Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-20
WITH SAPPERS and Miners
Much Fighting Goes On Under the
Ground.
Many SOLDIERS Meet Death there

nANI 00LUlEn0 I'LL BLhlu luLAL
American Engineer Tells Of Some
Thrilling Experiences in Tunneling
Under Flanders Mud and French
Chalk.
Our work in the Flanders trenches
was almost entirely confined to min
/ tlg. As soon as the Germans had been
halted in their drive in August, 1914.
they had entrenched themselves and
wherever the trenches of the Allies
were within 100 yards of their own
they had proceeded to start mining
across No Mans Land. Early in 1915
| they exploded a large number OF
mines underneath the Allied trenches
The French and British Immediately
organized tunneling or mining COM
p4nies and proceeded to counter
mine.
During 1915 they were mostly en-
gagged on the defensive in these ope-
rations below ground, but towards
the end OF 1915 and in 1916 and 1917
the Allies succeeded in reversing the
state of affairs and were quite active
with offensive mining.
When l reached the trenches early
i'm the first week Of January. 1916.
the British company l was with had
succeeded in sinking q number OF
shafts (not, however, without hav-
ing several of them destroyed by the
enemy during their construction) and
had driven a number OF galleries well
over towards the Hun lines. Our
tenches here opposite Formelles av-
e&ged from 80 TO $50 yards apart. On
account OF shallow water level we
averaged a depth OF about 20 feet be-
low the surface. and only by constant
pumping with hand pumps were we
able to keep up the progress In our
galleries. The soil was generally blue
plastic clay. At intervals we would
strike running sands and when this
happened we usually found 1t wise to
abandon the drive and start new
workings.
At the outset many Of our tunnels
also were destroyed by enemy blows"
but we succeeded in putting in quite
an elaborate system in the course OF
time. The sector we were operating
on had frontage Of approximately
half n mile and on this front we had
some sixteen shafts. From the shafts
we drove complete system of defen-
sive galleries.
Work in Silence.
There Is n very marked difference
between mining In clay and chalk.
Later on In the Vimy Ridge area we
had considerable mining in chalk. in
clay it was possible for the Germans
and ourselves to tunnel to within
few feet Of each other before we could
hear, any sound Of mining; and elab-
FSSdes-Ppsoastkons- vsrsssfaisaa. etoa,in-
sa silence. In chalk II Is possible
to hear from much longer distances.
especially where the chalk contained
any amount of flint.
To insure silent working in the
clay we would use grating tools in
stead of shovels. No nails were used
In the timbering, all sets being waged
with sand bags. Blankets were hung
in the end of galleries to deaden the
noise. AS we approached nearer to
the enemy. the men working In ad-
vanced tunnels would have to use can
vas shoes or work In their socks. AS
the lives of everyone in the galleries
depended on silence the work was
conducted almost noiselessly. When
we reached within striking distance
OF the enemy we would build charge
chamber and load It with guncotton.
connecting up with dctonators and
double set OF leads to the charge. and
at the right moment fire these charges
from the trench above by means OF
blasting machines. From this clay
soil and at n depth Of from 20 to rs
feet. we would blow craters sixty to
seventy feet wide with n small charge
of GOO or 700 pounds Of gnncotton.
As matter of fact when we met
the Hun below ground in No Mans
Land we would endeavor to fire
"camoufiets." that Is, n charge calcu-
lated to destroy enemy galleries but
not to break the surface Of the ground
We would usually carry on our work
until we heard the Germans talking.
When you can hear the enemy talk
ing in clay you can bet they are pret-
ty close. On some occasions we have
in this way fired our mines when
within three or four feet Of enemy
mines.
Deep Under Earth.
Trench mining in clay is much more
dangerous than in chalk on account
of the difficulty Of hearing operations
until you are almost on top of them.
In the chalk country further south.
in the Vimy Ridge trenches and the
Somme area, we were mining at much
greater depths.
Some of our mines were $50 feet
deep. and after the battle OF the
Somme we found the Germans at
Frlcourt had a mine system 200 feet
deep. For these chalk mines we used
different and much stronger high
explosive than guncotton.
With the British we used individual
mine charges as large as 100000
pounds. These would blow cone
shaped craters several hundred feet
In diameter and well over 100 feet
deep.
Some idea OF the terrific force or
these mines can be obtained when you
compare the bursting charge Of the
Mills bomb, which contains four
ounces of ammonia with the single
mine charge Of 100000 pounds or 4oo.-
900 times that amount. You cannot
see hand bomb like the Mills burst
L for fd