The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-08-15
= SOLDIERS SLEEP
In Comparative Comfort Underground
Even While German Shells Fall
Above Then.

Even While German Smells
Above Then.
ASSOCIATED Press)
French Front, August 15-Dozens
Of division of the French army now
sleep underground in comparative
comfort, even in the front lines when
the Germans are hurting tens Of thou
sands Of shells on the ground above
them, thanks to the work Of the COM
panies Of excavators formed since the
beginning Of the war. The men chos-
en- to construct these shelters, which
have preserved so many thousands Of
lives, are soldiers whose age varies
between forty-fve and fifty and who
would have been unfit to take part in
the active operations Of modern bat
ties where quickness of movement
and litheness Of limb r absolute
necessities. No matter what the ma
ture of the soil, whether hard rock,
quicksand, chalk or marshy land, these
veterans have overcome all the diff
and have succeeded in con-
structing formidable bomb-proof shell
tiers all along the line Of the front frsm
the North Sea to the Swiss frontier
until at the'present moment any fight
ing unit arriving At almost any part
Of the line finds q habitable dug-out
awaiting it.
The correspondent Of The Associat-
ed Press has seen and been inside doz-
ems Of these subterranean cities-for
such they may be termed-at many
places land, even where all the natural
conditions are difficult, has found the
shelters commodious, well-drained and
well-ventilated. In some cases a bat
TALON finds accommodation in a sin
gle shelter, and each man lodged in it
is provided with a simple bed consist
ing Of a wire-netting foundation sup
ported by wooden uprights. On this
the soldier lays his regulation bundle
of straw and, covering himself with
his army blanket and great coat, can
sleep with freedom from anxiety as to
any b%ombardment in progress outside.
The shelters are provided generally
with electric light or acetylene lamps,
sanitary conveniences, and, in some
cases, with complete shower baths.
First aid posts and dressing sta
lions with all modern surgical appli-
ances are also to hand, 81 that the
surgeon attached to the unit may at
tend immediately to any wounded men
brought in from the nearby battle.
field.
! So we'll are the shelters protected
from the view of the enemy that, al
though in many instances the under
ground lodging covers an area Of g.
900 square yards, not once in the
course Of the past year has n of
them been destroyed by the enemy's
fire. They have many exits, the plan
being to provide n for each section
or quarter company, so that in case
n exit should be hit and blocked, the
men inside may escape through anoth-
er opening.
At the beginning Of the war the SOL
diers actually in the fighting line made
their own shelters, which were just
holes dug in the ground and covered
with tree trunks and earth and afford
ing very little protection besides TAX
ing up much of the time Of the soldiers
and costing very much labor and
money for transporting the necessary
timber.
1t was then decided to utilize the
older classes Of the reserve of the ter
ritorial army who had been called to
the colors and who, despite their pre-
|vious military training, had been found
unable to bear the strain Of campaign
ing. Several companies Of them were
formed and they were first given the
task of constructing shelters in the
Somme district and around Verdun
Their officers were chosen from the
engineer corps and from n,en who in
civil life we're engaged in similar un.
dertakings, such as builders and MIN.
ers. Most Of the men were peasants
used to digging in the fields and their
work was very satisfactory, but this
kind Of excavating work was different
and they suffered considerably from
the unusual motion Of having to throw
the earth upward, or wheeling it ir
barrows up steep inclines.
One Of the officers overcome this
trying difficulty by i~nventing an ap'
paratus for carrying loosened earth
or rock to the surface by use Of cleo
trio power. By this arrangement two
men can do the work formerly done
by ten. When the earth has reached
the surface II falls into barrows ant
is wheeled away along the level and
distributed about in such 4 manner al
not to attract the attention Of the en-.
emy's airmen always flying abott thu
lines to observe what Is going on In
the opposing position.
Special army saw-mills have beer
started to provide the props ant
, planking for the shelters and every.
, thing is done at minimum cost.