Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-06
WRITER FINDS feline
IN BA|LLEUL RUINS
wars Inferno Has Reduced Histori
Flemish Town to Mass
Of Wrcckagc.
PUSSY ONLY LIVING THING
Vase OF Wax Flowers Found in
Shattered Home Uninjurcd, Whho
All About Lay Evidence OF De-
structive Work OF Shrapncl.

WITH TIE AMERICANS IN BEL
GUM, September 81 Will never think
or Bailleul again without associatinE
i with honestto goodness war. came
here 4 few hours after the Germans
cleared out. | saw there live proof OF
ne truth Of the old proverb that
ielincs sport nine lives.
wars inferno has reduced the his
'oric little Flemish town to one of the
most graphic ruins along the whole
fprcs. Arras and Albert. because i, is
newer to the war and yet it has prob
ably suffered even more than those
wrecked cities.
a pussy popped out OF the heart of
thc wreckage wrought by the fury OF
modern warfare; it was the only living
ming amid this scene Of dead and de-
struction that day excepting ourselves
and few scattered scntries pacing up
and down the almost obliteraicd
streets.
1t was pity the cat couldn't talk.
II WAS beautiful cat. too. snow white,
With black patch across it's back and
touch OF black on the tip OF it's nose.
J. probably had been the pet of some
family that was forced to flee when
the enemy overlooked this region last
spring.
The animal had lived through the
days and nights or artillery "strafcing
which was 30 violent that but "A few
standing.
We were passing the mouth Of a
deep German dugout when the cat crcpt
} out into. the sun. sitting down on the
step and starting TO lick it's paws. II
was plump cat. and its generally
contented condition showed it had had
plenty to eat
When tried TO pick 1t up and carry
IT. back with me TO civilization it jump
cd into q norton OF china shop lit
There it sat. viewing Ms critically.
Obviously 1t had become boche kitty
while flling the role OF mascot for
the enemy.
Perhaps some soldier. as the British
poured through Baillcul on a later dag
Rad mcrcifully adopted IL as ally
mascot but We couldn', corral IL, OWN !,
70 its suspicion and agility. So We
ieft II licking its paws. seated on a
broken platter.
DEAD HORSES AND
MULES FILL HIGHWAYS
Along the same street dead horses
and mues-victims Of shell tirc-wcre
corruptinK the air, curious sights were
seen among the wrcckagc. \ battered
doll carriage lay amid huge casks in
'front.' OF what was once wine shop
the casks were ciupticd by the Germans.
The torso Of Dbl! had been thrown
INTO half sitting position upon :, chair
that by 4 curious whiu Of fortuna. had
remained almost intact. and the chair
had been showed In the havoc up
against 4 three legged table from the
Wine shop
y hcadiess doll seemed to be drink
ing a toaS; in the name OF belgium to
the arriving Yankee boys
y block away We found half a bed
room intact. There stood little bed.
ard a dresser. and chair-,hc latter
dangling prccariously on the edge OF
; The sheli-sliced floor.
The mirror had been shattered 10
bits. but the murdcrous shrapn.l had
missed vase fun OF wax flowers by
z few inches. That vase was probabi,.
The only thing left undisturbcd in the
entire town.
british planes now were dipping
over head. zlr-zagginE to avoid the
German shrapuel and machine gun bull
let's. We locked back toward the pro-
German kitty II had shifted TO tho
Top OF wine barrel
TIL" main road leading through tho
town WAS mass OF shell cratcrs En-
ginerrs were busy filing them up TO
permit the passage Of British and
americans troops and artillery lined UP
for miles back Of the town, waitin :
10 enter Balleul.
From Bailleul We went TO M.tcrcnc
where saw Scotchmcn take the town
at dawn month ago The next viii
' age below Mctercn was Fictcrc IN.
scene OF an episode in Dumas Three
Huskctccrs." The whole region is
ridded by shells. visited the castle
where the woman character in Duma $
.'.lmortal novel was executed Every
step in this region breathes tragedy
and romance