Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-01-14

little boy with his eye shot out. Well,
sure enough ! had good eye full
and started back to the hotel. We
were just getting it into our blood
that there was real thing in prog
ress, and the little children and wom-
Ell were the ones to suffer the most
from the haphazzard shooting of the
men up and down the streets. AS /
passed up the street several shots
we're fired from the buildings was
good and prepared to see the rest of
the fracas from a distance. l got my
eye full.
While we were at lunch bomb eX-
ploded on the corner near us and
every one ran out on the porch to see
how close. Some soldiers marched up
and some of them stopped and picked
up pieces of the bomb. In the after
noon a great many infantry and cav
airy went by the hotel. No one was
allowed off the hotel square and the
hotel was naturally full of guests.
1t all looked like real battle was
soon to take place. What volleys of
firing we heard all day long,
All night we heard firing and we
could see exploding shells in the air
over the bay, No one was allowed
out of the hotel that day, and every
corner and every window around us
was guarded by soldiers. A barrack
directly across the street is swarming
with soldiers. Reinforcements go out
ever so often in trucks and also loads
of well-guarded ammunition. The
guards sit on top with their guns up
ready to fire at any one who attempts
dropping a bomb from the windows.
AS they go by and look at us peering
at them they have a queer question
ing look on their faces. The hotel
was out of milk and fruit already and
every place of business was closed
tight up. In the afternoon while
Marie and l were happily engaged in
different little duties we heard vol
ley of shots outside the window and
we dashed to see. All the soldiers
across the street Immediately picked
up their guns and let drive up the
street. All was done in the twink
ling of an eye A real battle was on.
We got away from that window and
into the hall with every one else and
all huddled in dark corner where
bullets were less likely to come stray
ing. After the firing ceased we
walked around and saw the ambu-
lances busy and saw several men TAX
en- by the hotel either dead or wound
ed. One shot came in through the
parlor and splintered the woodwork
to pieces. We took piece for a SOU
venir. Ambulances, cabs and wagons
with red cross flags, other vehicles
with flags, etc., dashed around at aw-
full speeds blowing special horns. We
can hear those horns everywhere at
all times of the day. have horror
of them because every time a horn
blows | know that some poor chap is
about done for. For dinner that night
every window was blocked with mat
tresses and pillows Here l had to
smile again, because those things
would no more stop a bullet from an
army rifle than fly.
When we were going to bed there
was started another battle outside. l
turned off the lights and took back
the shutters and saw the little spits
of fire all along the street, not fifty
feet away. That was enough again,
so we once more went into the hall
with the other patrons of the hotel
and huddled in our little dark corner.
After that was over we went around
and found several more torn up
places in the hotel. One bullet went
clear through three windows and
lodged in the plaster over the door,
taking away many parts of wood
work. And then they protected us
with mattresses! We crept into bed
in the dark.
No cars have run for the last two
days and none were running this day
even though they said the revolution
was over, People were on the street,
so we decided we wanted to go out
and see the damages. We went
through town and saw wrecked win
dows and corners of buildings and
trees by the dozen, shot off with the
three-inch shells. The corners of two
houses were shot clear off and were
lying in the street below. The Palace
Hotel looked a wreck. Many win
dows broken and the stonework all
shot up. One room caught fire a
couple of times. Some of the statues
and monuments were shattered all
over their fronts. We walked to the
barracks on the hill to see. Many
people were up there looking for SOU
venirs and full Of curiosity, as were
we. The rebels held the place all
| through the fighting and had their