The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-07-24

beams of searchlight sweeping across
the sky. The barrage is thrown into
the air and over the city from all
sides and from guns stationed in the
heart Of the city.
Terrific Explosion.
The noise is terrific. One can read
lily distinguish between the noise OF
the guns and the explosion of a bomb
when it strikes the earth. Never be-
fore have l heard such an Internal
noise as these explosions make. Had
General Sherman ever heard it he
would have apologized to hell. 1t
rocks the very ground on which the
city stands. 1t is not just one ex.
plosion that ends as suddenly as it
occurs. There is continuous eXplos.
ion lasting several seconds, tearing
the air with shrieks of hate against
all that is fair and beautiful. 1t is the
voice of the Hun arousing women and
children of Paris from their midnight
slumbers, protesting against the
peace and quiet of the home, empha,
sizing the brutal philosophy of fright
fulness.
1t is the midnight marauder who
strikes in the dark, the incendiary
coward who applies the torch and
runs away.
The shells bursting in the air over
the city are from the barrage. The
scene resembles a fourth of July Gel
ebration minus the comet tailed col
ored effect of fireworks. The falling
shrapnel is heard on the roofs Of the
houses and on the pavement 1t has
caused one or two deaths. There is
no fighting by the planes Immediately
over the city as the French planes do
not enter the barrage. They attack
the Huns outside the city. Fights
between machines are sometimes seen
at distance, only the shooting flames
from machine guns being visible.
1t is impossible for the folks at
home to understand the tension under
which the Parisians live. More i'm
possible still is it for them to compre-
hend the stole morale of the French
people.
Paris Not Worried.
With the Prussian legions literally
swarming along the north bank Of
the Marne few miles away, endeav-
oring to batter their way into Paris;
with bonn mbardment by airplanes by
night and bombardment by long dis
tance guns by day, they 60 about their
business in the usual way without
doubt as to the final outcome of the
war.
Windows of business houses are
shattered and the man next door
strips his windows with lath and op-
ems his doors for the daily trade. The
streets are thronged with people, un-
afraid. Greater than either of the
seven mysteries of the world is the
mystery Of the morale Of the French
people. 10, sa,.,>a... - -..sa
: IT is illustrated by the story of the
old French mother who was found
among the new made, graves near a
battlefield in northern France. When
soldiers demonstrated with her for be-
ing in the danger zone, she stated
she had located the graves of five OF
her sons who had fallen on as many
battlefields, and was looking for the
grave of the sixth one, her last.
They pointed it out. She knelt a
over the sacred spot, her
tears mingling with the dust that COW
cred her last born, then flung her
hands in the air and shouted "Vive
la France"
Refugees Arrive.
The day after the drive for Paris
began refugees arrived. The Amer
lean Red Cross quickly took over
buildings and erected tents near the
depots. Fences were built about va
cant lots and stockades formed into
which refugees were huddled like
rabbits in a warren. A hurried call
was made by an officer of the Red
Cross on the Y. NJ. c. A. forces and
every day since representatives OF
these two American institutions have
been Good Samaritans under more
difficult conditions than ever existed
on the road from Jerusalem to Jerl-
cho. Thousands are fed every day.
Special trains arrive from the battle
fields carrying refugees only.
Hastily they had bundled up cloth
ing, provisions and valuables and left
their homes. A man, his wife and five
small children had nine parcels. |
saw the cover over basket move
anu lllLtu IL. LII LILO UdohOC NOAO WV
half grown ducks. We carried sever
al sick women off the trains and laid
them on blankets in the stockade.
Two strong Y. M. c. A. men had just
laid one woman on the ground when
she made known her desire for doc
tor. Two Red Cross nurses respond
ed. The men carried her to seclud-
ed corner behind truck where her
baby was born.
A Prussian "Target."
A conductor carried woman down
the steps of the car and called Some
one take her. l took her in my
arms. She was 80 years old and as
frail and delicate as piece of Dres-
den china. She didn't weigh over
seventy4five pounds. Her face and
hair were white as a lily. She put her
frail arms about my neck, smiled and
said "Mercee Monsieur" On her lace
collar was cross. A fair target this
for Prussian guns!
The refugees are sent into the
country and distributed by vans and
trucks throughout the city. They dis
played no fear, no hysteria, no tears.
They went about the business OF as
sembling their bundles and repack-
ing them and caring for their babies
and children as complacently as they
would go. about their daily tasks on
the farm or in the village