Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-02
RUINS OF ARRAS
sADDEsT OF ALL
Little But Shell Perforated Walls
and Cellars of Houses
Remain.
WRECKAGE ON EVERY HAND
People Still Cling Tenaeiously to Ruins
Of Homes-Prison Walls Show
Names Of EngIishmen lmpris.
oned a Century Ago.

oned a Century Ago.
British Headquarters in France
Arras has been called the most poig'
nantly saddening memorial Of the pres
ent war. have visited many devastated
areas in two trips to the British front
this year, during which have had an
opportunity to skirt most of the line
held by King Georges armies. l have
just visited Arras and acquiesce in
the belief that it brings home the
cruclties Of war more than any town
or city which | have heretofore visit
ed. ! have tried to imagine myself an
American tourist and Arras as one of
the memorials kept rs it Is for the
view of the whole world. writes Joseph
W. Grigs in the New York World.
an ten years time pilgrimages to 1t
would amass to the French enough
money to build another Arras," was
the comment Of one OF my companions
as we passed through Its streets.
Hardly house in the place but
what has suffered from the German
bolnburdtnents, especially the fierce
bombardment of January and Febru
airy, 1915. Where shells have not done
actual damage, conclusion has. In tho
cellars few families still reside, de-
spite the shells which ftfully ara
"lobbed over by the Germans.
Arras might have been fought over
yesterday, for pieces of shell and
other paraphernalia of war are still
In evidence through it's thoroughfares
A century-old Prison.
We went into one building where
only very recently, have been found
scribbled on the walls the names of
number of Englishmen who were kept
there in prison little more than cen
fury ago. They were: John Ellis, pris
oner Of war, 1S0G-1S10; William Mill,
William Wheatley and Thomas AL
deson, prisoners of war, 1SO9-1S1O
John Jemison prisoner of war, August,
1906, and John Jones, prisoner Of war.
December, 1905.
If battlelelds are already being
leased for tourist purposes, what a
profitable project it would be for some
of these forehunded spectators IL
they could only obtain an option on
Arras, grewsome as the thought OF
such proft-making is when the war is
still before its very doors.
We walked through streets lined on
both sides with ragged structures.
Some We're only framew0rks for 81.
santic shell holes; others were nib,
bled here and there by smaller shells
or shrapnel. Between the cobble'
stones in the street the grass was
thriving, just as it was on the rail.
road tracks at the big station.
We climbed piles of debris from the
cathedral and wehded our way through
some Of the narrow streets until we
came to place where ii was possible
to enter the deep cheese cellars where,
in peace times, thousands of cheeses
are stored after being brought In from
the country round-al out.
A smiling Frenchwoman who lives
at the very entrance of one of these
deep cellars took US into one, where
we walked by candle light to d place
where the light from above suddenly
came through a shell hole. For three
days and nights she aud others with
q number of children remained in one
Of these cellars, subsist,ng on raw po,
tatoes. Her husband was killed by q
shell as he stood on the sidewalk in
front Of their home.
People Still Cling to Il.
These people, who still tenaciously
cling to the ruins OF their home, find
time for laughter. This woman asked
II we were not afraid We would be
torpedoed In making the crcss-chan.
mel trip. Ii was suggested that the
submarines were no such menace as
frequent bombardment. She smiled
and said the cellars were quite safe
during such times and, anyway, The,
were getting used to 1t.
On one Of the main thcroughfares
we stopped to have an opcn-air lunch
con. We sat and chatted in thl.
street. which in ordinary tines. wal
one of the most creditable ia the city
Our conversation was the only thing
to disturb Its CHASTITY solcmmicss ex
cept the rushing Of tree leaves ant
J the intermittent shell fire Going OF