The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-20
Miles and Miles OF Ruins
Black and BOmb-TOrn.
CITY Streets Mined and Blown
Up; Buildings Collapse.
VAST TERRITORY REPATRIATED
Wreak Final Vengeance by
Smashing Home Interiors.
City OF ROye, Largest Taken by
Germans, Literally Blown Up.

With the French Armies Advancing
from Roye, March 20.-One hundred
and sixteen square miles of territory
burned black and rent with wanton
explosions has been the prize wrench
ed from the Germans by the Frencn
in-the one little district from around
Chaulnes to the Disc. II Is mercy
:, part of a, vast territory repatriated
by the French troops, after hot pur-
suit of a German retirement that Tor
precipitate haste resembles the retreat
from the Marine. This 116 miles now
ever. is typical of German rutniess-
ness in retreat.
II has been a retirement by the
Germans marked by wanton destruc-
ton and devastation exceeding even
that of the original German INVASION
Great Craters in Streets.
The city looks as tho it had been
stricken by an earthquake. The Ger
mans before leaving mined the street
corners in such manner as to not
only cause great crater Wheh the
explosives were touched off, thus
blocking the streets, but also caused
the collapse of all buildings on the
four corners.
srhe whole city of Roye was thus
mined to impede the French advance
But the date which the German COM
Ir1stnders had fixed for their evacua-
ton had not arrived before French
forces rushed in. Their sudden and
unexpected appearance caused the
Germans to touch off their mines at
4 O'Clock Saturday morning-and
without any warning to the civil popu-
lation. Inhabitants of the village were
hurled from their beds; great craters
forty feet wide and some thirty feet
in depth were blown in the principal
streets.
Into these great holes tumbled the
principal buildings of the city. The
magnificent town hall with a score of
others is a mass of ruins. The quick
arrival of the French enabled cutting
of wires connecting mines which had
been laid under whole streets of the
city so that some buildings were
saved.
AT the moment of their departure
the Germans wreaked final vengeance
on the city by entering houses and
smashing the furniture. dishes-every-
thing breakable.
PerOnne a Pitiful Ruin.
(From u staff correspondent of the
Associated Press)
n British Headquarters in France,
March 10, via London, March 20
The deliberate character of the de-
struction wrought bys the Germans
Before their withdrawal from Peronne
is painfully evident in the beautiful
avenue leading to the railway station.
1.-THE correspondent of the Associated
Press was among the first visitors to
Jerome IN the wake of the Englis~>
ypnd that place. 1t was necessary to
pass thru half a score If ruined vii
lagos which only a few. days ago were
Within the zone of intense artillery
fire before reaching the banks of the
Spmme. Peronne was reached over II
road that had been reconstructed
Within twenty-four hours over sue
ceedinS rows of German trenches and
thru recurring masses of rusted barbed
wire. some of these being at least six
feet in height and fifty feet in width.
lin the outskirts of the city, English
Tommies were encountered wearing
German pickle" helmets ~and grin
ming from ear to ear.
Even the Church PiIlaged.
In the great square of Peronne
which is surrounded by melancholy
ruins was the British lieutenant whC
led the first patrol into the city. He
was mounted on a splendid little Ger
man pony he had captured with it:
full equipment. There was ghostly
silence in most sections of the city
No sound of war was to be heard, ex
cept once when a prying German air
plane scudded over in the shelter o
the high clouds and the anti-aircraf
guns opened up driving him to quicl
retreat. British officers pointed on
building after building where appar
emily the total damage had resulted
from interior explosions. Walls facing
away from the line of British anC
French fire had great squares blown
thru them. differing strikingly from
the round holes made by shells. Tn
beautiful old sixteenth century churcl
of Saint Jean was a pitiful mass o
ruins but one of its oil paintings still
hung on bit of wallfn the transep
and was miracuously untouched. TIL
statue of Catherine Devoix. which ha