The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-04-08

seated on the edge Of a bunk with shell
E,iag.., busy ut measuring pieces OF Ger
man shell tn determine the size OF the
gun from which they had been dls-
charged. A shell gauge consists OF Two
pieces OF flat steel on hinge WIN
curved edges. Simply fit the pieces OF
shell into the right curve and the tale
was told: us, SIS, 1865 150s or BIOS
Mot Worried by Nero snip"
'-There Is an abrasion on your Ieft
check" remarked tho major. with the
smile Of an officer who misses nothing.
only a she'll nip. responded the b.
c. II got il running a line back from
an onc1ploded shell TO BOT the direction
from which it had. come We had tne
road on the map, and it was So1t
berth to get the bearings"
Hump" was all the battalion COM
mander said on the subject OF Wounoa-
He added with relation to the business
OF the l.. :. a.: We might as veal
look over the shell holes
With pocket flashlights We three
walked around tho ground in the prox-
unity Of the battery position. l counted
forty-nine holes. But not one had done
any damage. Once there came the
alarm Of another shell. and l jumped
at least ten feet into the actual mouth
the shell exploded at least 1000 feet off.
They would not have done anywhere
near so well if an airpiane had not been
above US directing their fire." apollo
gized the 3. c.
Why didn't you shoot him down.
admonished the major. That u what
the Hutchkiss guns arc for"
Had to make sure he was Ger
man" was the reply. Got into action
OIL the plane at 500 yards. Think we
clipped one Of the wings. He beat IL
with list wabbling badly.
AS the major and l hit the road again
for the trip back 10 battalion headquar-
tiers. he remarked that il was the hrst
shell that always counted. He added.
After that one Is down, there is no
particular danger"
Whercupon. az ir to prove his state
ment. a shell cracked on the road scarce
ly 800 yards is advance Of where We
we're walking. He continued: That
baby was a German e. 1t means that
the enemy is Smelling the next cross
roads All VIC have 10 do is 10 take
short cut through the woods.
Enemy In Methodiool.
About a dozen phslla fell in the neigh
horhood OF that crossroads. Then fol-
lowed absolute silence
do II the same way every ntght'
explained the major. Very mcthodical
these Germans. One always knows
what to expect and where"
On reaching the battalion hcadquar-
ters we found the colonel In charge OF
all tho counter-battery work upon the
wire. BE had left the reStmcnta head
quarters and was at one OF the advanced
battery positions. Our colonel is bear
on the science Of night firing. he
wanted to know what Germany battery
had becn pounding the position we had
lust visited ! think he took the assault
personally. His instructions Were ia
lire twenty round upon all OF The coun-
ter-preparation points when the naI'
teries had silenccd S02. went outside
the concreted headquarters To watch
The red splash in the Sky OF oH gins
as they doomed into action. 1t was
a ring Of angry defiance along the entire
ridge.
Here was accostad by the colonel
himself. lln was making the rounds OF
all the positions of the hcavies, he
did the journey in small auto'hooiie
which he ran himself
want 10 go 10 another battalion head
opartersr' ne asked. DO not worrE
about tho gas. II Is 90 per cent proven
ttor. Got to get the mem used to put
/ fling on their masks Wind IS aGaans'
cloud gas. and that from smells mas
drifted away long ago..
And on VIC flew along the very roae
! which had been desperately shelled oni!
, half an hour before. VIC turned into
a dark forest down frtghtfully rousi
road. at last battling before what looked
, in the night to be the entrance OF
long grape arbor. II WIS camouftage
over the track Of narrow-gaugc rail-
way. We got out and stumbled along
! for about a quarter Of n mile comma
finally upon a duGout. WITHIN VIC louno
the battalion commander. Chicago mil
! lionaire. who was reclining his SIX 1ce'
and n half in an extra long cot with
telephone TO his ealA a log hrc was
burning and in the dim light Of a kero-
sena lamp noted that this other major
had evidently been cody reading ono Of
hIe homo newspapers when the racket
had started.
TITS sOo again. said the colonel.
THAT'S the fellow We have been hrinl
on" replied the major. Got him pretty
Well smothcred.''
10 HStack" in This Drink
We had a drink Of warm hoiied watcl
and dozen at IL hAb o''NNN'
We departed. The colonel went in per
son to tho battery positions The guns
had ceased firing. but I observed tina
upon the tail of each howiNer was
pro,ectilc ready to b" hurled into The
nav OF the gun and fred. In the Amer
| lean sector there is always projectll'
ready for the next jab at tho enemy
This projectilc actually spanked in TN
moonlight
Passing Some Of the concealed dug
outs, I heard the cannoncers singing
| They work in shifts. and al no time
| night or day. is there a paucitI OF mer
| awake necessary 10 opcrat" our lao
| centimcter howitzers. The same is true
Of the lights
.'rhey are the greatest lads In th'
world commented tn" colonel AZ
though they enlisted as artllerFmen
thew have done all sorts OF extra wori
without n whimper. In this sector nc!
have built between three and fou
miles OF light railway, made - lot {"
| camouragc and constructed dumps rn
ammunition. AS for digging trcnche'
\ iS their middle name