The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-04-14
BALKED BY MIRAGE
British Artillery Has Queer Trou-
BILE In Arabia.
Evslutions Of Trooes Are obseurs<E--
See infantry Like Trees Moving
and Think Them a Trans.
port Train.

shelkh Saad. Arabia. The ground
between the Tigris river and the hills
was the scene OF the battle OF Sheikh
Saad The land In maliciouSly and
fanatlcslly sterile. Even the agoon
and the kharnoog come TO an end II
was over this ruity ground that the
transport wagons bumped and iolted
with their freight OF wounded on the
evening OF January Z.
II was evening when our steamer
moored near the battlefield We went
cut 10 meet them as they streamed In
over the mud -colored fat. and gave
what aid we could Many we're walk
ing very erect, some OF them with the
stiffness OF effort These were the less
serious cases The stretchers and
transport wagons came In later. One
was struck with tho hardness and
stoiclsm OF the British and Indian
alike.
Beg your pardon. sir, says brit
ish private; can you tell me where
the ambulance Isf" and he deprecates
the support OF my shoulder. though his
calf Ia bandaged and II Is painful for
him to put his left foot to the ground.
Il am all right. str. It's nothing seri'
Gus"
Ito lifts W his shirt and points to a
puncture In his stomach. His face is
bloody and bandaged.
II Is nothing" he explains; took
on a BIT OF my gums"
liz will not rest, but moves on to
.x,sa;t!a sha.'d.c:agt Red t,sosa eaE And
the tunnels OF the steamer on the riv'
e. Here at least should be rest. warm
tea and comforts for his wounds. But
IN Mcsopotamia II Is a far cry 10 the
smooth motor amhulances OF France,
the rapid transit to the hospital, where
an hour or two after he has received
hrst aid doctors and nurses are ready
with every saving device that science
can provide.
We have heard tho guns overnight
and again In the morning as our pad
die steamer with its attendant light
ers forged UP stream. Tho first shell
disturbed flight Of sand grouse which
came wheeling across the river In such
myriads that We who were watching
from the roof OF the bridge forgot tho
shells and turned our glasses ON the
blrds-a skeIn OF plumage half a mile
long tying itself up In loops in the
most complicated eyolutions, tho van
suddenly wheeling around. while tho
roar, an opposite point, then converged
In hoop They were dark at one
turn, silyery the next as tho sun
caught their undersIngs through the
black smoke OF monitor.
The evolutions OF our troops on
land were obscurod by the mirage. We
saw infantry like trees moving. and
thought them a transport train. Other
masses, which could DO nothing but
artillery crossed tho pontoon bridge
ahead OF us from the right bank to the
left, Tho mirage does not affect the
atmosphere at tho height OF a bursting
shell, we could see the shrapncl smoke
unfolding two or three miles from tho
bank. and wondered n II were Turkish |
artillery or our own Smelling their |
advance posts" was tho general yer.
diet II was not until later that we
realized that the whole force was at |
grips with the enemy; and II was not |
until we moored and met thu converg
ing stream coming In from the |
trenches that wo realized how costly |
the day had been. The guns We had |
heard had played but q small part in |
Tho action. for the mirage had made
artillery preparation for our advance
Intellectual, and the bulk Of our casual
ties on both banks OF the stream had |
occurred In frontal attacks on the en-.
smys position.
AZ write va are moving on 10 at
tack q new position. and II 10 not the
momcnt yet for q detailed account OF
the action,