Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-01-07

event of the day. This is a huge pile
with old-time moat and battlements,
and a great tower dominating the
whole country for miles around. Here
we were to view Mount Gabriel, Mount
Michel, the Biansizza plateau and the
whole range of ground which mad
passed through this upheaval. 1t was
sh;'l 70 the citadel. Everything
showed the havoc of long-continued
fire. In one great court there was a
pretty little chapel which had come
through the ordeal untouched though
all around was a wreck.
Once up the battlements a COM
manding view was ahead. There was
one point of vantage where this view
was particularly good, known as the
observation post. We halted a mo-
ment, about to enter the post, but
others wished to push on to the very
front Of the wall, and this view pre-
vailed 1t was a most fortunate deci.
sion, as we soon had reason to know.
On the battlements a splendid view
stretched out for miles over this bat
tleground of mountains valleys and
plains with the city houses clustered
below and the roads winding off
through the valleys and foothills,
There in front was Mount st. Gabriel,
this side held by the Italians, the 9TH
er by the Austrians.
Plainly See Trenches.
i
the escort, pointing to a line of trees
and depressons near the summit.
The Italian trenches could be plain
ly seen. But there was no need of in
dicating a dividing line, for the bursts
of smoke along one side of the sum-
nit, and the answering bursts from
the other side, told where the line
was off to the left was Mount st.
Michel, once swept clean by shell-fire
but now green again. Nestled in q
hollow was the convent of ST. Cata-
rina. The Biansizza plateau was off
to the left, and through the mist were
the dim outlines of snow topped
Mount Nero, the outpost Of the Ital-
ian advance.
AS We stood surveying this scene
there was the steady rumble of guns,
with the crack 81 quick-firers, and
then the long "whiz" of ever passing
shells. But there was one "whiz''
which instantly engaged every atten-
ton. We could hear it coming and
II was not going over, nor under, nor
al either side. Everyone instinctively
recoiled, and then
Crash!
| Five of us went down in a heap,
! stunned as with a hammer blow.
There was a great enveloping noise
with the smash and crack of walls
the flying of fragments, and then the
heave of tons of earth, mortar and
masonry ploughed up by the huge
missile.
Shot Fell Near,y.
1t had s;ruc1 TIE observation post
just fifteen feet away, which we were
about to enter. There was no more
observation post; it was swept clean
But fortunately the shell had gone
straight through, battering down mas
sive walls and digging a deep trench
into the earth where IL had exploded
underground, throwing up great gey-
sers But while the earth and stones
flew like hail. the underground ex-
plosion had held the shell-fra gments
Stunned as we were the first impulse
was of preservation A hasty
glance showed no one was seriously
injured, through the trickle of blood
on the right temple of one of the par
ty told that flying stone had found
a mark.
"They have this range" said the es-
cort as we struggled to our feet, "and
one shot means that another will fol-
: low."