Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-04-11
HORRORS OF THE TRENCHES
CHASTITY and Horrifying Sights In Aban-
doned German Trenches.

in France, March 20, (via London. J.
Now that the desperate episodes IN the
war, known IN history as the battles OF
Somme. have been definitely ended by
the German retreat from Arras to the
Asine, 1t has been possible more lei
surely to investigate the conditions
which existed along the German front
just prior to the backward swing to
the so-called HIndenberg line.
When the retreat first began more
than a month ago the British swept
over some old Somme positions held by
the Germans and even the most hurried
glimpse of the evacuated trenches in
dleated how untenable they had be-
come and why it was decided to run no
risks of another allied offensive in this
sector.
Five miles of slogging along the old
German lines in the vicinity of Bal
paume yesterday revealed picture of
ghastliness which may never be seen
again in this or any other war. The
front line was long, open, dilapl-
dated, crumbling grave which disap-
peared IN the mud at times, but could
be picked up further on by means OF
the bodies that marked the way.
One realized with shudder how the
men doomed to live in these trenches
had been plagued by their own dead.
Such a ceremony as decent burial had
been wholly out of the question and
there was no means of conveying the
bodies to the rear.
THROUGH FIERY RAIN.
1t had been like passing through a
fiery rain from Hades to bring up food
and water to the living. So the dead
had simply been tossed out of the
trenches, only to be blown back again
by an exploding shell. Sometlr es
they came back in fragments, for there |
were arms and legs. feet and hands
everywhere.
Occasionally graves had been dug IN
the sides of the trench itself. but the
dead could not rest there. At frequent
intervals the inevitable skeleton hands
and feet protruded from The trench
walls.
Grim sights this war has had for the
men who passed up and down those
trenches during the long and bitter
nights Of winter.
1t has been an enthralling thing to
stand by the British guns in the last
three or four months and wonder what
was the meaning of all their contlnu.
BUS roar. There was no set battle IN
progress and the gunners said it was
merely the daily hate" gong on to
Keep Fritz unhappy. The >h,deous rev.
,lations of the German trenches, how
,ver, gives the gruesome answer to
What the guns were doing. In some r
places there we're veritable mangled t
masses OF what were once human be- :
ngs. Neither by day nor by night had
he Germans rest. Their trusted barb.
ID wire, In which they always place
UGH great reliance, had been swept
away over thousands of
ards, and they dared not venture out
o repair it.
All trace of communication trenches
ead,ng to the front lines were wiped
ut and it had been necessary to bring
p supplies and relief at night over a
country blown into endless shell holes,
many of which were filled to such a
lepth with water that men were
drowned in them.
MARKING THE WAY.
White bits of broad tape could be /
,een here and there attached to the
ron posts. These were for the pur-
pose of guiding the men up to the
'front.' line.
These pathways over the fields of
leath also we're strewn with fragments
IF human bodies. Some of the dead
1ad the looks of nummles. One of the
fallen soldiers had his right arm thrown
over his rifle as it bis last impulse " as
10 protect his weapon of defense. But
here was no defense against the con-
slant shelllng. Some pieces OF metal
thrown about by the high explosive
helIs must have weighed at least ten :
the result of hitting a man
Win a ten pound but can easily be I'M 1
Igined.
At one point in the trenches was just
he lower half of a German officer,
Identified by the boots and Ieggins he
Vore. HIS legs we're crossed tailor
ashton. Trench helmets of heavy