The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-07-20
THE TRAGEDIES OF WAR.
Viewed by Writer on Visit to |er'
dun.

Stl army corps lying OA 'No
flank of the army before Verdun, LED
the way to a high elevation "hlch
commanded a sweep of the vast war
panorama German trenches
plainly visible only six hundred yards
away; to the right the historic town
of Varenne, torn to pieces, and the
famous house in which Louis XVI
and Marie Antoinette sought refuge
from the Terror, a mass of ruins; FUR
ther on another town wiped of the
map so that not even ruins appeared
above the level sand, and through
the vista of trees the outlying de-
fences of old Verdun-Avacourt, Har-
court, Mort-Homme, Chattancourt-
midway between Verdun and the
point where the party stood, outlined
dimly through the mist and curtain
of smoke.
A terrific bombardment was in
progress and the crash of shells and
whiz of bullets echoed all along the
front, and on to the Verdun hills,
where the battle was at it's height.
But for this terrific din there was no
sign of movement or activity, no hur-
rying troops, no clash of battle lines
only a vast battlefield of green
hills and devastated towns, with
now and then a puff of smoke from
some hidden battery and the ever
lasting din of giant weapons racking
the ears.
sThat's melanite SHE'LL" said Gen.
Hellouin, as crash more terrible
than the rest fairly rent the air.
The commanding general turned
to M. Painleve, a member of the
BRAND ministry, and to the Associat-
ed Press representative who was
privileged to accompany this notable
party.
Surveying the Scene.
stCome up here,'' said the general
"and get a good survey of the scene"
And climbing to this point of van
tage the party looked out on one
point after another designated by
Gen. Hellouin as those on which the
ravages of war had fallen heaviest.
.sSee that sandy hill," said the
general, pointing to barren crest of
yellow sand. ''Who would ever
think that was the site of a good
sized town only a short time ago? 1t
had solid stone houses and stone
church with double towers of stone,
and seven hundred people living a
peaceful and prosperous village life.
And look at it-not thing remains,
not even ruins. No, it is blotted out
of existence. First the houses and
church were bombarded into ruins;
then the ruins were bombarded into
dust, until-well, look at it, as fiat
as the desert of Sahara, and not a
mound to indicate that hundreds of
people lived there only recently
The party were grouped around
the general, speaking in whispers,
for just over there were the German
gunners few hundred feet away, on
the alert for any voice or movement
giving them opportunity for shot.
Carefully the general and M. Pain
leve looked through the foliage
screening the high parapet, their
heads protected by steel helmets.
Doesn't Fear Bullets.
Apparently the Germans had di-
vined the presence of party, or had
heard the low voices. For suddenly
the line of clay trenches Immediately
opposite, which had been silent until
now, burst into sheet of white
smoke as the guns were trained on
the point where the party stood: Gen.
Hellouin was undisturbed amid the
whiz of shells, until two staff officers,
urging the risk of his exposed posi-
ton, induced him and NJ. Painleve to
seek the security of the trench.
The start to the trenches had been
made at daylight. The route lay
through a number of small villages,
one of them torn to pieces by a bonn
bardment, with only Jagged stone
walls and chimneys standing gauntly
along the road. Long lines of trucks,
looking like 3'prairie schooners, :"
stretched for miles along the route,
and thousands of horses and mules
and carts were parked at close inter-
walls, all taking some part in this huge
task of keeping up the steady supply
of food, equipment and ammunition
for several million men.
The Argonne forest was entered
about 9 o'clock, with Gen. Hellouin
leading the way with NJ. Painleve.
Here and there great trees had beeen
splintered by shell fire, and one giant