American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-07-30
THAT LONG RANGE GUN.
By u. G.. Pipp.
Copyright. 1879

high and flying low. acting as no 9th
err airplanes had been seen TO act in
the war zone. They flew singly, in
pairs, threes and TOURS.
And the bombs continued Ia drop on
the city.
Some OF the French people had tax
Ell to the cellars and subways for
safety. as some always do when an air
raid Is on. Others gathered on the
street corners or went about their
business. AS We stood On the pave
ment and watched the airplanes. we
could feel the nervous tension OF the
aviators, transmitted In the very move
ment of their machines as they sought
In vain to locate the German airplanes
which they and we supposed were
dropping the bombs.
Then two things we're observed: the
bombs were dropping with a regulari-
~ that al Don measured at Is min
utes between bombs. and there was a
sound TO the explosion different from
any heard before.
There wene some clouds above the
city, and a theory al advanced that
the Germans had found a way of fly
ing above the clouds. out of reach Of
French airplanes. but the regularity OF
the explosions soon set that thought
aside.
Then pieces of the flying missiles
were found. which disclosed the fact
that shells and not bombs were be
Ing used-shells that had been sent a
long distance from a gun
The thought that perhaps a traitor
l-4 U.-.NHNA4 "a a . - -
through the lines and she'll Paris from
a distance OF 20 miles was being dis
cussed, when the prime minister came
out with the statement that the Ger
mans had invented a long range gun
and were sending shells into Paris
from a distance OF at least 81 miles.
AN abb for not being able to To-
cate the German airplanes." said an
American newspaper correspondent
Don't you think IT," said another.
who was just Ina from the front. and
who had observed cannon fire much
of the time since the beginning of the
war.
The argument continued until an ar
tillery expert entered and proved TO
his own satisfaction and the satisfac-
ton OF some OF the others that 1t was
absolutely impossible to SEND a shell
~ miles. But the shells kept on com
ing.
The next morning In one branch of
the American military service. | was
told that the gun had been located
back OF the German lines. that the
shells were being sent 20 miles in the
air. coming all that distance and drop
aH.- 49,. 49,. 4N... aI-s al. -. 49,. .
was being telephoned every time the
gun was fired. and that the shells
were dropping every Is minutes. One
could hold his watch aud listen. and
the bang would come in the Is min
utes. almost To a second.
Then toward Oon (t was on sun
day the shells began 20 drop every
seven aud a half minutes. The Ger
mans we're evidently using two guns.
Alternating ia the fire After lunch,
the intervals again We're rs minutes.
and ID was concluded that the first gun
had become too hot TO fire. and that
the Germans were finishing out the
days entertainment with the second
gun The firing ended az 3 80 O'Clock.
We went about the city that after
noon 90 observe the effect OF the shell
ling ON the French people
u was a spriug-like day. The PEG
pile thronged the boulevards and the
main streets There were many in
the Wide streets. They sat about the
tables ia front OF the restaurants. Of
course all discussing the new German
method OF attempting TO terrorize wO-
men and children Some talked ser
|-.LH.. -N-.. "a -sI--. -
while still others joked.
People were killed ON each day Of
the Smelling. but no great number La
ter. on Good Friday the German god
OF war reaped a greater benefit. We
had left the city by that time. but We
were told in London that the Is per
sons killed in a certain church had not
been killed by the explosion OF the
she'll that hit the church The diam
etcr of the she'll sent was figured at
nine inches. that conclusion having
been reached by completing a circle
from fragments Of the she'll. The
weight was estimated AZ more than
500 pounds. when that she'll came
down les 90 mites and hit the roof OF
the church. it broke a beam and caus-
ed a large part of the roof to cave in.
killing IS persons and injuring more
than zoe
The plan failed absolutely in It's OBJ
jcct. for instead of inclining the
French 60 sue for a German peace the
effect IA directly opposite. Il in
clined them only 20 night the harder.
When the Kaiser Wants TO Re Good.
Il was not long ago that the German
government declared that it had con
cluded gas warfare to be inhuman. and
expressed a desire to enter into an
agreement with the allies to do away
with that method of Furnishing and
killing soldiers during this war.
Germany had started il. that gov
eminent had sprung a surprise costing
the lives of a good many allied sol
diers Then the allies took it up in
self defense. also %inventing gas masks
10 protect the men in the trenches.