Evening star., 1917-10-21

went to and from the French staff.
Aeroplane observers kept away, not to
frighten the game. Imagfnatfons were
busy. even. with kaiserlich visit.
At last. by mysterious intelligence
service Germany cannot be permitted
to have all the spie). it became known
that the invader had settled an entire
divisional staff In the chateau of
Chaulnes. There was no kaiser or crown
prince. The nearest thing to royalty
among them was the dishonored Duke
of Hesse. who as a collector" even
beats Prince Eitel. Hesse travelled about
looting furniture and art objects from
chateaus and churches of the Somme.
His headquarters were at Ercheu. where
the French troops, later on. discovered
packing cases full of such booty which
he had abandoned in hasty retreat. The
Duke of Hesse stopped at Chaulnes
only on, collecting trips. But a divi-
sional staff looked good to France.
French aeroplanes got busy again,
very discreetly. They made many
flights to right and left. Only now and
then one would pass over Chaulnes,
quite innocently. zen route for some in
vestigation further on" But always it
contained some subtle French observer.
Photographs were taken.
Back in the French sector maps were
measured. All the elements" were
gathered, down to the last day-direc-
tion and force of the wind, terpera-
ture, barometric preston, etc. For this
last day" they waited 1t came of a
morning. Aeroplane observers hastily
reported (by wireless) the arrival Of
chateau. Quick. the last calculations.
pushed to seven or eight deci,nals,
Now. this is one of the extraordinary
events Of the war:
At the chateau of Chauines some fifty
German generals. colonels and others
were gathered for a gala lunch. tThe
details were verified later from the in
habitants. after the German retreat J
The entire divisional staff was there.
proposing healths to visitors of high
rank from other sectors. They held high
fete In the French chateau. with
French wine from French cellars
A French aeroplane circled high It
circled lower. 1t contained a wireless
apparatus.
Boom!
Afar off. inside French lines, one Of
those giant sixteen-inch shells which
weigh two tons rose into the air II
rose FIVE miles high In parabolic ira
jectory. 1t did not Shrek. like smaller
shells, but there was heard a clanking
noise. like rattling sheet-iron In a
springless wagon. The German gala
wireless operator circling low above
them, blanched white as he snapped a
last photograph of the chateau. He
heard the clanking.
Crash.
The wireless operator. up there.
snapped another photograph. They
make, together. one of the most re-
markable documents of the war
He peered down. Through dense white
smoke came faine~eries. He was pre-
pared to send a wireless message to the
far-away French battery: Too far. Try
twenty yards shorter, thirty-flve yards
further west" or other indication, to
correct the pointing of the colossal can
non. 1t was not necessary. He peered
again through the clearing white smoke
to make sure Then he sent the Won
derful wireless message: Hit fair"
Far away the French and British ar
tillery chiefs glanced at each other in
a tragic triumph Never had there been
first hit like this. with so great a
shell, at such long distance, on so
small n target.
Quick, one more now! Boom! Clank-
olank -clank!
Crash. The French wireless operator.
circling in an aeroplane above the his
toric chateau of Chaulnes. looked down
on a scene Of complete destruction.
Where was the palatial structure? 1t
had disappeared. In Its place was a
low level mass of pure white debris.
Silence. Horror stricken, the French
wireless operator whispered to his
pilot: ut is over. Let's be going"
My janitor. in Paris Is q native OF
the little adjoining town OF Cnauinee'
airss earssa tns pcS iatsr1 he Waited the pass
to fatch awav his old mother He re-