Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-19
DEAD STREW
BANK; REPEL
AUSTR0 RUSH
Italians Indict Terrible Car
mage On Foemen at
Piave.

Italian headquarters in northern
Italy, sunday, Nov. IS.~-(By the
Associated Press. 1.-The Austrians
who forced their way across the
PiaVe river above Zens0n have
been pushed back into the river.
The fight was one of the most
fearful chapters of the war and
one OF the most glorious.
Details OF the fight have been
gathered from eve witnesses who
saw the fearful carnage through
Friday night and yesterday and
who stayed until the whole west
bank was cleared except for the
c0rpses on the shore and in the
foreground
The wounded were so numerous
that many have not yet received sue
cor. The enemy had staked every
thing on getting to the west bank OF
the river, and the Italians staked
everything on keeping him on the east
ern bank. This nerved both to desper-
alton. The Austrians made the first
move Friday in two separate crossings
short distance above Zenson, first at
the village OF Fagare and then an old
mill called the Sega mill near Folliha,
Several circumstances enablsa them
to pass They chose a place where
sandbar ran in mid-stream, giving
them a landing and dividing the main
stream into two small shallow cur
rents Also there was a heavy mist
/ screening their movements They car
ried material for an improvised bridge
with uprights and with iron plates for
flooring.
Terrific Fight Starts.
This was about 5 o'clock in the
morning and in the mist at that early
hour they got across the second mar
row channel to the west bank. The
/ last 10 feet the men waded across in
/ water above their waists In their first
surprise rush they swept past four
Italian machine gun batteries, captur-
ing the guns and driving the Italians
back into the village of Fagare.
Here the real fight began as the Ital-
ians had now recovered from the sur
prise and they fought like demons. It
was a hand to hand fight through the
streets Of the town with no place for
artillery or machine guns and the Ital-
ians using bayOnets, hand grenades,
knives and gelatine torpedoes. The
Austrians held part Of the town near
the hank with the Italians on the land
side.
The Austrians tried to throw a line
around the town and succeeded in part
on one side until the Italian batteries
to the north got the range Of the line
; outside the shelter of the streets. This
line was the first to be demolished
and then the Italians on this side OF
the town advanced cheering, hewing
their way The enemy held at first
then began to seek cover and finally
broke as the Italians pushed into the
town back to the river Some plunged
into the water and sought to get to the
sand bar.
Dead Line River Bank.
All the machine guns were aban-
doned. Most OF the enemy fell along
the waters edge and an observer who
saw the gruesome sight says the bod
les on the river bank and in the water
reminded him of seaweed after the tide
had gone out
? Further up the river at Sega Mill the
over crossing had brought on another
: bloody fight which lasted until late
yesterday when the whole shore was
: cleared Of living Austrians. But it was
: lined with dead.
The movement here began late Oh
Friday night and reached its culmina-
ton about II o'clock Saturday morn
ing. Friday night several Austrian
5 battalions got across under the cover
of darkness. They chose narrow chan
/ nels and some of the Austrian officers
: rode across on horseback. They tool
: position near the town cemetery anC
: opened on the italians during the nigh
f with machine guns. The Austrian.
/ carried two search lights which they
] PLAYED on the Italian position. while
? the Italians were without searchlights
r Il was only by the flashes of the Aus
; trian machine guns that the Italian:
could direct their fire.
At daylight yesterday the enemy still
\ held at his position at the cemetery
| The situation began to look serious
! and for time it appeared as though
the Italians would have TO fall back
But now the famous Bersagliaeri bri
gade was brought up fresh after it
heroic rear guard defense Of the mali
army as it retired on the field. Som
= of the other troops were from nearb,
towns and they were stirred TO las
desperate effort to save their homes.
t Italian Charge Irresistible.
The Italians charged shortly afte
q ia,rn their line moving STRAIGHT II