The Monticellonian., 1918-02-08
No More Observation Post.

and then
 Crash
 No More Observation Post.
 Five of us went down in a heap, stunned as with hammer blow. There was great, enyeloping noise. with the smash and crack of walls. the flying of fragments, and then the heave of tons of earth, mortar and masonry, plowed up by the huge missile.
 Ii had struck that observation post, just h feet away, which we were about to enter. There was no more observa- tton post; il was swept clean. But fortunately the shell had gone straight through, battering down massive wallis and digging I deep trench into the earth where 1t had exploded under ground, throwing up great geysers. But while the earth and stone flew like hail, the underground explosion had held the shell fragments. stunned as we were, the first impulse was of self preservation. X nasty glance showed no one was seriously injured, though the trickle of blood on the right tenn pie of one of tine party told that fly ing stone had found mark.
 They have this range said the es- cort as we struggled to our feet. and one shot means that another will fol low"
 There was nasty scramble from the battlement over the tons of debris thrown up. which now completely blocked the three-foot path skirting the wall.
 The shell had suddenly brought to close our observation of the battle front with all is tragedy and majestic beauty. But worst of afi. it put m end to all trips To Goritz. for the officer said no further chances of this kind could be taken. It was just as well, for now the great offensive of the enemy burst unexpectedly and with it came the retreat from the Goritz line. Fortunately or unfortunately l had seen it at the last moment when the tide was turning.
 Situation Explained.
 At the cafe where we went for lunch the officer from headquarters laid out the big military map on the table and explained the military situation. It was this: The enemy was bringing great masses of men to the north of the Biansizza plateau. His design was evident The Italians by their last ad- vance had swung q ring which was threatening Trieste To save Trieste the enemy must force the Italians back to the IsonZo river, as another Italian offensive would clear the Carso range and give the Italians the mastery of Trieste. To the enemy the time had come when he must act before the Ital- ians played their final card and held the jewel of the Adriatic.
 As we bored over the map the in- ereasing roar of the artillery told that the enemy was losing no time h his part of the military game. The pro prietor of the cafe was an intelligent old man, and I asked him if the fire We heard was the same as usual. He shook his head and said No, 1t is very much heavier and 1t seems as though something was going to hap pen" This was the instinctive feel ing of the people on the spot who had gone through this day after day for months They felt the blow coming.
 On the corner there were two women of the working class talking together under an umbrella, for it was raining hard. Their indifference to the she'll ing seemed strange, and I stopped to ask them if the bombardment did not frighten them and keep them awake at night
 They were puzzled for moment, as though not comprehending such an in- quiry and then they shrugged their shoulders.
 "We are used to it. they said Tt used to frighten us at first, and the children still cry at night. But what can we do?"
 These were typical townswomen who had become habituated to the dan ger and destruction all around them and were now stopping on the street corner in the rain to exchange the latest gossip. One of the women had the features of an Austrian, and she smiled as she heard the rumble of the Austrian guns and looked off toward the enemy lines so near.
 Within three hours when we got back to headquarters the full force of the blow had been struck and the great Austro-German offensive against Italy was in full operation.