Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-07

chestra floor. and the engine horses
had the green rooms.
There was no use looking for a hotel,
for here were no guests now. and be-
sides all the hotels had been wiped
out. The main hotel, a handsome
structure on the main corner. was de-
molished by the explosion Of two r.
inch shells, which landed squarely in
side. The loss of life must have been
great, and the material destruction
was complete. not yestige of the
building remaining, except great
heaps of debris. The cathedral near
by also received shell through the
roof just over the altar. All the stain
ed glass windows were shivered and
the bits lay on the ground Looking
through one of these empty windows
we could see the wrecked altar with
its ratings twisted and its marble
sides blasted into fragments.
The visit to the citadel was the
event of the day. This is a huge pile
with old-time moat and ibattlements,
and great tower dominating the
whole country for miles around. Here
We were to view Mt Gabriel, Mt
Michel, the Biansizza. plateau and the
whole range Of ground which had
passed through this upheaval. 1t was
uphill to the citadel. Everything
showed the havoc of long continued
fire. In one great court there was a
pretty little chapel which had come
through the ordeal untouched though
all around was a wreck.
Once up the battlements command
ing view was ahead. There was one
point of vantage where this view was
particularly good, known as the OBJ
servation post We halted a moment,
about to enter the post, but others
wished to push on to the very front of
the wall, and this view prevailed. 1t
was most fortunate decision, as We
soon after had reason to know.
On the battlements splendid view
stretched out for miles over this bat
tie ground of mountains, valleys and
plains, with the city houses clustered
below and the roads winding OFF
through the valleys and foothills.
There in front was Mount ST Gabriel,
this side held by the Italians, the
other by the Austrians.
There runs the dividing line" said
the escort, pointing to line Of trees
and depressions near the summit.
The Italian trenches could be plain
ly seen. But there. was no need of in
dicating dividing line, for the bursts
of smoke along one side of the summit,
and the answering bursts from the
other side, told where the line war. Off
to the left was Mount St. Michel, once
swept clean by shell-fire but now
green again. Nestled in hollow was
the convent of st. Catarina. The Bian-
sizza plateau was off to the left, and
through the mist were the dim out
lines of snow-topped Mount Nero, that
outpost Of the Italian advance.
AS we stood surveying this scene
there was the steady rumble of guns,
with the crack of quick-firers, and then
the long "whiz" of ever-passing shells
But there was one "whiz" which in
stantly engaged every attention. We
could hear it coming and it was not
going over, nor under, nor at either
side Everyone instinctively recoiled
and then
Crash!
! Five of US went down in a heap
stunned as with a hammer blow
There was a great enveloping noise
with the smash and crack of walls
| the flying of fragments, and then thu
heave of tons of earth, mortar and ma
sorry ploughed up by the huge missile
1t had struck that observation post
just Is feet away, which we were abou
to enter. There was no more obser
walton post; 1t was swept clean. Blu
fortunately the shell had gone straigh
through battering down massive WALL
and digging deep trench into thu
earth where 1t had exploded unde
ground. throwing up great geysers
But while the earth and stones flew
like hail, the underground explosion
had held the shell-fragments. Stunned
as we were, the first impulse was o
self preservation. A hasty glance
showed no one was seriously injured
though the trickle of blood on thu
right temple of one Of the party tolt
that flying stone had found a mark.
They have this range" said the es
cort as we struggled to our feet, "ant
| one shot means that another will fol
| low"
There was hasty scramble from tn,
battlement, over the tons of debri.
thrown up, which now completed!
blocked the three-foot path skirtinf
! the wall. Will Irwin, of New York