The Delta independent., 1918-06-07
MAJOR sANpFoRp DELIVERS
AN INTERESTING ADDRESS

from the trenches, has been loaned to
the government for the War Savings
campaign and has been assigned to
Colorado for the first 2S days of June.
He is an Australian by birth, but be
ing in England at the time war was
declared, he enlisted in the cavalry.
He was later transferred from cav
airy to the artillery and has taken
an active part in many of the great
battles up to November s. 1917. when
he was injured by a piece of flying
shell and taken to a base hospital for
treatment. He has been wounded both
in his left leg and left arm, the sub
stance in the first instance having to
be removed, but as he stated, 1t didn't
have to be removed from his arm be-
cause it had gone straight through.
However, it rendered his left arm per-
manently stiff and unfit for service.
But there are more ways of service
than one. 1t is a marvellous thing
to stand behind a canon on the battle
front with shells bursting and scream
ing about ones head-it is another
line of service to paint word pictures
of ones actual experiences, and be
able to impress upon the dormant
American people. SNUG in the selfish
ness of their riches, the urgent need
for not only men, but for money and
lots of it. And this is the service
which Major Sandford is now render
ing for his country, for the United
States, and for us all as individuals.
On Wednesday evening at the Meth
odist church he held his audience for
nearly two hours with a gripping story
of his experiences over there" No
one was weary-all were anxious to
hear more-and some to hear the story
from this man. only six weeks on this
side OF the water, was to bridge the
chasm Of miles that stretch from here
to far away France.
Seldom indeed has it been our pri-
ilege to listen TO a lecture in which
wit and humor. conservatism and path
os we're so curiously, so marvelously
woven together. We will give in our
own words a few experiences as re
lated by Major Sandford, taken from
notes.
Early in 1915 in a deserted trench
we found a face mask. We put it on
the end of a stick and held IL up a.
the trench. thinking Fritz would shoot
at 1t. Nothing doing. We moved it
about a little, put II up and down sew
eral times. Still Fritz did nothing.
Presently one of the boys raised his
face up few inches above the trench
10 command a view of the German
trench. and Fritz had two masks held
up on sticks
There is a great amount of expense
connected with this proposition. Some
times. as many as 1000 shells are fir
ed in order to make a gap % feet
wide. These shells are worth about
s25 each. so it would be an easy mat
ter for any mathematician to figure
the expense incurred Fuse is also
employed to cut the wire, and all this
ammunition takes money"
Another trick: One day our boys
carved a number of wooden men and
attached them to wires. placing them
out in No Mans land in view of the
enemy. When Fritz would shoot the
wire was pulled and the wooden men
fell about. giving the impression OF
dying men. We knew it had some ef-
feet upon Fritz. hut we did not know
the full import until we read in the
German communique the next day:
English troops attacked on wide front
Thousands lying dead There wasn't
one left the trenches"
The major then described a well
made dugout which he and his men
occupied one day in which they were
comfortable until the Germans discov-
cred that they were there and began
shooting gas at them. A shell burst
the exit was cut off temporarily by
falling earth. The concussion extin-
guished every candle. The major went
out to see IL any of his men were in
jured and when he reached the out
side he was overcome with gas before
he could place his mask in position.
Then another came for him and was
also overcome. Somehow they man.
aged to drag the PROSTATE men down
into the dugout and then the fumes
of gas entered the cave. Before It |
was over eight men were down, but
others succeeded in removing them to
another opening where the air was
better and they were all recusitated. !
He said the next day their heads felt |
several times their normal size.
He says the mass formation of
armies has been done away with. or
there would be no German army now.
The gun work moved them off too
rapidly.
"On April l. 1915, an aeroplpne flew /
over near some Germans and dropped
peculiar looking object. II rose
from the ground and dropped several