Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-08
Watched Fight From Wheat Field.

Next morning the assault began with
fedoupled artillery fire. The American
oiiicers would not stay in the comma nders
trench. fearing they might be in the way
They clainbered out into a wheat field
where the brigade commanders posi- OF
observation was located. although the
americans dld not see it, but watched
the nght from the open
At the given moment the Russian in
fantry swept over the top under the ewes
OF the observers, while the storm of shells
which had been dropping with mathe-
inatlcal precision in the Austrian front
trenches was raised to form a barrier
behind them. The Russian advance swept
forward without pause and disappeared
into the Austrian lines.
soon groups of men came straggling
back. Gen. Scott said he thought it had
been a repulse at first, but in reality it
was a batch of prisoners More than
soou Austro-Germans surrendered at
the flrst rush, facing the bayonets and
bullets OF the troops in front and the
storm OF shell fire in the rear
While they watched the fighting, the
Americans received a message from the
Russian brigade commander saving the
Austrian guns were getting his range
He asked that the American party with
draw. fearing. that they might be at
telegraph and telephone lines Gen.
Scott and his party complied. taking up
another post of observation.
Nhen Gen. Scott and his officers went
up 10 the commanders ObSerVa-
ton post the day before the fight they
were told that an Austrian shell had
landed in the post a few days before
killing an officer of the Russian gem
eral staff who was on duty. For that
reason it was necessary for the Ameri-
cans to observe great caution in ap-
preaching the post. The shot had been
chance one, and the Russian officers
did not want the Austrians to find out
how close they had been hitting to the
- can fnt
them.
There We're few signs of warfare
about. Gen. Scott said. No guns We're
TO be seen, although to the rear OBJ
servation balloons We're in the air
guiding the fire of the heavy guns sta
toned farther back. In front of the
post lay a village, with children play
ing in the streets. Peasants were Gull
tivating their fields. The guns We're
rumbling far and near, but the birds
We're singing, flowers blooming and
there was little TO indicate the bloody
scene to be enacted soon.
In Snug Bomb-Proof
Crawling through a narrow opening
the American officers found themselves
in snug bomhproof. with a long mar
row slt through the earth in front
which showed below the Russian and
Austrian trench lines As they looked
the crash of "A gun came almost at their
side. 1t was snugly hidden on the edge
of the village. Another roar located
another gun in peaceful grain field
IT one side No airplane scout could
have seen these weapons from above
From the rear great shells came
bowling over the top of the observa-
ton post to hurl up great spurts of
dirt from the trench where the AUS
tralans covered. Hit after hit was
scored with perfect precision as the
visitors watched
After the advance had swept forward
4 on Il III
the guns. The comma nder of one four
gun battery told him he had nrcd 500
shots between Q am. when the attack
began. and / am, when the visitors
reached his station. That one battery
had poured out shells worth $4,000 in
.wo hours time