Evening star., 1917-05-27
CATHEDRAL TOWER,
FINAL YPRES RUIN
RemorseIess German She|ilng
Completes Tragic Work With
Famous Landmark.
RUBBISH HEAPS REMAIN

Especial Correspondence OF The Sunday
star and New York WorIdD
Copyright. 1917. by Press II Publishing Company
AT THE BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE.
May S.-The greater part of the main
tower of the famous cathedral OF Ypres
fell of its own accord yesterday. The
Germans had shelled it with remorseless
regularity. 1t was the sole remaining
conspicuous object In this tragic city.
Bravely Its massive masonry had with
stood through many months the heaviest
shells that German kultur could hurl
against 1t. In the end it defeated the
venom of the boche.
Just before the hour for the daily bonn
bardmenr there was Il runbling ana the
gaping walls suddenly crumpled away
and piled up around the base in majestic
disorder. The facade and the graceful
central doors are all that now remain
as a target for vandalistic spleen OF the
enemy. Many OF the stone statues set
in inches in its pointed arches still re-
main unharmed But as the German aim
apparently is to reduce the city to dust.
given sufficient time, their fate, too, is
probably sealed
City of Sinister Silence.
A visit to Ypres is poignantly sadden-
ing to the merest stranger. and one can
imagine what it must have been to the
gallant Belgian king, who came here re-
Gently. AS you approach the city from
south you 6egin to enter the area OF war
ruin. Shell craters stud the fields at either
side. Houses stand. their roofs shot
away or their fronts riddled. Devasta:
tons gaunt hand spreads destruction
right and left until you reach Ypres it
self. city Of sinister silence and horror.
Not sound is heard except the roar of
guns. muff1ed by the distance.
The streets are lined by what are at
best the skeletons of houses. most Of
them shattered level with the ground;
others with perhaps a fragment OF
wall still defying the enemy. having
miraculously escaped the incessant
shell fire. But the scene as a whole is
one Of ruthless havoc. Nothing has
been spared on which the boches could
train their guns SO that what was, un-
til the war, the fairest city in Flanders,
crowded with beautiful historic build
ings. is now a bewildering chaos OF
ruins. with scarcely stone standing
upon another to tell the story of its
architectural splendors.
. Hard to Get Passes.
Military authorities do not encourage
visitors, and passes are very difficult to
obtain. This is because the Ypres
subject to shell fire at any moment
that the caprice Of the boche tempts
him to pound its ruins.
Amy one with the regulation permit
and good nature prepared most pa
ttently to explain what is mysterious
to the civilian.
Our guide in Ypres, the healthiest look
1t is possible to imagine. takes a nsel-
ancholy pride in guiding you through
the CHASTITY piles of bricks and mortar
which once were streets. and pointing
out the sites OF the many medieval and
other unrecognizable remnants of
architectural interest. Not only has
he every incident Of the terrible fight
ing In the Ypres salient on the tip OF
knowledge of the historical associa-
tfons OF the place. whose fate evidently
causes him many pang.
In Matter-of-Fact Tones.
He told US in the most matter-of-fact
way that the boche had shelled the
place that morning in the vicinity of
the ruins of the Cloth Hall. but that
We could probably get around the
Of the cathedral and the other notable
buildings Of the place. The cathedral
has some of the side walls partly
standing.
gas masks ready. Every one who goes
within the radius of shell fire is sup
Piled with these and ordered to wear
them. The boche has habit Of start
Ing his bombardment for several days
at precisely the same time, and our
guide was anxious that we should get
through before the existing schedule
came into operation.
He could not help lingering here and
there to tell US of the departed glories
OF some particular building and then
he would hurry on again. remembering
that every moment might bring the
first of the afternoon shells.
The Cloth Hall, whose lofty tower
has been battered down, has only part
OF the western wall erect, ornamented
with what remains Of the statues of
Yperian notables. but this, too, fs stead
lily being demolished. The stream that
where 1t had been arched over. has
once more been laid open by the Ger
man shells. and the Grand Square re-
Gently the pride Of Flanders. surrounded
by noteworthy historic edifces, is now
a rectangular mass Of rubbish heaps
and shell craters.
Explosive Exhausts Itself.
Our guide pointed with satisfaction
to the way some of the. massive walls
of ancient brick, toughened by CEN
turies of exposure to the elements has
explosives. He said that no species of
rigid defense work was better as a
shell burster." meaning that the ex-
plosive exhausted itself in penetrating
it so that the damage done to the in
terror was comparatively slight
One perfect little Gothic tower, sur
mounted by pinnacle of exquisite
carved stonework, has weathered all
the storms of shell and shrapnel, stand
ing untouched amid the ruins. enjoy
ing q charmed life, which, however.
may be terminated at any moment
now that its isolation makes it a mark
for Hun ruthlessness. as aimless as 1t
is savage. This was the last we saw
of Ypres and 1t left an impression not
likely to be effaced
We motored away to BaiIleul, where
we lunched at the officers club. This
club Is quite a remarkable example of
British extempore organization. It is
situated in large hotel which had
been abandoned and is run by a COM