Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-21

Given a pair of excellent glasses we
had pointed out to us the Boche
trenches some hundred meters dis
tant. and what interested me more
mo Mans Land"
The latter could be distinguished
by its green aspect, as green grass
marks where 1t started at the French
lines and where 1t stopped at the
Boche. don't know who used the
lawn mower. but it was not high.
This was so noticeable because
every where else was white ana
brown dirt, shell craters, trenches
and masses of barbwire. I may have
seen barbwire back of the lines fur
ther but 1t was nothing compared to
what I beheld now. Wire was scat,
tered around here like rolled up
snovballs, every bit as big only not
so soft ,and the Boche had even
more of 1t and thicker. 1 can still
understand why artillery must first
knock down the wire before an at
tack, for the only way a man could
get across that wire would be
spread eagle dive and that probably
end on Boche bayonet.
Turns and Twists
We were in the second line trench
es then, you know, and the way
those trenches turned and twisted
would make a snake envious. So
after we had ambled along awhile
I lost all sense of direction and
didn't even know which way the
Boche trenches were. l soon found
that out though for we next passed
two guns which shot torpedoes by
compressed air. We were all inter
ested, and naturally stopped to
look it over, seeing which the two
soldiers in charge obligingly fired
half a dozen times. Rather hard OF
the Boches, I admit. but we were
having a wonderful time, for we
could watch them sail through the
air, follow them nearly to the
ground and see them explode, for
they were not shot with a lot OF
force.
Watching these little. torpedoes
going up, coming down and explod-
ing, sure did tickle us, and then we
wondered how soon the Boches
would send an answer back, and
promptly put on our steel helmets.
The lieutenant called us away just
then and we continued our personal
ly conducted tour to the front line
trenches, right out to the furthest
point, some rs meters. we were told
from the Boches. Here was situated
T.
ing simply an iron cage holding one
man, who used a glass to watch for
suspicious moments through small
crack. One after another we were
allowed to go in this cage, which by
the way, was covered with dirt to
hide it's position, and see what we
could see with the glasses.
Furthermore, we were given care
full directions to be sure and close
the small opening we looked through
before opening the door to come out.
I'll be doggoned If / could see any
thing but barbwire and dirt, and l
could see right down in German
trench too. After we had all had a
peep at F'ritz's home, we stood in the
trench looking down over the coun-
try we had come through to get here
and then it was we suddenly heard
a whining and singing sound over
head coming nearer and nearer.
Even us, with no experience, knew a
German shell was coming and stood
with curious and open-mouthed
wonder as it passed overhead and
struck a mile below us, sending
trees and dirt in every >direction.
There was a French battery near
there some where, for it immediate
ly answered.
The Answer
The answer wasn't long in coming
five of them. 1t was quite easy to
distinguish their separate whines as
they went singing overhead. The
curious part of it was we could still
hear the whistling song after they
struck and exploded. The Boches,
don't suppose, ever knew what
kindness they did in putting on such
an exhibition for us, for it sure was
wonderful to hear those big shells
come whining overhead and see
them hit with mighty explosion.
But it was nothing new to the lieu
tenant, so he called us away and we