Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-15
Horses Killed by Hundreds:

Horses had been killed by the hun
bred their losses in this respect max
ing it Impossible for the Germans to
remove many Of their cannon or mil
!: The roads in this region were not
equal to those on other parts of the
German front, and most Of the sup
plies for the Hindenburg line were
handled by system of narrow-gauge
railroad. The Junction of the roads
in this vicinity, though far behind the
lines. was destroyed by the first days
Smelling, with the result that the Ger
mans were not able either to haul
away tons of supplies or to pull out
the rolling stock itself.
When the men of a Pennsylvania di-
vision crossed the railroad line they cap
tured ESQ cars of various types, together
with seven locomotives, The latter were
Unique affairs. with q Dig f1ywfeel over
the boiler and q fanciful German name
painted on the sides of the steel cab of
each. ..-
War Plants Captured. -
The same division also captured in
the Argonne forest a complete fifteen
cottage hospital. sawrniu electrically
worked, with 100000 feet of dressed
lumber; quarry and stone dressing
several electric light and power plants.
The railroad, the hospital and the power
plants were all Immediately put to use
III helping our advance. e..
The hospital. which was inside the
forest. was built CT brick. stucco and
cen plots b .ck of each cottage. i!,ra-a-
bly, containing cabbage and potatoes
There were risti" summer gardens in
tie vicinity. while in the windows were
rottcd plants.
Deserted on Surgeon Table.
The beautiful white-tiied operating
room was fully equipped and apparently
had been abandoned in the midst Of an
operation, the body OF German soldier
with a leg arnputated still lying OH the
operating table.
Tho drugs, cots and handages we're
removed for the use of our field .hospi-
tai In the same way the lumber which
i'll their haste tho Germans had left un-
burned was used in rebuilding roads and
bridges blown up by mines.
Before it's leafv bowers masked
grim war, the Argonne forest was one
of natures beauty spots. Through 1t
runs Il succession of gullies and rivu-
let's and, tree-arched paths which the
sun never penetrated. In each clear
ing and crossroad without exception
was a concrete pill box, canouhaged
with brush to escape detection and
with guns so placed as to sweep every
approach.
Camoufaged ''Numbers.'
The woods was surrounded by a
series Of fox-hole intrenchnaents,
which a single man could fire. thus
giving the impression of numbers.
The. stone quarry was mined under
ground. creating an immense cavern
capable of housing 1000 men. The
mems hunks were arranged in a large
dormitory, while the officers. had sep
arate rooms partitioned oft from one
another. The forest. not having been
cared for in years. was almost impen-
etrabIe except for paths and roads,
and the difficulty of traversing it was
further increased by .interlacing. the
trees with barbed wire.
The roads Were4l1 mined. What
looked like the tops of tin cans pro
truded diagonally across the track.
and the wheel of a. truck wagon or
plcde mines.
Ornate Headquarters.
Opening into the. great cavern were
the headquarters Of various regi-
ments. These were particularly or
nate, with Ttuccoed facadeS and dug
outs. the llaneS Of the various regi-
mentS appearing over tho fronts IN
letters of various shades of color.
Thousa uds of picks and shovels and
other engineering tools were found
and were put to immediate use in
road building, saving the bringing up
of our own supplies over the crowded
roads. The stores of blankets, over
coats, boots, caps. mittens and Ger
man uniforms were left in the ram
bling warehouses, all being marked
with the universal Up. c." meaning
prisoner guerre" (war .priscner).
There was enough of this material to
clcthe warmly. all the prisoners taken.
stewed Rabbit for Yankees.
In one place in the forest was found
an extensive hunting lodge, which
evidently had been used by imperial
visitors. It was provided, with an
elaborate series Of outbuildings filed
with German commissary, stocks. The
forest was alive with rabbits, and
there was hardly an American mess,
even during their hardships Of the. ad-
vance, from which the savory otlor of
stewed rabbit did not come more than
once.
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