Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-07-25

A. the Moment When Soldier, L..
From Their Trenches Sell csmmu,.
lon 10 Mers Than . Msr, phr...
Time Before the Attack Hangs H.,vvs
and Moments Pace Slowly.
| A military writer In the Pail Man
Gazette OF London gives this descr,p.
ton Of nn experience soon TO le haa
by General rershing's men-an attach
on q German trench:
| There Il = moment when dreams
come into the faces Of men. when self
communion Is something more than .
phrase aud when for once the ideal
seems nearer than the real That Ia
before the most momentous order that
can be given: Times up. boys. Over
| With you.'
/ ] am platoon commander | have
Just left company headquarters dug
out after . powwow. and my watch
has been synchronized by brigade
time.
First. there are the sergeant and
| Junior n. &. O.'s to I've told. Even now
| the shell fire In warmish. The orders
are concise enough Al 1926 noon We
are to mount the parapet simultaneous
~ with the irst wave. who are oceu-
| plying the line thirty yards ahead o,
us. That indis.inet ridge OF mud Is
| our objective. There is to be no hesi.
tation. no taking cover or hating In
| friendly shell craters-and DO failure.
The regiment has never failed in any
thing 1, has set out TO achieve, and /,
must not fall now The y C. o's
listen quietly and without dcmons,ra.
ton. Each returns TO his unit, and
one and all OF US settle down on the
floor Of the trench 10 wait for the
passing Of the odd two bours which
might ciapse before we learn what
going over the top" means
Two Long Hours.
II is the longest two hours have
ever known. AT last / aet stifily TO
my fec: ana realize little Of my tired
mesa We have spent the previous
four days and nights strengthening
our position. digging. digging, digging.
for no attack Is ever made from a
weak position.
oar clothes are muddy and torn
our boards hare grown their own
sweet way for week. our eyes are
the eyes Of men who have slep, little
aud seen much
Five minutes more
Pass the word down 10 fix bayo-
nets" The man next To me Is looking
II something In silver l0cSet There
Is curious luli in the lring.
Four minutes. three minutes,
catch sight Of my sergeant, aad
our eyes meet There Is good deal
In our exchange OF glances. He Is
grixzied Mons veteran. md I am only
a young suba,tern In my FIRST attack.
His gnxc Il very fnll Of meaning am
10 prove myself Every man In the
platoon looks Ia me Ny heart humps
One minute more
Time
Two hundred Guns Rearing.
The world breaks into hideons clani-
or. Behind It's something Ike 900 guns
roar IN one mighty chorus for our pro
lection. | Chamber on the parspet ana
miles down the line. other otbees'
junior ana senior. stand as ! sfaho'
for one second markedly conspicuous
Up with you. boys, Al EN-.
The advance begins.
We go ia long, straight lines al
curiously steady little dog trot. IN 'nr
air Is hell and confusion. shriii screAiH'
Ing and ear splitting explosions Oh ~.
shrapuel barrage, sicsening, ponde'"u'
crunch OF German II. T.. dying sphh'
tiers. smoke aud everything that ues
CARS description find myself Eettns
peculiarly ANNOYED because two o! AH'
men are ia advance OF their fellows
shoat al them.
As well shout at the moon
One OF them falls queerly-
We are nearly there: perhaps an
other fifty yards The dln INCREASES
II is unima ENABLE: II Is stassei Us
One feels at the same time he'p'esS
dwarfed. hopelessiy sundnea
and the next moment supremacy
allied. Men are now falling las's.
The wave OF men preceding US !
ting thin. and we are quickly g",nA
ON them. Soon we are among tH.s
and as one mass we charge lni" Vs.
German first line trench. Fm = Nv
ment pandemmium. Then tniA
clear up. These boches are ou'e'A
et--conquered by sheer supeli'
and unbeatable pluck Rihes -
nun= down and grimy palms up'ii'
Tue position Is captured.
The Price Of Victory.
We pause to take breath. My
geant. minus his steel hat ana WIZ ms
deep scratch across his eheeA' ~
up. and In his blazing eyes l re', an
rroyal He explains what mas to
happening on our right Anu MA
he rasps, II wouldn't ha' missed ''
for summat." ,h~
And then my sergeant brings ns
N a