New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-02
Snow and Ice Cover
Asiago, Now Deserted
And Torn by Shells

ITALIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS
IN NORTHERN ITALY, Friday, Nov
3O.-A colonel commanding batteries
along the Asiago front, where the Aus
TRANS and Germans are exerting their
chief pressure, took the correspondent
along his lines to-day and explained
the situation and the action in prog
ress.
From his observation post at the
summit of the mountains thanking the
Asiago plateau one could look down
on the shell-torn and deserted city Of
Asiago, now held by the enemy, with
his lines of intrenchments beyond and
his batteries blazing from the long
range Of SUBMITS extending from
Monte Meletta eastward to the Brenta
River.
Ii was a most impressive mountain
scene, at an altitude of 5000 feet, with
the clouds lying below instead OF
above, and the cannonade echoing
through the gorges. The ground was
covered with an inch OF snow, when
had fallen in the night. and the ponds
formed in shell holes were coated with
three inches of ice.
The men off duty we're around camp
fires, looking well and contented. The
colonel said living conditions, rations
and supplies were in good shape.
Some of the men were IN tents on
the mountain slopes, some in trenches
and dugouts, while others were in
rough frame barracks which were being
hastily constructed.
Asiago its>r presented a desolate
spectacle in the midst Of the fire-swept
plateau, TO which 1t gives its name,
with the Italian on one side and the
enemy on the other Houses, churches
and tall Companies could be seen
plainly, but the colonel said the whole
place was in ruins, without a building
intact. Strong field glasses showed no
sign OF life in the town, and no smoke
arose from the factories or residences.
The artillery was heavy and con-
tinuous. The colonel said the enemy
was bringing up heavy guns OF large
caibre. Twenty monster projectiles
had come in a bunch early in the day,
opening great craters, which were now
frozen ponds. There had been no in
fantry advances, and the colonel was
satisfied with the repulse the enemy
had received. The enemy would doubt
less attempt another advance. the col
onel said. but the strength of the
Italian lines gave assurance that he
would be repulsed again.
Austrian prisoners who had been
brought in declared that they recently
came from the Russian front. The
enemy lines were made up, according
10 this officer, of Germans and Aus
TRANS, but there were no Bulgarisns
or Turks. The wild nature of this
country was shown while the soldiers
were digging their trenches. when they
unearthed the fossil remains of num-
erous mastodons Of gigantic dimen-
sions.
Along the road leading to the front
there was increasing activity, with vast
forces OF men and material pushed for
ward The correspondent passed bat
teries of heavy guns drawn BY trains.
tractors and huge stacks Of 8 and r.
irch shells. Infantry was moving for
ward, being strung along the road for
three miles. This and frequent evil
dences Of troops on many roads gave
visible sign Of the power being con-
centrated, while on every hand the Off
GERS and men were confident that the
enemy's great drive from the north had
been held as that from the Piave side
Wss held