The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-05-10
in two minutes we're blazing away. I
was thrilling sight.
Torn hv Shells


the end of the larger wood in front Z
us, over ground that was torn to BIT
by the heavy shell fire that had jus
preceded, over another edge, across
valley, and under the crest of a hill
And here we found the tanks goin
over the top of the hill to take u
their position. At this point we 'wer
still about mile from the front line
| AT this place opened up an aid pos
under the crest of the hill to take car
Of what wounded came in while w
were getting into position.
| Shrapnel was bursting in the all
shells were whizzing overhead, and on
| guns behind me were belching fort
| the fire. The noise was deafening.
A railroad ran through the vale,
| and an engine pulling a couple of fla
cars was going by. A couple of sol
diers were sitting on the rear trucI
swinging their feet. A shell burst OF
the track and only missed the last ca
about fifteen yards. Neither man wa.
hit and the train went blithely on.
BY this time it was getting alon.
toward evening, the sun was sinking
in the west, and finally went down {
great ball of fire. At the time, re
member, I noticed it's color. 1t was
blood red and had sinister look Was
it my imagination, or might it have
been premonition? At any rate
shall never forget the color of the suI
as it set that night at the end of the
first day of probably one of the great
est battles in history. 1t certainly
didn't look good to me.
The drumming of the guns contin.
ued, twilight gradually deepened into
night, the signalers stopped their wig.
wagging and took up their flash sig,
nails, fog dropped down on us and
put the lights out of business, and
when we left to go forward under the
cover of darkness they were busy put
ting out their telephone lines--signal-
ers and runners don't have an easy
time.
Shell Dump Goes Up.
Behind us a shell landed in an am
munition dump and it went up with a
roar; then the rifle ammunition started
going off like great bunch of fire.
crackers, and great tongues of flame
lit up the sky.
1t is reported that the Germans had
broken through our line and we were
to counter-attack in the morning. We
got into positions without a single
casualty. I opened an aid post in an
old dugout and settled down to sleep
until morning. You may think it fun
ny that one could sleep under such
conditions, but I had been up since
80, had tramped about six or seven
miles, had had a rather trying day
and was dog tired.
Just like some of the warm days we
get the last of March at home. In
going forward it was necessary
for us to march seventy-five yards in
front of three batteries of field guns.
There are six guns to battery. They
shoot an eighteen-pound shell and
while we were there each gun was
shooting twice to the minute. You
can imagine the racket when l tell
you that the discharge of one gun can
be heard about four miles. In addi-
ton the Boche was trying to knock
out this battery and he was dropping
his six inch shells little too close for
Nearly in Trap.
Then ] made lovely mistake.
was to establish an aid post near bat
talon headquarters and went blithely
on when met a company commander
and asked him where to go.
''Back there about a quarter of a
mile" he replied. "This is the front
center company. If you keep on in
the direction you are going you are
going up over that ridge and Fritz will
be waiting for you with machine
gum"
So my sergeant and orderly and
myself didn't waste any time in clear
ng. On the way back found a gallon
IAN full Of water, got into a corrugated
ron shelter and had wash and
shave. 1t certainly felt good. / don't
believe had washed for thirty-six
hours. 1t was warm and bright.
Gould look out of my shelter and see
,ur support lines digging themselves
n several hundred yards away. The
cannon fire ceased, the machine guns
settled down to an occasional fitful
,urst and it was midday of beautiful
pring day.
A couple of partridge flew over me.
What did they know or care about all
his noise and racket and men getting
lp in line and killing each other?
Along about three o'clock things be-
IAN to liven up again. In the mean
ime headquarters had been establish
d in a sunken road with banks about |
fifteen feet high on either side Qater |
his cut was half filled with dead). |
Iy aid post was in a dugout near by |
nd gradually things got hotter and
otter.
Our men had dug themselves in |
nd were popping away with their
if1es. The field batteries behind us |
we're putting up barrage, airplanes
GIG SilSllhS ONCAhCdus DOIu ouIS anu
he Germans. The Germans put up a
the machine guns
we're going like mad. was standing
nth the colonel on a little rise of
round above the sunken road when
he Germans broke through about
lille to the north of US. They could
e plainly seen pouring over the ridge
4 close formation.
Tanks Get Into Action.
Then the tanks came up, and you
hould have seen them run Just like
abbits! The tanks retired; the
,oches reformed and came at it
gain. They tell me that at certain
laces our men withstood fifteen sue
esSive attacks and that the Germans
t. A. ~ L