Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-06-13
VOLCANOES WON
FOR The BRITISH
KiIIion Pounds Of Explosives
Routed Germans In Belgium.
FILLED AIR WITH FLAMES
British Had Prepared For the Offensive
For Two Years-Impossibie For Ene-
my to Exist or the Front. and as .
Result the Map Was Changed Over
Nine Mile Front.

my to Exist or the Front. and as
Result the Map Was Changed Over
Nine Mile Front.
What was possibly the greatest Of
fensiye since the war In Europe start
ed began the other morning at 3 O'Clock
when orders by Field Marshal Sir
Douglas Haig commander of the Brit
ish forces, gave the signal for the de-
donation Of 100000 pounds OF explo-
sives underneath the German positions
on nine mile front between Ypres
and Armentieres. Belgium.
A correspondent Of the London Daily
News said that the British rehearsed
the artillery preparation for the battle.
For seven days We had been she'll
ing the enemy's position pitilessly." he
wrote. never letting them rest and
occasionally subjecting one portion of
the line or another to hurricane bonn
bardment Twice indeed. we poured
our fire on the whole front TO be at
tackled by way Of rehearsal on the
same scale.
Under this treatment the whole
topography of the front has been
changed Woods have been swept
out Of existence. hill slopes have been
stripped and laid bare, and villages
like Wytschaete and Messines' have
disappeared"
The correspondent tells the story Of
the desultory firing in the early morn
ing hours; then that began which blot
ted out all sound and knowledge OF
everything else. How many mines
went up at once | do not know exact
~. but il was nearly a score Many
Of these mines We're made more than
year ago and since then have lain
under the Germass' feet undiscovered.
In all believe 600 tons of high explo-
sives were fired simultaneously.
Nine Streams of Fire.
Il can only vouch for having seen
nine Of the great leaping streams OF
orange fame which shot upward from
that part OF the front Immediately be-
fore me, each one of the nine a huge
volcano In itself, with as many more
volcanoes going off at the same mo
htAt RNltt t1NAA. tistil
flames and out Of sight, and each vast
sheet of fame as it leaped roaring up
ward throwing up dense masses Of dust
and smoke which stood like great pill
lars towering into the sky. all illumi-
mated by the fires below.
1T was terrifying as a spectacle.
and what was more terrifying was
hat h.. - .
cards. ! stood on solid hill and It
quaked Ike jelly or like some small
house on the edge OF railway line
when a heavy train thunders by
Then. even before the echoes OF that
awful explosion died and while the
pillars Of smoke still lowered and
grew. all our batteries awoke at once
Imagine the whole sky ringed with
lightning which dickers white and vel
low. orange. red and green Imagine a
Thousand great frefies all the colors
OF the rainbow Imagine the sky one
diamond with million facets being
shaken in giant hand. Imagine what
you will and still you with get no pic.
ture Of It,"
British Artillery Triumphs-
This fire reached its climax just as
dawn was graying the eastern skies
and while the fun moon was still sus-
pended high in the heavens. The sue
cesses. won along about ten mile
front from Observatory ridge. south
east of Ypres to Pioegsteert wood. just
north of Armentieres. proved another
triumph for British artillery suprem-
acy.
As the fighting was wholly on Bel
gian soil. however. the Belgian artil-
iery. stationed some distance north of
the actual line Of attack. lent aid with
violent boml,ardment of the German
positions within range OF its varied
calibered weapons
Messines ridge Is a low lying pro
montory extending along the greater
part OF the fighting front 1t Is an in
significant bit OF ground to look at
from below. AT Its greatest height it
rises barely seventy meters above sea
level The surrounding country is so
low and fisl. however, that Messines
had an observation value practically
lncalculable-
1t was a position which dominated
the northern half Of the British line
In the west. and no operations Of a
sarge character could be planned with
eit its possession.
Shells Spurted Molten Metal.
Shells that spurted molten metal in
b1rging streams Of golden rain crashed
In appalling numbers about the heads
OF the defending soldiers. High explo-
sive and shrapnel IRE was carried out
with such rapidity that the very earth
writhed under the force Of the attack.
Mines tha had taken two years ia
dig and flI with an overwhelming ex-
plosive broke into an avalanche Of
flaming destruction In the half light OF
dawn. This was indeed a Ypres day
Of retaliation and victory for the