Evening star., 1918-01-06

AS we passed through the town of Lu-
cinIco. far-out suburb of Gorilla, il
was seen to be half destroyed.
Turning the corner of shattered
wall, we saw the IsonZo river lying
ahead, and on the further side Gorilla
rising in terraces, with the huge battle
ments OF the citadel towering on the
right. The river looked about the wild h
OF the Potomac at Washington, but with
swifter current from the mounta in
feeders. Along the edge of the river
ran rows of shell-torn walls with gap
ing windows. This whole water front had
been torn to pieces. and yet many of the
demolished remnants OF the buildings
were occupied, and work along the
river wharyes was proceeding.
Under Terrific Bombardment.
Gorilla itself was under the rain Of
terrific bombardment. for the full force
of the great offensive was now only a
few hours off. The cannonade ran the
whole range of violence. from the deep
base rumble of monster guns up to the
staccato rattle of machine guns, which
sounded like strings of big firecrackers
in a barrel. A crash of falling walls
could be heard every now and then as
one of the big missiles "arrived"-the
familiar term used by those who live
with this shell fire
And yet with the imminent danger
many people still clung to their homes
and belongings with that same tenacity
which makes the Vesuvian peasants
cling to the mountain side when the
volcano is raging and threatening to
bury them But most of these people
on the streets are the poor who could
not get away, and the small shopkaep-
efS who cannot afford to abandon their
goods The big stores are all closed
and the place has the air of deserted
city, with only few stragglers bring
ing up the rear. Gorilla had 10000
people, but only 5000 are left and these
make only scattered showing in the
wide main street fringed on either side
with its shell-torn fronts. 1t was rain
ing hard and this added to the lugu-
brious spectacle.
One modest dwelling stood out as we
hurried along, not by its ruin. but by it's
cheer in the midst of this desolation.
There were simple lace curtains in the
windows. from one of which a pretty lit
tie Italian girl was looking down on her
garden. She was quite unconscious of
the shellfire all about and called down to
her companion below. Some of the big
buildings had their walls shored up with
long timbers to keep them from topplng
over. At the theater in the center of the
city the billboards showed the remnants
of the last performance. months ago. when
a company of Vienese players apneared
in comedy. Now there were ffremen
standing in the theater lobby, the fire
engine was In the orchestra floor and the
engine horses had the green rooms
There was no use looking for hotel.
for there were no guests now and besides
all the hotels had been wiped out. The
main hotel. handsome structure on the
main corner. was demolished by the ex
plosion of two 12-inch shells, which landed
squarely inside.
The visit to the citadel was the event
Of the day. This is a huge pile with
old time moat and battlements, and a
great tower dominating the whole country
uya 10 VIA
Mount Gabriel. Mount Michel. the Bian-
sizza plateau and the whole range of
ground which had passed through this
upheaval. 1t was uphill to the citadel