Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1916-09-16
Big GUNS SWELL
FROM AWFUL HEAT
Rapid Rate of Firing on Somme
Causes Expansion of
the Metal.
MUST STOP TO COOL Off
Nuts and Various Small Parts of Guns
Fly in Faces Of Gunners Owing
to Terrific Strain Of Con-
slant Firing.

London.-1'he following letter re-
ceiyed at the bone Of Driver w. J.
Eide Of the British Royal Field artil-
lery is graphic description Of his ex-
perience in the great push" Mr.
Eadie was London business man be-
fore joining the army:
you start from village about four
kllometers In the rear on a fine summer
night The noise is terrific as you
ride along batteries all round you are
firing salvos; shells from the heavy
batteries and siege guns behind you,
hurting through the air overhead, go
Toafiug along on their way to the
German lines Ahead of you star
shells may be seen going up merrlly
into the night air to float gracefully
down and then 20 out.
Great clouds Of smoke hanging
over the trenches; our shells bursting
on top Of the German position red
rockets going up from the German in
fantry asking their artillery for more
support lin vain, however , and.
above all, the Ceaseless rattle of the
machine guns. All combine to make a
perfect inferno Of flame and sound.
Last, but not least. while YOU see
and hear all this. you have a consid-
erabie amount Of attention paid you
by German Shclls--the shrnpneI burst
ing with its peculiar and wicked
whine, and the tcar shells which. III
You don't get your mask on quickly,
produce such an unpleasant effect ON
your eyes. This gas, by the way.
smells very much like strong mustard
and cress.
You have the satisfaction. however.
~ knowing that, for every she'll that
comes, we let about 100 per cent back
I'm return. believing as We do that Ills
better far to give than to receive" our
airmen have brought down an the
Fnemys spoilers or 'Suusages.' while
ours can be seen floating in the air all
along The line.
In Constant Stream.
Al last. the day dawncd and. after
an early cup of tea. we started TO dis
patch few more specimens of Eng
fish metal into the enemy lines.
For 81 couple of hours. We (as we'll
as every other hnttery in the line)
poured ii ceaSeleSs stream Of metal
upon the poor 'bllghters' waiting for
our infantry attach In the gun pits.
stripped To the waist. with sweat run
Ming down us and covered with oil and
dirt we do some record firing.
Deaf owing TO the terrific noise
and conclusion; smaEting eyes where
lachrymotory gas had penetrated I'M
der our masks strained faces due to
lack of sleep, hut wthnl. look of
satisfaction ON every face
I'VE get the signal to pause for a
minute rs the infantry is going over
the top The London Terriers U.oudon
Scots, Rifle brigade etc). who were
IN front ot us. went steadily across.
ana in exactly 30 minutes from the
time Of starting had penetrated the
euemy'S fourth line of trenches
AS they got nearer the German
lines the latter rushed out aud threw
up their hands, but on the Terriers
went to the next trench. though not
without bestowlng a kick on the ten
Ter part Of the 'hlighter'@ anatomy.
tenvlng them for those who followed.
eve start firing again ut a longer
range and work like demons MS our
range gradually creeps up and the
fuses are heightened accordingly for
we know our men are going ou rapidly.
We set up cheer when we know they
tad reached the fourth line Of
trenches.
AT one time we reached such a
rapid rate of firing that water had to