The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-03-21
RA|N-BO BOYS
IN HUN TRENCHES
DR.. FLoRIAN TELLS OF THEIR
NEW HARITATIoNs.
AIR CREW PAYS THE PENALTY
German officer Captured Alive Says
He Dropped Bombs on Paris,
But Did SO Only Because He
Was Under Orders.

N
With American Armies in France,
March 16.-Capt. Albert j. Florian, a
Kansas City physician now on duty
at the front thus described the seiz-
ing of German trenches by the Rain
bow DivisionA
Life in the trenches is pretty rough
sometimes, and the elements seem TO
do all they can to pound us into the
mud with rain, wind and sleet. The
dugouts are comfortable, especially
those in which we are living now.
They were built originally by the
boehe and captured by us, Nearly all
are concrete, and have felt the cold
less here in the front lines than some
times when back of the lines for a
rest, living in deserted French homes
1t isn't any trick at all to make a
brazier out of a tin can, and fuel isn't
scarce, so we are very comfortable.
When we took the trenches we
found as many as twelve German
bodies lying in one dugout. German
ammunition, abandoned clothing, half
written letters, and in one dugout was
a German officer citing at a table
with champagne bottle in his hand.
Around him were fragments of stone
and concrete and three dead bodies.
The shock killed him. The dugouts
are about twenty feet underground
and much better finished inside than
ours.
Bathing Is Taboo.
II is odd how one can become accus-
toned to things. We live here three
weeks at time, never take bath or
change our clothing, and yet we are
always feeling fine. The food is. excel
lent although a little difficult to
bring up. After three weeks in the
trenches we get out for a weeks
rest. Then We enjoy life. for we know
we can look straight ahead and move
our heads without always thinking of
being target for some boche sniper.
The closest call have had was ten
miles back of the lines while was
resting. We were in rather large
city when the airplanes bombed us
and a bomb dropped in the street
right under my window. 1t was about
4 o'clock in the morning.
Living in the trenches is rather ex-
pensive. Mysaverage expenditure has
been $50 q month, most of which goes
for food. Our meals usually are SER
we'd in courses, so, taking it all around
life could be whole lot worse.
German Crew Pays Penalty.
Paris, France, March 16.-Capt
of Munich, who was aboard
the bombing Gotha airplane brought
down at Essones, in the department
of Seine ct Disc, Monday night, met
a dramatic end. His two companions
burned to death, but the captain man.
aged to extricate himself from the
blazing machine and to run. away from
it: A French soldier saw him and
rolled him on the ground to extin-
guish his burning clothing. i
Shows Notable seIf-command.
Gen. D., commanding the lines
of communication, was passing in AM
and took the captain to a
hospital, where his condition was
found to be hopeless. Although suff-
ering severely from burns on all parts
of his body, Capt. schoebler showed
self-command in ans
wering questions of Gen. D..
You had mission to perform. Had
you accomplished it or were you about
to do sol" asked the French general.
eIal."
you went to Paris?
EYES, general"
But, wretch" you have killed wo-
men and children" cried the general.
Followed His instructions.
Il had my orders" was the reply.
Capt. Schoebler died Of his injuries
the same morning.