
the exact locality of the water pumps
keep firing salvos of shrapnel all around
them. AS told by Mr. Cru, the soldiers
because of the scarcity OF water do not
great peril being used for making cof-
fee. one cup of which is at times allow
ed a man
The letter is as follows.
"T am writing you by the flickering
Hight OF Il candle end, seated IN a red
velvet armchair dragged out of some
ruined house It is broad daylight above,
but ] am in kind of tunnel in the
hnx - bc ovfh lob iu
gained by a series OF stairs lead
ing down from the trenches. This tunnel
Is wide enough TO accommodate on
each side of central passage a. series
Of hunks one above the other, ship
fashion, and some Of us are lucky
enough 10 have straw mattresses. And
FL. away down underground, am
writing TRANQUILITY. while big shells are
bursting up above.
In this vast plain we have little fear
OF attacks, for it would take time to
cross the intervening space between the
lines, and our artillery would have
plenty of time to act effectively against
the assailantS. On the other hand, the
plain is very favorable for the use of
gas, and this Is the only thing we fear;
consequently. we are busy protecting
JILL belNoS dHaIHst SdS htEASkS. hf1u we
have now found many ways Of combat
ing this treacherpus method of fight
ing.
I'VE live as though hygiene had never
been invented l must say that n man
thinks little of germs when he is bonn
barded with big shells, and he eats with
appetite, although much dirt has fallen
in the soup from the narrow sides Of the
trenchlike lanes that lead from the kitch-
ems. a mile or two in the rear. up 10 the
firing line. Sometimes water has to be
fetched from a pump after a long jour-
+ through winding trenches; some
u. 8 when the ground has been won
from the enemy he knows where the
pump is and keeps firing salvos of shrap-
mel all around It,
Now. Champagne is very dry Ono pun
tntended), and We experienced lately the
scarcity OF water and the decided objec-
tons the Germans had to our approach
ing the pumps. We went unwashed for
two weeks. tho little water we got at
peril OF life being used to make coffee,
inst one cup day for zach man. Some
times when / come to think of it can't