The sun., 1917-07-06
HUNS STILL REVEL
IN CATHEDRAL RUINS
Germans Pour Shells Into
Blasted Fragments Of
Rheims Edifice.
Special Cable Despdtch TO TEE sUS from the
London Times


FRENCH ARMY HEADQUARTERS. July s.
The systematic and wanton destruc-
ton of Rheims cathedral by German
shells is a tragedy and a crime. 1t still
continues. When last visited the town
eight months ago the case was thought
to be as bad as II could be. It is In
f1nitely worse now.
Since the beginning OF the French Of
fensive of April 16. the enemy has
greatly increased the intensity of the
fire he has poured on Il from his bat
tories at Brimont and Nogent rAbbesse
During the fortnight from June Is to
2s, the number of shells OF all calibres
from n mllllmetres to 3S0 millimetres
that fell on the town In each twenty
four hours was 206, 1911, 1000 (on the
day of President Poincare's visit), 317,
2,4S1, 400. 945, 1880. 625. 1870. 1,517,
1,400. 500, 1,2O0-a daily average OF
over 1,100.
More Havoc wrought.
On June 20. rs and IS respectively
three, five and eight shells hit the cathe-
dral which since the beginning of the
war has received between 500 and 700
shells. OF these ffty were of the heavi-
est calibre. One 305 millimeter shell
crashed through the south wall and dug
a great hole in the floor without burst
ing. 1t Is left standing on the pavement
close to the entrance. a concrete example
of the kind OF ammunition with which
the enemy is carrying on his vile work
of destruction.
In the streets behind the cathedral on
each side of 1t and in the open square in
| front there are several huge craters,
! nine. l think. all made by 3S0s. which
I Just missed their mark. On the west
facade. which is protected from direct
hits the weather is gradually taking
away the surface and finishing the ruin
begun by flames that burned the scaf-
fold. The state of the other three walls,
with Its flying buttresses. pinnacles and
windows Is even more deplorable.
The bombardment OF the last three
months has done more damage than ali
the other months of the war put to.
/ gether In the south WALL especially in
the choir room above the pile of rubbish
that marks the site of the high altar
there are wide. gaping chasms where
shell after shell has enlarged the same
| openings. The wonder Is that in these
places the fabric holds together. All the
beautiful old glass has gone. The floor
| OF the nave, which looks like a rougl,
! road, Is thiclSly strewn with broken and
| twisted fragments of lead and chips OF
brilliant colored glass. masses of stone
HI
tervals there are rows OF little heaps OF
| sifted earth and rubbish, from which the
| workmen have carefully CLEANED every
atom of debris that can be used to piece
together and restore the windows and
stonework when the gigantic task oi
restoration is taken in hand.
French Faithful to Emo.
/ The faith OF these Frenchmen is q
thing to wonder at The old architect
who has worked in the cathedral all his
life: the caretaker, who can tell the
story OF each shell and firmly believes
that some which hit without doing dam.
| age were stayed by the hand of God
most of all the silver haired old Car.
dinal Archbishop, Mgr. Lucon, who with
| the utmost bravery and devotion ha,
stuck to his post as guardian of tn,
house Of God and the father of His pooI
| through the whole bombarsment, hav,
| the unshakable conviction that what
| ever ruin the guns of the enemy hav,
done and may yet do to the sacred
building II must be raised again to tn,
glory of God and OF France.
Seventeen shells have fallen on the
Archbishop's palace and the house.
around are wrecked and deserted, fo
the cathedral quarter of Rheims Is NOR,
mercilessly shelled than any part of tn,
town, yet to look into the brave old fac,
and to hear the Archbishop talk yo,
would never imagine that for months
and months he had been living in on,
of the most dangerous places on tn,
French front. In all France I have no
seen a face so serenet and happy. HI
has endured as a good soldier Of France
He has won the right to wear the eros
of the Legion of Honor as well as tn
. nP
what he needs more than anything Il
the means to provide for the needs O
his people, not only for the 5000 still
living In the town, but the others. whel
they come back. Can there be any doub
that faith in him is well justifed?
All Brave at Rheims.
But at Rheims they are all brave
they all have faith in the destiny o
their country. The Mayor and his col
leagues, who have been forced to hol
municipal meetings under ground: tn
workingmen and women who "carr
shells, no less than their spiritual pas
tor. Their town is a city of the deat
Il with whole streets In ruins, scores O
houses gutted by fire, hundreds smashe
and splintered. In street after stree
one sees not a living soul, nothing bu
grass growing between the stcnei
Every wall still standing is pitted wit
flying fragments. Every day fresh ruin
are added to the old. Almost every da
one or two more are added to the list Q
non-combatants killed for no mllitar
purpose.
Yet those who are left. and with them tn
whole of France, however sadly the
cry in their hearts, How long. Lor,
how long,? never doubt for a momer
that the day of deliverance Is as certai
as the dawn. OF all the futile and fati
mistakes the German nation has mad
In its mad and vain effort to destro
the works as well as the rights of civil
zation the bombardment OF the CathS
draI of Rheims Is one OF the maddes
anc the least to be forgiven. 1t Is
| sin against the Holy Ghost. 1t Is bein
, | rana tad avery day