Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-24
PAIR OF new BOOTS
NEARLY COST LIFE
Writer Tells Graphic Story of
Escape From German
Shell.
LINES SWEPT FOR MILES
Human Interest Incidents Di-
rectly From the European
Battle Lines.
LINES SWEPT FOR MILES
ny DAVID WANk GRIFFITH,
Director OF Aircraft Pictures. Who Hns Re
Gently Returned From the Euro

by DAVID WARk GRIFFITH,
Director Of Aircraft Pictures. who iias Re-
pcnn Battle Front.
y very epifry pair OF ncW boots upor
tho pedal cxtreniitics of a very duppcr
young English officer nearly cost nc
m: life on the British wcS: front in
FLANDERS.
Civilians had never been permitted
TO 20 to tic front, but through 'hc in
i'ucncc OF gentleman high ia the
British government, permit was
ISSUED to INC.
Upon my arriva! at tho war front =
young officer WAS detailed 10 accom-
rany inc to the trenches. Ills emthu-
siusnl for tho job could not be described
as very terrific. lie had 81 hraud-new
pal. OF boots, just brought over from
London. and he didn't care much about
running t'c:n tho first day, anyhow.
He showed INC around behind the
lines and In tho reserve trenches I
kept insisting upon going on ahead
As long as had come al! tie way
from America and through several
miles OF rcd tape in England. was
determined 10 sec tho whole show.
Tho young EnEiishsnan at last re-
luctantly consented TO take INC into the
i!"ut-!inc trenches.
You must understand tina: tho Brit
isf f-ont-line trenches at that time
"crc old German trenches Uaig's line
had swept over mo mans land" and
into miles OF the German trenches
rho British in tho sector in which
was Sightseeing were living in an old
li'ndenburg trcrch-.a very badly shot
~ trench, may add.
We walled through wha; seemed to
nc miles OF approach trenches. |: go;
muddier a:.d nuddicr. The muck and
filth were simply beyond descriptions
The British soldiers were standing pa
:iently VII TO their knees in Eoo--somc-
times almost UP to their ,"aiste.
The anxiety OF my newly booted
yo''nG English lieutenant grew with
every step.
y, last he stepped Jun ou; OF tho
trench. Tim going 10 walls along here
on top he said coouy. Mud so he
started the promenade III fun sight OF
the German army.
POOR LIFE INSURANCE:
RISK FOR SOME TINE
They were some distance away, TO
he sure. but wc were poor life !n.ur-
ancc risk VIC .talked along on the
top OF the car;hworks
The Young officer Was carrying a man
case. which must have caught tho
CLEAN of tho sunshine
NJ any rate. VIC presently heard tho
peculiar snar!!uS whine OF German
ale!I.
Loci! OUT" yelled tho British lieu
tenant;
CT course i, was 100 late TO look out,
hui dnckcd anyhow. The next sound
heard was a sickish sauashy thud
followed by !, shower of mud
1T was a dad" explained the young
officer roo!y rubbing the mad off his
new boots. y "du;i" is a shell tina;
tails to do us duty and does no, ex-
piodc. Had this one exploded never
would have been here writing this ac-
count. The "dud" hit within ten feet
., where we stood. We would have
1c"n blown 10 finders.
unconsciousiy. ! lodged away from
the "dmd." But even as moved ,nat
terrible whining howl came again
This time the she'll was strictly on the
job. II exploded with "a terrific roar
and a shower o: mud don't know
just how close it como: j, seemed very
close.
Como or" yelled The lieutenant.
with that he jumped into the trenches.
new boots and all.
Need say that followed" do not
know the name of the college athlete
wh" holds tho record for tie running
broad jump. but ] am sure that ! shaved
several feet of his mark In my haste
TO get into Tic trench.
IT WAS a dreadful placc-aN mud and
muck aud outrageous smells. ia; We
entered il. Our movement was arcc!er-
atcd Just rs we struck the ton edge OF
the trench. y shell exploded about ten
yards away. and tho concus%;on threw
NJ into the bottom of the tr"nch
dcr't know what became OF tho
lieutenant; didn't wait for any for
mnli,icS. made my way AS fas; as
could into a sap. where I found some
slight protection against u big ccncn:
pillar that had been Il part os the Old
IlindcnburC trench. You must under
stand that the trench had been much
torn UP and was very Jagged ana un-
even. You had to find shelter whcr-
ever you could.
Crouching down there in tho mud.
was IGNORED by The ardent attentions
of two CT three German batteries. The
Kaiser wasted several thousand dol
lars or nc that afternoon
vEH1 LIVELY WoNtl WINS
PRAISE tYtOM OFFICERS
The British officers said aftcrward
shat IL was one OF the livel:ost bonn
bardments thcr had seen in that; sec
tor. 1t seemed to he as though the
world were coming to an end.
The noise was indcscribub,y awful
The air seemed alive with a barharic
hcllish symphony or bowling shells.
You could hear the distant tight sound
ing "tonk" OF the guns; then the whine
and yell of the shells; lastly the crash
of the exploding she'll and the shower
of scattered mud.
For a time they were exploding all
around US. 1t seemed as though Garth
and sky had gone mad. Tho din WAS
beyond all human description. The eff
feet was something beyond common