Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-05-09
Roar of Giant Guns browns
Sound of Thunder Storm
Night of Horrors Follows
Day of Fighting,
GERMAN ARTILLERY Is
WORKING EFFECTIVELY
Birds Sing Near Scenes and
Noises of Carnage; Whole
Country Covered With
Shroud of Dust and Vapor.

British Headquarters in France,
May s tvia London, lis p. m. From
Staff Correspondent OF the Asso-
ciated Press) The laconic statement
in this mornings British official
communication that "the enemy's ar
tillery was active at intervals
throughout the night at number of
places along the battle front, par
ticularly in the sector between Fres-
noy and Loos,' and that 'our nrtli-
lery replied" dismisses in coldly Of
ficial language one of the most mar
velous spectacles of night firing the
world has ever seen.
1t was night made Of terror.
Great angry clouds scudded across
the sky successfully masking all at
tompts of the full May moon to break
through the cumulus barrage.
Eventually the heavens opened and
poured forth torrent OF rain upon
the hot cannon and the flames rag
ing along the blood red line of battle.
Above Thunder's Noise.
A thunderstorm in It's greatest fury
could have broken above this appal-
ling artillery duel however. and been
completely swallowed up--its electric
flashes lost In the binding corusca-
ton of the guns: its thunder peals
drowned In the reverberating waves
of the crashing illumination which
came from believing cannon aad
bursting shells with almost equal vio-
lence. Nature wirhstood the tense
,I., 40 xfts, hn rain FAIL
ing to bring 1t to an end, fog shut
down and put stop to the dangerous
uproar az suddenly as If some word
of supreme command had been shout
ed above the din OF battle.
There were a few parting shots
through the enveloping mists farther
side and then absolute silence
reigned.
1t was fascinating spectacle to
watch through the night, holding one
In spell of speechless awe. From
one of the high ridges recently occu-
pied by the British miles and miles
Of the great sweep of battle could be
seen. For the most part 1t was duel
with what the soldiers call big stuff"
"a giant test of strength among the
"heavies," but always above the roar
of the big guns could be heard the
crack of the bursting shrapnel and
the petulant whine or leaden bullets
sent in showers from the shells.
Airplanes Come Home.
It was a beautiful day yesterday.
but menacing clouds had hidden the
setting SUM- In the twilight, scores
of British airplanes were winging
their homeward way from far over
the German lines, coming to cover
from the gathering storm and bring
ing with them the wonderful stories
that make up each days history in
the titanic struggle for mastery of
the air.
In the valleys about Loos Livein.
Lens, Acheville and Fresnoy the
freshening wind was stirring up great
clouds of dust. Each high explosive
shell breaking on the dry ground also
sent up towering columns OF chalk
white powder until a haze gathered
over all the lower levels OF the imme-
date battle zone. In Lens and sew
eral other villages behind the Ger
man lines smouldering fires could be
marked by the smoke vapors that
hung above them.
The artillery duel was In full swing
long before night set in, but it was not
| until after the gathering gloom of
| darkness reflected each separate flam-
| ing cannon mouth that the full in
tensity of the long range fighting
could be grasped. The cloak of night
| also brought into action many great
! batteries lying concealed during the
| tell-tale hours of daylight and ever
and anon as the night wore on new
| guns would burst into violence from
altogether unsupported places.
Earth Rocks With Roar.
| Some of these were the famous old
grandmother" howitzers and the
ground, ever vibrant with the drum
ming rythm of guns, shivered and
shook anew from the shock of these
mammoth weapons. The heavy over
| hanging clouds had the effect of in
! tensifying to an almost overwhelming
| degree the nerve-shattering noises of
! the battle. When battery fire" would
| send four. five, six or more massive
shells simultaneously toward the Ger
man lines. the onrushing roar was for
all the world like that experienced In
an express train as 1t dashes into a
| tunnel.
| After what seemed an interminable
length of time, the swish of those far
reaching shells ended with great
dull red flare on the horizon. One OF
these flares was hit home In an
enemy ammunition dump, and there
was an explosion that lighted the