The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-02-12
ARE CLOSE
TO THE GERMAN LINE
Trenches OF HOSTILE TROOPS
ARE ONLY SIXTY FEET APART
AT ONE PLACE.
THRILLING AND INSPIRING
ARE THE SCENES AT NIGHT

4 Au,ayicans Are Holding a Line on
Marshv Ground and Soldiers Are
Kept Busy Pumping Water Out of
Duqouts. Rockets Give Warning.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
m FRANCE.-American troops in
trenches on the French front at one
Mace are only sixty feet from the
German line. In another place a
mile of ground separates the oppos-
ing positions. At this point, how
ever. there are a number of ponds
and neither side apparently desires
to occupy the water covered ground.
The American trenches all are in
more or less marshy ground, making
the use of "duck boards" necessary
at all times except when the trench
water and mud are frozen. The
trenches were shallow when the
Americans moved in, but since then
they have been deepened and i'm
n proved.
Use Pumps in Dugouts.
In every dugout the soldiers work
almost constantly at the pumps keep
ing out the water which seeps in.
But the watery conditions are un-
& favorable for trench rats and few
y of them are seen. One unit spent
more than a week in the line before
seeing rat, and he, apparently, was
in hurry to get some place where
& the ground was drier.
In some places the artillery is on
ground but little higher than the
trenches, although a number of the
batteries manage to keep "dry feet"
most of the time. The enemy is on
higher ground than the American
and within sight of one of our posi-
tons there is a German observation
post overlooking much territory.
This has been shelled repeatedly
and doubtless has been hit on several
& occasions. On clear nights the hill
q upon which this post stands out
against the sky is illuminated occa-
Sionally by rockets sent up by one
n side or the other so that men in the
line may see the shadows which
mean that the enemy is near.
Thrilling Scene at Night.
The scene at night is thrilling and
inspiring. On the firing platforms
the men stand near their rifles. 9th
ers splash through the trench, some
slipping from the duck boards into
water above their knees. They are
probably going out on patrol. If the
position is near the enemy lines
hardly a word is ever spoken, and
when word is necessary it is spok-
en- in whisper.
Far away to one side of the posi-
uOn a white stream shoots up to
the sky and breaks into white balls
that throw light as if from power
tul electric batteries. The reflections
show wire ENGAGEMENTS and scrubby
pushes on the hills nearby, then the
lights die out
All the while there is the inter-
mttent roar of guns and a whistle
OF express trains as projectiles Of
Inherent calibers go rushing over the
american trenches seeking a German
y arget. The American soldiers have
become so accustomed to such sounds
mat now they apparently pay no at
entlon to them. Every now and then
Ge sound of a she'll explosion is audi
9le' but. most of the time the artil-
.ery targets at night are too far back
rom the trenches for the men to
near the projectiles exploded.
Rockets Give Gas Warming.
Everyone in the line at all times
mas his eyes open for two kinds Of
Glored rockets. One is green and
NE other is red. The first means
ssSphyxiating gas and the other calls
of a barrage. And the green light
y The men in the lines means more
aan anything else, for in a gas at
Jack they know that their lives of
On depend upon the speed in which
se gas masks are adjusted after an
'larm is given.
Internationally during the night
mere comes from different parts of
We line the single crack of rife,
az sniper fires, or the rapid spit
W W a machine gun at some suspected
polAt or object, for the machine gum
towards.
In the daytime it is different be-
", nSuse the men in the line can see
Snat IS before them and there are no
oeeeptive shadows. Also their eyes
ssn occasionally glance skyward as
1ufapnel breaks, when there is a hol-
y" sounding pop. Not infrequently