Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-13
Blasted, Ravaged Rheims
Left Behind by Nar1dal Huns
Blackened Debris and Crumbled Masonry Marx
frances Dearest Shrires, as Ruthless Des:.
troyers Are Forced to Retreat.

By PAUL AYRES ROCKWELL.
Cablesram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago DailyNews. Copyright, 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES, Oc-
tober 10.-The Germans, who for four
years have hung like an evil shadow
over Rheims, have finally been forced
away from the vicinity Of the great
cathedral city, but they have left be-
hind only blasted buildings and raw
aged lands. I spent a day in Rheims
and the surrounding region. and came
away aghast at the awful thorough
ness Of the, destruction the Germans
have wrought there. Minute inspec-
ton of all quarters of the city failed
to reveal one house that was intact.
although from a distance the town
presents fairly whole aspect.
One Reason Against Armistice.
Rheims is one Of the excellent rea-
sons the allies have for not grant
tice. We almost have the foe upon his
knees. We must put him there and
exact full and terrible reparation for
his foul misdeeds.
Entering the wrecked city by a sub
urb, whose grass-grown streets bris-
tied with barbed-wire entanglements,
and passing battered hospitals and
schools and the ghostly ruins of
houses, I penetrated the remains of
st. Remis Church, Rheims Oldest sa-
cred edif1ce, whose foundations date
from the sixth century. Until last
July the church had been spared, but
when the Germans, enraged at their
r-s IA1,
the city, with incendiary shells the
aged basilica was burned. Only the
facade and the side walls remain erect
today. The floor is thickly carpeted
with blackened debris and crumbled
masonry. The roof has fallen in en-
tirely, making strange open-air tenn
pie Of the structure in which so many
of the great of France were buried.
Just to the left Of the main entrance
there still clings to the wall a marble
slab on which is engraved long list
of kings. princes, princesses and arch
bishops who were laid to rest under
the church floor.
Similar Fate for Hospital.
The Hotel" Dieu Hospital. which
stood near by. shared the fate Of St.
Remis, but a little distance away.
across the Nesle river. in Flecham-
Church of St. Clotilde is almost I'M
hurt. except that all the windows are
shattered and there also are some
shell scars on the walls.
Following Rue Gambetta. the build
ings of which, blackened and torn,
are crumbling down and threatening
to block the passage. I reached the
Place du Parvis. There real shock
awaited me. The glorious cathedral,
which, when 1 visited Rheims only a
few months ago, seemed to be in a
condition to be repaired, is totally
ruined. True, its SCARED walls still
stand proudly erect and part of it's
roof remains, but the venerable pile
is doomed. I fear. unless some means
may be found to prop up what re-
mains of it. Daily huge blocks of
stone crumble down and the roof is
rapidly falling in.
The art lovers of the world owe the
Germans an everlasting grudge for
having maliciously shattered this
richest Of the works of the first
Gothic period.
The superb facade is torn by shells
and most of it's famous statues have
been blown away by shellhre or
shrapnel. The towers are more or
less decapitated. The beautiful stained