New Britain herald., 1917-03-20

to Per0nne in the wake of the Eng lish troops, who have now swept we'll .heyond that place. It was necessary tc pass through half . score of ruined villages which only a few days ago were within the zone of ar- t2llery fire, before reaching the banks of the Somme. Crossing that stream on an improvised bridge and trudg- ing through Halle, Peronne was reached over a road which had been reconstructed within twenty-four hours over succeeding rows of 0er- man trenches and through recurring mazes of rusted barbed wire, some of these being at least six feet in height and fifty feet in width.
 In the outskirts of the city. Eng llsh Tommies were encountered wear ing German pickle helmets and gpinning from ear to ear. Tn the great square of Peronne. which Is surrounded by melancholy ruins. was the British lieutenant who led the first patrol into the city. He was mounted on 8 splendid little Ger man pony which he captured with it's full equipment. Several other offi- begged for the privilege of taking a
 
 prize of war.
 Buildings Blown Up.
 There was ghostly silence in most sections of the city. No sound of war was to be heard except once when prying German airplans scudded over in the shelter of the high heecy clouds and anti-aircraft guns opened. driving him to quick retreat. British officers pointed out building after building whore appar- entity the total. damage had resulted from interior explosions. Tn many cases walls facing away from the line Of British and French fro had great squares blown through them, difKer- ing strikingly from the round holes made in other buildings by shells.
 The beautiful old sixteenth cen tury church of St. Jean, was a pittful mass of ruins, but it's oil paintings still hung on a bit of wall In the tran- sept and was miraculouSly un- touched. The statue of Catherine Devoix, which had adorned the great square. had been taken away by the Germans and a gaudily clad dummy left in its stead.
 The rail station was. completely wrecked. including the tracks and bridges German signs had oeen substituted throughout the ytation and on . bulletin board w1s . :ime table for trains from IAlls. Munich and other points within tho German lines. The Germans left many ,elics behind to show their occupa- ion of the French military barracks. Tn some of the rooms Christmas trees, ! 6nN0 ~ 0vSf ' Itanding. It was strange to 1lnd In | Iome of the shattered and partly | turned house remnants of children's | oys. rude doll carriages and sbits of | lolls themselves. These toys. had | ,een left behind with all other house l lold belongings when the French. in- sabitants first lied before the German l In some of the flner rssi- fences the libraries had ,.heSn | the books torn to pieces and | in the streets.
 Treacheeous Foot Brid9ee.
 The Germans left foot bridges lcross the Somme which were ap- |, intact but further examina- T ion showed that false sections had ,een inserted which gave way at tho irst foot pressure. The correspon- lent, investigating one of these bridges too closely. had an icy bath n the Somme. On the blank walls of he city there were many printed to the soldiers in- .luding the entire text of some of Chancellor Won Bethmann Hollweg's | atest speeches in the Reichsttag.
 At a chateau just outside Peronne he Germans had killed two unagpies | and stuck them on the sharp points of iron posts at either gide of tho | entrance. 1T suppose that signifies some German curse or sign of bA4 uclk.'' said British subaltsrn n h6 went whistling gaily on his way to I Ind. ss he said. where the war had | taken itself off to-