Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-06-08
Six Hundred Tons Of Ex-
plOsives Touched OF at
Once, Starts Day
GERMANS THOUGHT DAY
OF JUDGEMENT HAD COME
Control Of the Air Largely
Responsible for Success
Sill Advancing
By William Philip simms.

Y
With the British Armies in the Field,
June Six thousand prisoners so far
counted is the score to date in the great
Flanders offensive.
So complete is the success with which
the drive was still progressing today
that British cavalry are in action.
Nothing could be cited as indicating
in more remarkable degree the complete
breaking of the tremendously strong
German trench lines than this calling
into the offensive Of these quick NOV
ing forces-only available in open fight
ing.
Great torn fields, huge burrows
ploughed as by some Brobdingnagian
farmer, tons of loan turned and churn-
ed into blackened dust-this was the
mark across Belgium s field today
where yesterday the British turned loose
every man-contrived engine of destrue-
tion to sweep forward in victory.
New Hell Pictures.
Dante would have found new hell pic
lures in the cataclysm which rent the
earth along this IL mile front from
Ypres to Armentieres yesterday morn
ing. A vast upheaval Of 600 tons ot
explosive was the beginning. Scattered
over miles of front and touched of
simultaneously, this vast force tore VI
the earth like a volcano. The country
trembled as though as in an earthquake
shock.
/ was standing on the massive top of
o dugout when this shock came. For
several seconds it felt as though the
whole earth had caved in. A minute
before the explosions the air was stag
nant. The concussion produced breeze
that twisted the branches of trees for
miles away. Great jagged forks OF
flames shot toward the sky like tongues
of lightning. Then began the artillery
roar, roar such as never before heard
on this or any other front. The bar
rage pattered ahead of the British
troops like hail of great steel stones
A storm of rcd rockets arose from the
darkness ahead as the Germans madly
signaled for help. A moment later white
rockets told that the British had swept
over the trench-and were going on.
Fighting Still Fierce.
At the time this is cabled the British
are attacking locally "Oxygen trench, y
where pockets Of Bavarian troops are
holding out in strength.
No details of the fighting at this
point have yet been received at head
quarters,
Successes of yesterday and today
make the Germans position to the east
of the Messines-W Wytschaete ridge criti-
ella. The river Lys and the Commines
canal converge there, meeting at Com
mines. If the Germans succeed in cross
ing these waterways they will have to
undertake the operation under shell fire
aud most necessarily lose heavily.
The full advance registered by the
British is over three miles deep, mark
ing the complete breakage of the fa'
nous ring around Ypres.
This was the "Ypres salient" oil
1914, where thousands of Britain's best
died in the successful stoppage of the
German. encroaching wave, or else in
unavailing attempts to advance.
German Nerve Shaken.
It was the recollection of these other
days when conditions were different
that inspired the Tommies to their task
and led them to unbounded rejoicing to-
day. / saw Ulsterites and Irish ma
tionalists 90 into battle side by side
and storm the ridge positions shoulder
to shoulder. The animosities of Ireland
were submerged in the animosities
against "Fritz. - And today when we
came upon group of two fighting Irish
units, each was eager to praise the 9th
er as deserving of the credit.
The other side of the story came from
the hordes of German prisoners today as
they were being assorted and horded for
transportation to the rear. All were
frank in expressing their amazement
and terror at the tremendous series OF
mine explosions following which Haig
sent his men forward. Many declared
the whole German army in the fighting
sector thought the judgment day had ar
rived, so terrific was the shock and so
strong the shuddering of the ground.
That terror was plainly manifest, Bri-
tish Tommies said, when the time for
the German counter attacks arrived
The Prussians attempts were feeble -
more like dying kicks from a PROSTATE
enemy than blows struck back in earn.
est All were easily repulsed by the
Australians.
so Tons Of Dynamite.
Near Messines village the British