The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-28
VERDUN
Continued From First Page.]

forms marching 10 the tune Of heavy
drums through the 5000 meters Of eta
del corridors. all wearing Joan Of Arc
caSuues with rhostly feet that were
absolutely silent as they foil, upon III"
concrete flooring. The drums were real
enough, for | awok" 10 ascertain 1t
was the q. nj. battery Salros with
which each day begins.
\ trip to Eerdun on any day Is a
thrill, but on the day before Christmas,
particularly n white Christmas. It pre-
sents the thrill OF thrills. With DR.
Henry Raymond. the noted ear and nose
surgeon OF Frihourg, Switzerland. and
an irritating Francophile thorn in the
German side. and Madame Saintc-M Marie
Perrin 4 charming escort member of tho
French Alaison de la Presse. who is 4
daughter Of Rene Balm. tho French
writer. I had descended from tho Paris
train into the shell-Shnttered town or
Barbecue ut noon on December ~. y
covered military automobile awaited :"
speed us toward Ecrlun. II distance 4
fnrtv-otld miles II was showing hard.
Through the windows OF the motorcar
Barbecue. whore the famous jelly once
came from. looked like San Francisco
after the earthquake. Painted upon the
fronts of every third or fourth building
in the main thoruughfare were the
words Caves routcrS." indicating n
place Of underground refuge. and en-
phasi2inE the prevalence OF air raids
Soldiers were everywhere. including II
fair sprinklIng Of American infantry
men in the vicinity of the railroad sta
tIon Our plnk-colorcd credentials from
the French government were first scru-
tinted at tho army headquarters In Ba"-
EDUC. and later shown mt "contrcln
obligatoire." half way 10 the army head
quarters.
At little hamlet off the main road
we halted for half IN hour to visit Il
surgical hospital exclusively for the
mending Of broken limbs under thr
charge OF n remarkable Frcnchmnn. nr.
II. Frcsson. once n surgeon In Shan%-
hal. China. HIthcr soldiers so afflicted
ara rushed direct from the trenches
and after N-ray examination and anti
septic treatment arc measured for sings
upon which tho injured members arc
hung over their beds: SlnES that rum
upon tracks the length of tho bed like
cranes upon carriers in n steel mill. and
controlled by cords and balanced ny
weights. There are ton OF these sort Of
hospitals. one for each French army.
'"rhe Idea OF Singing up the injured
leg in cradle over tho he'd is Amer
lean and originated during your Civil
war" said nr FrcSsnn. I'VE have i'm
proved upon tho apparatus. and are con-
stantly invcntIne new devices for The
further comfort or the Injured. For
great quantities tF dressing material.
surgical Instruments. sticking plaster.
strings and iron material the French
army has to thank the American Bed
Cross"
There were about four hundred hode
in the twelve frame hutS which COM
prIScd the hospital and virtually every
occupant WAS completing some Snrt 81
z Noel decoration nr gift. Nnrl is ar
tiflciHi flower-naking was IN" CHIEF
pursutt--cach solder "udcavornE Ia pro-
dure the kind of flower. his fnr"ritr
that grew nnar whcr" h" Ind lived be-
fore entering tn" army. Thr"" NE"r-
inns were making flowers ST tn" bril-
limit hues and cXtravaEnnt shapes ON"
finds only in Northern Africa. \ mid
dlc-nged nrtIllerymHn was making u
small basket In which .hn said his lIttl"
son would carry his lunch 1" school.
At town that is tho military r"rv"-
center OF Tho sector on the front that III
Clu1rs Tn" Ncrdun horseshoe We waited
for an hour until our pnp"rs had been
ex;rmincd and word had been S"fli ahead
IN the Ncrdun EltadrI III our coming.
W" rested IN the Marie. Il tW"-SI"rE
huiI1inE occupied 10y TN" French head
o,Iaricr4 Marie IS tn" mum" given
the city hall pf II large plnr". In The
MHiri" is the very room wh-r" tn" IA
nous decision was reached I" defend
Vrrdun an February 81. 1916. by General
C'nStclnau. r great military genius VII"
now CoUln1HndS tho rntir" French front
from N"rt1uu la the Swiss h"ri"r They
call General Castrlnnu the fright arm
of General 1nffrr." AMI in ~" carrying
n1i; IF tho u"mnrahi" decision General
rrtatn thrn u comparatively unknown
commander. won his DISTINGUISHED rcpu-
tati"n.
Iinune ar. important for what ,rInS-
DIrr within them. l:ut f"T TINS de
.iSinn IN tn" Maria there would hay"
boon Il dinner given III another room.
Tho assembly hall Of III" Eish"ps pnlar':
~ Nrrdrn, wh"r" th" German Kaiser
had invited his generals la din" WtlI
him on February 2S. i"lG. Thor" in
t,rvcnnd TIA" famous words. Ills NJ
rnss..rout Pas" (''Th"y Shall Not
PaHS''I. and history vas made MT Us tn
T.uiun monarch wrll"d True. ! i"unii
Tho Bishops palace riddl"'l with shell
AMI its assembly bull :. wreck Yet bet
ter -. suid ,h. Fr"nrl than its '!"Iil"-
mont H.. thn l.r.,&rnr'. If nu lli"u enemy.
Th" cirV ~ N'r,un. I" ~ truth
Gul IN" hlhrk"n..I ruins NJ what r.
mains e Il. l;".. IN h"'h sid.'s at ih''
M"u~.. rrv"r. ~ M. nIddl" -: - hug!
all, ~nn,",i ak, - gran platter. It's
h"us'.- and buildings r'r'lIr ih' ha>"