The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-02-14
TEXAS SOLDIER
WAS TRUE HERO
'REscUEs WOUNDED SAMMY AND
DEAD SOLDIER.
NO SIGN Or GERMAN ACTIVITY
Americans Take To Trenches--HaVe
Built Wonderful System Along
Occupied Sectors and Appear
Contented and Fearless.

With the American Forces in
France, Feb. ia Texac Sammy
was the hero of Fridays patrol en-
counter with the Huns in which five
Americans were killed and four cap
tured, it was learned here today.
The Texan remained in No Mans
Land after the encounter and minis.
tered to his wounded comrades. After
ten minutes of impromptu first aid
work the Texan left the party of
wounded Sammies in charge of an
other wounded American, who was
trying to stop the flow of blood from
his own hurts.
| Making his way back to the Amer
lean trenches the Texan filled his cup
with water and returned to his com.
rades.
He found the man whom he had
| left in care of another wounded Sam
my dead in the arms of the other,
who was crying, For Gods sake,
buddy, don't die tonight, wait until
we can get another cracS at the dirty
| Boches."
The Texan brought both the
wounded Sammy and the dead one
back to the American lines.
Little Change in Situation. .
London. Feb. 12.--There are no in
dications of an immediate or any
great German offensive on the west
| front, according to the military cor
respondent of the Express.
Indications are, he said, that the
present conditions will last for at
least a fortnight.
From authoritative sources it has
been stated, the correspondent de-
clared that the transfer of the Ger
man forces from the eastern front to
the west is no faster and no greater
than was anticipated.
The Franco-British forces in rifles
and guns are slightly superior to the
Huns, excluding America, Belgium
and Portugal
| Trench Life in France.
| With the American Forces in
France, Feb. 12.-Life in the trenches
is a routine that seldom varies. Part
of the men are on duty in the daytime
and a larger number are on duty at
night This, however, does not
mean twelve hours on and twelve
hours off. At certain hours of the
day and night all are on duty. Some
are on duty at the listening posts,
some are sniping at enemy machine
gunners and some are making patrol
trips in No Mans Land, Others are
always working, digging and build
ing. After the war France will
either have the finest system of
bitches in the world or the armies
will remain here another year filling
them in.
Trenches Are Deep and Wide.
When it is understood that a
trench must be so deep that a mans
head does not show above 1t and that
it must be wide enough to permit the
bringing up of supplies and the TAX
ing back of the wounded. it is posi-
/ BILE to conceive the amount of work
required to construct one. In addition
there must be dugouts for the men to
sleep in when off duty or to protect
them in a bombardment. Back of
these are communicating trenches,
ammunition, supply and hospital dug
outs and other camoufaged trenches
leading back to headquarters. These
make the first position of defense.
Then comes second and frequently
third position. All this gives some
idea of the thousands Of trenches dug
and the armies are still digging.
Some Trenches Blasted.
Trenches are either of rock, which
it is necessary to blast, or of soft
earth, which it is necessary to tim
Der and shore up with revetments of
twigs and wire. The building of a
more permanent ditch is like con-
structing a sewer in a city street. The
enemy always delights in Smelling
the finest trenches, and it is necessary
to rebuild them day after day.
Back of the front lines it is about
the same. Though there are fewer
trenches. the same kind of dugouts
are required for protection. When
a destroyed village is available dug.
outs are tunneled under the ruins of
the former homes so that the more
The enemy shells the ruins and the
more walls he knocks down the
thicker become the roofs of the dug,
outs.
More Trenches as Army Moves.
1t all means amending work, for
the army is always moving so that
more trenches, more dugouts and
more swinging of pick and shovel are
required.
Our men are already hardened to
this and are like veterans. The feel
ing of strangeness and uncertainty in
the trenches has worn off and they
are working like Trojans without
Igrumbling and are facing the enemy
without fear.
Sundays sun had Cheerful
warmth about 1t that did much I,
save and conserve the fuel supply