The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-05-10


on the ground 10 the point where we
were 10 commence work This In or
der that We would not get lot In the
darkness. The proposed trench was
also laid out with tape.
The covering party went out first.
After q short writ. isro scouts came
back with information that the work
Ing party was 70 follaz and carry on
with their wort
In extended trsler. two yards apart.
We noiselessly crept across No Mans
Land II was FERROUS work: every
minute we expected q machine gun 10
open ere on Us Stray bullets cracked
around US. or ricochet sang over
head
Arriving az the tapped diagram Of
the trench. rifles Sung around our
shoulders, we lost no time IN getting
to work. We dug as quietly as pos
sfble but every now and then the noise
Of q pick or shovel striking a stone
would send the cold shivers down our
backs Under our breaths we heartily
cursed the offending Tommy.
Al intervals a star shell would 60 up
from the German lines and we would
remain motIonless until the glare Of It's
white light died out.
When the trench had reached q
depth Of two feet we felt safer, be-
cause II would afford rs cover in case
We were discovered and fired on.
The digging had been In progress
about two hours. when suddenly hen
seemed to break loose in the form Of
nachfne-gun and rife fire.
We dropped down on our bellies In
the shallow trench. bullets knocking
up the ground and swapping in the air.
Then shrapneI butted in The music
was hot and Tommy danced.
The covering party was having .
rough time Of IL; they had no cover;
Just had to take their medicine.
Word was passed down the line 10
beat IL for cur trenches. We needed no
urging: grabbing our tools and ssoop-
ing low. We legged It across No Mans
Land. Tie covering party got away
TO poor start but beat US in. They
must have had wings because we low
cred the record
Painting and out Of breath. we tum-
bled into our front-line trench / tore
my hands getting through our wire.
but. at the time. didn't notice IL; my
journey was too urgent
When the roll was called we found
that we had gotten II in the nose for
60 casualties.
Our artillery put barrage on Fritz
frDnt-line and communication trenches
and their machine-gun and rifle fire
suddenly ceased
Upon the cessation OF this fire.
strefcher bearers went out TO look for
killed and wounded. Next day we
learned that 81 Of our men had been
killed and 81 wounded. Five men were
missing; lost in the darkness. they
must have wandered over into the Ger
man lines. where they were either
killed or captured.
Speaking OF stretcher bearers and
wounded. II Is very hard for the aver
nge civilian to comprehend the enor-
nous cost Of taking care Of wounded
and the war in general. He or she gets
50 accustomed 10 seeing billions Of dol
lars in print that the Significance Of
the amount is passed over without
thought.
From an official statement published
In one OF the London papers. II Is
stated that 1t costs between six and
seven thousand pounds ($30O00 to $685.
O00) to kill or wound a soldier. This
result was attained by taking the cost
Of the war to date and dividing II By
the killed and wounded.
II may sound heartless and inhumnn.
but II Is fact. nevertheless. that from
a military standpoint II Is better for
man TO bekIllcd than wounded.
n a man II Killed he Is buried. and
the responsibility Of the government
ceases. excepting for the fact that his
people receive pension. But Il man
Is wounded Il takes ils|'cc men ffum
the firing line. the wounded man and
two men 70 carry him 70 The Fear 70