El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-03

as the Tommies call il. The order is
I given for the cars to proceed on their
way singly that we may not offer too
! tempting a target to the German bat
teries, whose scouting airplanes are
soaring overhead, lodging hither and
thither among the British machines.
I The air is full of shrapnel, exploding
thousands OF feet above us.
Luck favOrs US and we arrive at the
( entrance to Ypres without any mishap.
The cars are concealed from view as
well as possible and we begin our walk
through the city. once one Of the
I glories Of Flanders. now a heap of tot
! ering ruins. deserted by all but n few
English soldiers who walk about un-
concernedly.
Germans shell Npres.
We know that the Germans, for
what reason is unknown, are still
throwing shells in to Ypres every day
and we hope that we may have a
chance to watch some Of them falling
without actually being hurt.
Past the water tower We Walk -and
along the main street. Nobody speaks
a word, for the sight of these hundreds
of ruined homes silences us. Here and
there a piece of furniture is still stand
ing on a floor. the end of which hangs
unsupported IN space, but most of the
houses are only heaps of brick and
plaster.
At the end OF the street we get our
first glimpse of the cathedral with its
remnant of a tower standing next to
the dilapidated ruins of the Cloth Hail,
of which only the entrance gate re-
mains, n to the left of it on a cor
ner Of wall still standing. a bit Of one
OF the famous old frescoes.
AirPIane Shells Town.
Suddenly we notice directly above
our heads a German airplane. glitter
ing white in the brilliant sunlight. and
almost Hf tho eurrn. rnau,a,#- III. -,,-
begin booming quite close by. and
white clouds Of shrapnel burst around
the hostile machine.
Hurry up, gentlemen. and get under
cover, cries one of the staff officers,
and we are taken into a s"ubterranean
Ndulted cellar, Just as a violent eX-
plosion makes the walls tremble.
inc oiilcer explains that the air
plane rs i'm wireless communication with
me German lines beyond the city and
the presence of our rather large uni-
formed party, is detected by the air
plane, might at any moment draw
fire.
We remain underground for perhaps
half an hour, then hurry back to our
cars. and are Whisked away at ton
speed towards a hill some distance
away, Just as shells are beginning to
fall ON Hpres.
Watching Two Armics Battle.
FROM the top Of the hill we have a
magnificent view of the two opposing
litutu IlIleS some 10 miles in length.
me We have barely made ourselves as
invisible as possible when word comes
that a British bombardment of the
German lines has Sbeen ordered.
The English guns. so well concealed
that at times we have passed within a
few yards without discovering them.
now raise their voices. In scores of
places below us there are sharp flashes
OF fire, visible even In the strong sun
light. followed BY the now familiar
barking Of the eighteen FOUNDERS. A
few seconds later duh explosions are
heard in the distance.
Through the glasses we see columns
Of yellowish dirt thrown into the air
along the German lines, and men run
ming hither and thither like ants. 1t
is evident that the shelling is causing
great havoc.
The German guns are replying rather
feebly. evidently unable to locate the
British u positions. but they keep
up a desultory bOmbardment Of Ypres
and a rather lively Smelling of a VIII
lage ON our right. without causing any
damage. as there are no troops or
stores I'm the place