Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-25
YANKEES BATTER
VERDUN BARRIER
OUT OF ADVANCE
American Engineers Destroy
Obstructing Pillars; Lay
Rails in France

With the Army of Occupation,
Nov, 25.-American forces have
completed the task of demolishins
the barriers which guarded the old
German front east of Nerdun. The
last barrier thus encountered con-
sisted of reinforced concrete pillars
stretching along the old front for u
distance of two miles, The pillars
were three feet apart at the roads
and fifty feet apart across the coun-
try. They We're connected by two
inch cables. When the Americans
crossed the front lines last Satur-
day the advanced guards were halted
only a few minutes by the barriers.
Engineers quickly placed Il few
blasts of dynamite under each pill
lar. which made the roads passable.
Since then gangs working in relays
have toiled constantly to dig up I'M
mense steel rails and concrete foun-
dations which We're six feet under
ground the rails extending five feet
above the ground, the concrete being
poured around them.
Dynamite Skaters Obstacle
Each pillar was iive feet square
and stood eight feet above the
ground. The pillars apparently were
erected a year or more ago. as each
was camouflaged by reeds growing in
nearby swamps. the concrete scarcely
being noticeable from a distance. At
Mars La Tour, just at the edge of
the village, the Americans encoun-
tered tank barriers. some of which
were only half completed. y few
blasts of dynamite soon put them
out of commission. At Etain the
Germans had barriers of LOGS chained
together on four wheels, the loss
being movable like a gate. on these
barriers the Germans had installed
ingenious devices TO remove the
wheels from beneath the loss, which
would then drop across the road at
the main road entrance into Etain.
This log barrier was just at the west
ern entrance. the logs acting as a
check in the event that the mines
failed to destroy the bridge.
American engineers yesterday laid
the last rail connecting the standard
gauge railroad between Nerdun and
Metz, having virtually rebuilt nine
miles of the track. 1t is over this
line principally that the forces Of
occupation will be supplied during
their advance, and regular service
VIII DEEll IIbNdblN lO-ll'l wv.
Yankees Rebuild Railroads
Mores than 10000 Americans are
employed on the task Of rebuilding
the railroads across No Mans Land
northeast of Nerdun, the Twenty
third Engineers Regiment having
charge of the work. Mile after mile
of trackage has been destroyed by
four years constant shelling, necessi-
tating a new roadbed.
The American forces resting sun
day along the German frontier spent
their spare time at various points
watching the Germans opposite
them. In numerous instances the
Germans waved farewell when their
detachments started on their home
ward march.
Reports of rioting continue to
reach American headquarters from
various sources. One report was TO
the effect that a German colonel had
been dragged from his horse by SOL
diers and beaten severely. Before
crossing from Luxembourg, many of
the privates told the LuXemburgers
that when they reached Germany
they would do as they pleased, and
if taken to task by their officers,
trouble would result.
served individual soldiers carrying
red flags, but these men did not at
temp to cross to the American side.
nor were they apparently in any
hurry to withdraw from the frontier.
The seventh Corps, under COM
mand of Major General Haan, has
been attached to the army of occu-
patton. 1t is composed of the Fifth,
Eighty-ninth and Ninetieth divisions.
The work of the Seventh Army Corps
will consist chiefly of handling the
back-area communications.
The German frontier was crossed
at several places by American Sig
nal Corps units and ambulance work
ers. Short trips were made into
Rhenish Prussia, where the inhab-
itants are reported to have shown
the Americans every consideration.
The front lines of the American
army of occupation last night rested
along the German -LuXemburg bOr-
der on the Sauer river and thence
along the Moselle river TO the region
east of Remich. The American army
viii mark time until further orders.
At least three or four days are eX-
pCcted to pass before the next move
is made toward the German border.
The Germans apparently are with
drawing according to schedule. Re
ports reaching the Third army to-day
were that the Germans everywhere
were whistling and singing as they
marched. The general line of the
German withdrawal is along the
Perl -Saarburg road. The southern
limit of the Fifth German army is
reported to be the line Sierck-
Thionville.
Several instances are reported
where Americans encountered Ger
mans along the roadways, and each
time the Germans showed the Amer
leans eveyr courtesy. While an
American officer I'm an automobile
was riding along the Remich-Treves
road east of the Mosclie, he encoun-
tered German troops marching
northward. a column of German in
fantry and some German trucks
withdrew to the side of the road
i'm order to clear sthe way for the
Americans. owing TO the shortage of
horses the Germans are using oxen
to haul their supplies and some ar
til}erS
II n II