The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1916-09-15
RAPID Rate Of Firing on Somme
Causes Expansion of
the Metal.
MUST STOP TO COOL OFF
Nsss end Various Small Parts Of Gun.
F'y IL Faess Of Gunners owina
- Terrific Strain Of Con.
slant Firing.

AA0ooo-@Ihe following letter re-
eeaved At the home Of Driver W. ].
Edle Of the British Royal Field artil.
iery Ia . graphic description of his ex.
perience In the great push" Mr..
6adie was Q London business man he
fore Joining the army:
You start from . village about four
niometers In the rear on a fine summer
night The noise Is terrific AZ you
noe along; batteries all round you are
nrins salvos; shells from the heavy
batteries and siege guns behind Won
nurtiins through the air overhead. 90
roaring along on their way to the
German lines. Ahead Of you star
smells may be seen going up merrily
into the night air, to float gracefully
down and then 60 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 Tin vain. howeverO and.
ABOVE all. the ceaseless rattle Of the
machine guns. All combine to make q
perfect Inferno Of flame and sound.
Last. but not least, while you see
and hear all this. you have a consid-
cradle amount of attention paid you
oy German shells-the shrapnel burst
Ing with Its peculiar and wicked
whine. and the tear shells which. II
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,
Of knowing that, for every shell thnt
comes. we let about 100 per cent bnck
in return. believing as we do that ''Tls
better far to give than to receive = Our
atrmen have brought down all the
enemy's 'spotters,' or 'sausages,' while
ours can be seen floating in the air all
along the line.
In Constant Stream.
AT last. the day dawned and after
an early cup Of tea. we started to dis
patch a few more specimens Of Eng
fish metal into the enemy lines.
"For a couple Of hours, we Gas well
as every other battery In the line)
poured ceaseless stream of metal
upon the poor 'blighters' waiting for
our infantry attack. In the gun pits,
stripped to the waist. with sweat rum
ming down us and covered with oil and
dirt. We do some record firing.
Deaf. owing to the terrific noise
and cOncussiOn: smarting eyes where
lachrymatory gas had penetrated un-
der our masks. strained faces due to
lack Of sleep; but. withal, look Of
satisfaction on every face.
I'VE get the signal to pause for a
minute. as the infantry Is going over
the top The London Terriers (London
Scots, Rifle brigade, etc.). who were
in front of us. went steadily across
and in exactly 80 minutes from the
time Of starting had penetrated the
enemy's fourth line Of trenches.
"As they got nearer the German
lines, the latter rushed out and threw
up their hands. but on the Terriers
went to the next trench. though not
without bestowing kick on the ten
der part Of the 'blighter's' anatomy,
leaving them for those who followed.
1--WE start firing again Mt longer
range, and work like demons rs our
range gradually creeps up, and the
fuses are heightened accordingly. for
we know our men are going on rapidly.
We set up cheer when we knew they
had reached the fourth line of
trenches.
AT one time we reached such a
rapid rate of firing that water had to