The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-08-29


/ was the only priest ashore for two
days and was kept very busy. / have
heard confessions in all kinds OF wierd
places with the shrapnel bursting and
bullets whizzing around. ] 90 along
the trenches every day in case any one
might want to see me. II Is all so
strange and uncanny. Passing along
the trenches soldier with his rifle
through a loop hole and one eye on
the enemy may call me to hear his
confession. while II Is being done the
bullets are Hopping into the sand
bags of the parapet a few inches
away. It Is consoiing and satisfact-
ory work, II little dangerous. / feel
that have done more work during
these four weeks than during all the
years that have been a priest /
have seen some wonderful manifesto
tons Of divine mercy during those
| weeks. This is our fifth Sunday
ashore and have not said mass dur
ing that time; as my vestments have
not yet come from the troop ship,
and even If they had 1t would not be
advisable to gather men together In
close formation as shrapnel shell
might exterminate the whole lot. l
have seen some horrible sights during
those weeks. Our men are brave and
bear the most horrible wounds with
out a groan. Our regiment lost half
its strength the first day we landed.
Only yesterday a poor fellow was ia
ken from my side by shell and all
we found of him afterwards were
fragments collected in the scrub. War
is abominable.
| shall never volunteer again In any
capacity for have seen enough of It..
1t Is not so much personal fear that
would deter me, as the awful sights
and nerve shaking ordeals of fire one
has to go through. You have no idea
OF what an awful thing shell fire Is.
have seen strong men become gibber-
ing idiots as the result Of shell
bursting near them and tearing men
to pieces. Yet they were untouched.
II will shake the strongest nerves. I
live with my regiment in the trenches
and every man who Is not in the firing
line has his hole in the ground called
a "dugout" into which he dives when
shell fire opens. The whole ground
we occupy is like a rabbit warren. My
dugout Is just like grave, except that
1t has steps at one end by which to
enter 1t. In these we eat and sleep.
They are not very comfortable, but
are good protection against shrapnel.
When 1t rains they are indescribably
horrible. ] have had my clothes and
boots off only once during the past
month. had a wash twice. and one
shave; SO / can assure you do not
look a thing of beauty. l am culti-
waiting q beard and in another month
expect to look as fierce as Bedouin
chief. Water is scarce; we only get
enough to drink and cook, but none
to wash. SO we are not too clean.
saw a man this morning hunting
through his clothes and he summed
up the situation perfectly by saying.
you never know you are alive here,
father, till you take your shirt off"
We have sleeping valises, clothes and
other comforts but they are still on
board the troop boats and can not be
brought ashore, as our wagon trans
port is no use in such a roadless coun-
try as this. Food Is good and plenti-
full, but there is little change 1t Is al
ways timed beef and biscuits that
you could not break with steam
hammer. I have had several narrow
escapes, so many in fact that won
der why l am still alive I had four
bullets in my pack, one through a jam
tin out of which i was eating, which
was eating, which spoiled the jam
and made me very wild. One through
my water bottle one through to-
bacco tin in my pocket; one took the
epaulette off my tunic, and once l had
10 shrapnel bullets through a water
proof sheets on which was lying on
ly few minutes previously. have
lost count of the shells that nearly ac-
counted for me. I hardly expect to
get through the business alive, but
seeing that have been lucky so far
may. Five nights ago the Turks
launched a fierce attack along our line.
They intended to push us back into
the sea, and with that end In view
they sent at least $4,000 men against
us. The show began at midnight and
rushed to the fore trench, for like
to have good view Of such fun. The
slaughter of Turks was awful. They
came on in massed formation-Ger-
man style-and dense columns, only to
be mown down by the concentrated
and rapid FIRE Of machine. guns and
rifles. At o'clock they broke and fled
but came on again at $3.50 and the
slaughter continued without cessation
till midday. At daybreak to add to
the horror, the artillery on both sides
opened fire and ours did fearful execu-
ton. AS fast as they fell others came
on shouting Allah" and making the
most ungodly noises. 1t was appalling
but I was pleased to see our men get
some revenge for the day We landed.
Only once did two Turks reach our