New-York tribune., 1918-06-30
\ nd There Were Green
a and White Comets

"The stars were out, and to those 6vsx
consultations were added numerous eresn
and white comets and steadily unwink;ns
planets which throbbed across the heavens
French planes patrolling all height.
Then the gunfire grew louder and ocea.
sionally staccato mitrailleuse spoke op.
viciously. Then the bombs began-distant
deeper, still more omnous notes in th;s
celestial overture; and at last came the ma
mistakable humming Of a Boche plane
Nothing could be seen against the blue.
black sky, but we knew it was close ever.
head. Instinctively we drew back. Per-
sonally l felt more conspicuous than ! can
remember; my half-draped figure seemed
the focus of the whole sky.
without further warning a great oranr,
CLEAN shot up few blocks away and tie
deep smothered boom of bomb shook
every window. This sent us back to our
rooms, where we dressed as best we could
and went downstairs. Two more bombs
were heard; then white-faced little French
man ran in and incoherently told of having
trod on things which he found were legs.
and not with their body. We started out
and few minutes away came to an Ameri-
can ambulance in which two bodies had
just been placed. The bomb had fallen in
side house and a soldier and civilian
had been killed in the street Broken glass
was everywhere.
Again came the humming and We all
moved along restlessly. Two Of US agreed
that the open Tuileries Gardens sounded
most healthy, and off we SET great red
glow showed where fire had started some-
where in the suburbs
Then I saw something which perhaps
meant more to me than to the others. A
'pIane-apparently French one, as it car
ried a green light--was fighting for eoui-
librium. out of control and jockeying for
landing place. Like crippled bird
struggling for balance the pilot used every
means to fight the deadly pull of gravity.
Twice his engine started and he gained
little, only to lose it at once, and was COM
PEELED to volplane steeply lest he should
slacken below the forty-mile danger speed
and sideslip. I watched him, tense with
sympathy, until he sank from view. Later
found that he had clevcry sought the
open Place de la Concorde, had managed to
skirt the obelsk, had struck pillar,
wounding himself and killing his observer
"The streets were almost deserted, except
for occasional American soldiers and some
of the poorer classes. Every light was
quenched and seldom a sound Of any kind
was heard. But it was not the silence Of
sleep, but of silent waiting. Peering into
corridors or Railways one could see fam
lies crouched together, while the hotels
were crowded with half dressed people muf
, fed in cloaks, waiting, Ambulances were
stationed near every large hotel and It
many corners. Now and then motor
cyclist streaked past, causing more alarm
with his muffier open than the errival of
another bomb. Sometimes a group Of men
and women rushed by, whimpering and
lodging into doorways. One thought Of
Pompeii-~only here there was no localiza-
tion of the volcano. Any portion Of the
heavens might give forth death at any
moment.
at was curious feeling, to have no
sense of security in houses, and we sym
pathzed with the crowds which took shell
ter in the Metro, deep underground. was
surprised to hear women laughing now ana
then, and so repeatedly that wondered 81
it. 1t was not altogether hysterical lauxR-
ter, and I believe the solution to be the
actual relief from silent worry and waiting
for the ever fateful news from the front.
Here were vital, dynamic happenings. and u
must have been a very real temporary relief.
For of all the suffering and worthy bravery
Of war, place first that of the months ana
years of waiting at home, with inaction and
worry, eating into normal living; and Sec
ond, the years of watchfulness of the
British feet in the darkness and cold Of
the North Seattle very lack of anything
vital sapping the nerves more than any &C.
tive trench warfare.