The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-10
THE FRONT TRENCH
LINE HAS NOTHING ON THIS
NEW JERSEY TOWN
6ombardment of scissors Was Moth
ing Compared to Explosion at
Ambroy, Says Veteran, Who
Experienced Both

Z Experienced Both
. The following interesting story {
| the bombardment of the surroundin
! country about Amboy, N. j., wher
the Gillespie Shell loading factor
blew up, is told in the New Yor
World.
A soldier of the United States arm
with two gold chevrons on his lief
sleeve to denote couple of half-yea
} periods in the trenches in France
stood at 1:5O o'clock yesterday morn
ing alongside an automobile unde
charter to The World, in front Of tn,
Packer House, the leading hostelry
OF Perth Amboy, N j.
Off to the left-the south-in which
direction he and every one else was
facing, the sky smoldered dark red
There was steady grumble of ex
iplosive-gr-r-ump! gr-rump. gr-r-ump
Light flickers ran through the dark
ish color scheme of the canopy
above.
Home, sweet home, boy" said the
soldier. me, know this stuff.
That's the way 1t sounds when we
start to get the Heinies- artillery
preparation they call it."
She'll Shock $500 Miles From the
Trenches
There was blaze, suddenly. It
seemed as though two gigantic arms
reached out with inconceivable rapid.
ity and embraced the ends of heaven
and then drew across the whole bowl
brilliant crimson curtain.
A pause Some OF us counted-as
one does between a lightning flash
and the consequent thunderburst-
one, two, three, four-reckoning
roughly mile to the second.
Then there was terrific rush of
air that beat on ones ear drums. that
forced ones mouth wide open, and
that made ones eyes see whether
they existed or mott green and blue
and other brightly hued stars. And
next there was a racket that seemed
to drive right through the top of the
human dome and shake the bearer
from head to heels.
When it was over, young Mr.. Sol
der was fiat on his face on the side
walk of High street, Perth Amboy.
lie had chucked himself and been
half-fung to the bricks. And Young
Mr.. World correspondent had his
toppiece buried right in the midst of
some of the most popular seat cush-
ions ever manufactured in Detroit,
Mich.
Glass tinkled as windows bellied
n, then burst There was less me.
tallic note as slate poured down from
stopping roofs and splintered on the
There was rattle as
doors fell out and shutters dropped
from their hinges.
Worse Than at Scissors
War" said the soldier as he
picked himself up That's the real
hing! And take it from me, that's
been to scissors and Chateau-Thier.
~. what came off right now is a lot |
1oiser and scarier than anything I !
got over there"
What it was that came off just at
hat instant is hard to say. Maybe
t was one of the black powder mag
'zlnes, 20 by 40 feet in extent, and
iozen or more feet deep, letting 70
'erhaps it was vat of T. N. T. mix
ure sent alott' POSSIBLY 1t was !
lock of those big 24O millimetre
'hells exploding simultaneously.
But anyhow, from that instant on.
al. through the darkness and all
through good many daylight hours.
following, Northeastern New Jersey
and Staten Island bore the closest re-
ienblance to war-ridden France that
could possibly be imagined.
The mutter and grumble of explod.
ing small shells persisted distantly
Drum fire. they call it on the other
side-and very expressive name
thai Is. The los were making this