Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-18
Sdnmees Fight
in NelU Sector


They had not much liked this work
while at the training camps. but now
they see the absolute necessity of this
trying labor of digging in. and the,
are putting all their will ana strength
into the task.
American gunners have obtained the
range OF important new German works
and a number of direct hits were scored
by the artillery on Sunday. Consider
nble damage Is believed to have been
caused.
There was much aerial activity on
Sunday, German airmen trying to cross
American lines. In no instance were
they successful always being driven
back by the barrage fire from our high
angle guns.
General John J. Pershlng. the Amer
lean commander, has arrived at head
quarters after spending two days at the
front on a tour of inspection. The
General visited trenches. battery posi-
tions and dugouts. making trip from
one end of the American sector to the
other. The officers and men were closely
questioned regarding food and living
conditions and the material work ac-
complshed and planned.
General Pershing saw several things
of minor Importance which did not
please him entirely and ordered changes
to be made without any delay,
All the Americans questioned by their
commander were perfectly contented.
But there was one exception In the per-
son OF a cook who Informed General
Pershng that he thought there should
be more green vegetables.
Throughout his trip the General
limped slightly. having sprained his
ankle recently. He wore the regulation
shrapnel helmet with its strap adjusted
al the point of his chin and gas mask
over the breast Of his uniform
The inspection was complete In every
detail, General P6rshing even entering
the dugout of a certain regimental COM
,oander. who happened to be absent at
the time.
General Pershing called for ali of the
absent officers papers and read them
Thoroughly to see II orGers were prop
erly given and execu,ed.
The wounded and sick occupants of a
field hospital a few kilometers behind
the American trenches had been trans
ferred to the rear today as the result
of a boche air raid.
A German airplane, flying low In the
light of brilliant quarter moon Friday
night, released ten bombs directly over
the hospital Surgeons standing in the
Nlru saw Trains VI eb"' Ms A'N'' 'HN
burning fuses streaking toward the earth
| like red rockets.
The alrplane's velocity caused the
bombs TO miss the fiimsy wooden hos
pital building. They struck in nearby
held. making enormous holes. Fragments
smashed the windows Of the operating
room.
A wooden hut In which men were
sitting seemed to lift from the earth.
The explosions knocked down the
candles f. the hut. The captain sprang
up and relighted. a Carolina Kid. who
had been singing. stopped momentarily.
! then asked
Captain, hadn't / better keep on
singing"
The captain laughed and replied
"Sure, boy shake 1t up
The kid took up the song where he
left off with the sound of the airplanes
motor and machine guns rat-a-tat-tatins
over head and bombs crashing In the
field nearby.
STRUCK NEAR BED
At a hospital young officer. who
had not yet been transferred to safety
showed the ugly. jagged fragment oil
a bomb which struck door two feet
from his bed.
He told how he lay helpless In bed
gazing at the sky. through a window and
saw the livid tracer" bullets from ths
airplane's machine guns fired toward
the hospital. He heard bombs whistle
earthward like the roar OF shells through
the air.
"I'ye been under fire in the trenches.
he said, "but l never felt last night'i
sensation before--hearing the plane di
rectly overhead, waiting for the bombs
, wondering whether they'd nit directl,
on the roof. One fellow sat up in be'
, and yelled
"'Go on. Drop Il Drop it""
!, An even more brilliant moon cause,
. the officers to fear repetition Of tn
! raid and resulted In the evacuation o
! the hospital.