The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-07-25

to blow up the last bridge. He hesi-
tated to obey, for he could still see
many Germans on the other side. He
could see the race for the road leading
TO the bridgehead as all sought safety
at the same instant. There a terrible
panic reigned. Many soldiers jumped
into the river and tried to swim across.
The pressure became greater as the
thousands still on the other side tried
TO get back.
The message over the wire became
more and more insistent. Finally the
officer sprang up, rushed by the piO-
neer, standing at the apparatus and
second later there was a terrible deto-
nation-bridge and men were thrown
into the air hundreds of meters. Just
as river at high tide races along,
taking with II all manner of debris, so
the surface OF the Marne was covered
with wood, men, torn uniforms and
horses. Efforts TO swim were futile.
yet soldiers continued to jump into the
river.
On the other side the French began
to disarm such German soldiers as
stood there with raised hands. Thou
and machine guns fell into the hands
of the enemy. Several of our company
we're just about to retire with the
electric apparatus when something de-
velOped which certain of our number
had suspected. An error had been
made and 1t was too late to rsc..s; e.
The upper bridge. which had not
been used to any great extent by the
Germans. should have been left stand
ingi
1t had been the purpose of the staff
In command to leave this bridge SO
that the enemy might continue Its pur-
suit of our troops until a certain num-
ber of Frenchmen had crossed the
river. The r.an was to permit enough
Frenchmen. to pass so shat they could
be taken prisoner. yet. no. too large
force. lest II might prove menace
to the German arms.
After these hostile troops had
crossed. the plan was TO destroy the
bridge to prevent their being re-
enforced. That was why the sergeant
manning this switch had been kept
waiting for the order to blow up the
bridge. But the sergeant in the ex-
citement and confusion thought that
the cable to which his phone was con-
nected had been disconnected and blew
up the bridge on his own initiative
while II was crowded by Frenchmen
and long before the enemy could have
had an opportunity to cut th0t cable.
At the same time the officer at the
switch connected with the explosives
I = III
orders. He afterwards said that the
order he received WAS hard to make
out and that he had lost his presence
OF mind and threw in the switch,
thereby killing thousands on the bridge
and leaving many other thousands TO
the mercy Of the enemy.
Before there was time for more i'm
pressions our entire unit was ordered
to 'Vitry to he assembled in front OF
80 c-.h.draI- with a sigh OF relief
we hurried away, for the frenCn nr-
tillery began once more TO send shells
with much accuracy over the entire
countryside. Wounded men from other
detachments whom we passed on the
road told us that the French had al
ready crossed the Marne in several
pih'tS. soht hih'hS uH
voiced the same opinion. We had nj
ready sustained great losses on Bel
gian soil and each day brought new
sacrifices. Our lines became thinner
and thinner. Many companies were
entirely destroyed and all units suf-
fered heavily. These companies whose
forces had been reduced to a minimum
and with the survivors half starved
were opposed by an army well
equipped with supplies and arms. The
enemy constantly brought up fresh
troops while our forces became fewer
from hour to bonr. We realized that
II was impossible to make stand
here. We were constantly learning
from soldiers OF other contingents that
their losses in men and materials were
enormous.
| thought Of the God of the Ger
mans. Had he forsaken them?
thought 1t so loud that the others
could hear.
| .Yes." said another, "whom the
I Lord wishes to punish is first stricken
with blindness. Probably he thought
7 of Belgium. Donchery, Sommepy and
/ Suippes, and still many other places
and let MS run into this perdition like
flying fiends."
We reached vitry. Here the misery
seemed to be sell greater than ever
before. for In the entire town there
was not n single house that WAS not
overcrowded with wounded. In the
midst OF oil this misery robbery flour
!shed. All residences had been emp