Evening star., 1918-01-06
Most of Inhabitants Hasten
Away, Only Poor Remain
ing to Greet Invader.
Correspondent Pays Visit to
BattIe-Worn City on Eve
of Its Agony.

Everything showed the havoc of long con-
tinued fire. In one great court there was
a pretty little chapel which had come
through the ordeal untouched though all
around was a wreck.
The Italian trenches could be plainly
Aaen. But there was no need of indicat-
ing n dividing line. for the bursts of
smoke along one side of the summit, and
the answering bursts from the other side,
told where the line was. on to the left
was Mount St Michel. once swept clean
by shell fire but now green again Nestled
in hollow was the convent of st. Cathar-
ina. The BiansiZza plateau was off to the
left. and through the mist the dim
outlines of snow-topped Mount Nero, that
outpost of the Italian advance.
AS we stood surveying this scene there
was the steady rumble of guns, with the
crack of quick-frers. and then the long
''whiz' 0! ever-Cassing shells. But there
was one "whiz' which instantly engaged
every attention. We could hear it com
ing and it was not going over, nor under
nor at either side Every one instinctively
recoiled, and then
Crash,
Five of us went down in a heap, stunned
as with hammer blow. There was a
great enveloping noise, with the smash
and crack Of walls. the flying of frag-
ments. and then the heave of tons Of
earth, mortar and masonry ploughed up
by the huge missile.
Shell Strikes Near Party.
1t had struck that observation post.
just fifteen feet away. which We were
about to enter. There was no more OBJ
servation post; it was swept clean. But
fortunately the shell had gone straight
through, battering down massive walls
and digging deep trench into the earth,
where it had exploded under ground,
throwing up great geysers. But while
the earth and stones few like hail, the
n1 ~
shell fragments Stunned as we were.
the first impulse wasAof self-preserya-
ton A hasty glance showed no one was
seriously injured, though the trickle of
blood on the right temple of one Of
the party told that flying stone had
found a mark
At the cafe where we went for lunch
the officer from headquarters laid out
The big military map on the table and
explained the military situation. 1t
was this: The enemy was bringing
great masses of men to the north of
the Biansizza plateau. His design was
evident. The Italians by their last
advance had swung ring which was
threatening Trieste. To save Trieste
the enemy must force the Italians back
to the IsonZo river. as another Italian
onensiye would clear the Carso range
and give the Italians the mastery Of
Trieste. To the enemy the time had
come when he must act before the
Italians PLAYED their final card and held
the jewel of the Adriatic.
AS we pored over the map the in
creasing roar of the artillery told that
the enemy was losing no time in his
part of the military game. The pro-
prietor of the cafe was an intelligent
old man, and l asked him IL the fire
we heard was the same as usual He
shook his head and said: mo; 1t is
very much heavier and it seems as
though something was going to hap
pen" This was the instructive feeling
of the people on the spot. who had
gone through this day after day for
months. They felt the blow coming.