Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-02-13
Correspondent Sees SheI-Bas-
tered City lust Before the
Italians Reiterated.
PAINTS PICTURE or RUIN
Newspaper Men Have Narrow Escape
as They Watch Artillery Battle
Outlines of City Still There,
but II Is a City Slowed by
Bombardment.

AieduQuATteFS VI lhe lAaiiAh AZ
Northern Italy.-GOritZ is symbol.
ION 10 Goritz!" was the cry of the
duke of Aosta's soldiers as they
pressed through the little town of Luz
chico few months ago. fighting their
way down to the Isonzo river, then
across the western bridge leading TO
the city. when the cry changed to GO
ritz at last :"
Then this was reversed when the
overwhelming invading force of Aus
tro-Germans took up this same cry,
ION to Goritzl" pressing down from
the north, across the northern bridge
to the city and ending with "Goritz at
last"
Thus Goritz has become symbol OF
the huge change which has occurred.
Ii was one of the furthest points for
ward on the Italian line, the center of
vast arc of lighting front stretching
from PiOzzO, far in the north, down TO
the Adriatic at MontefalcOne, and II
was the most populous and important
city in the great crescent of territory
which the Italian army had sliced of
southwestern Austria-some six hun
dred square miles In all. And so Co
ritz was symbolic of that entire region
which has twice changed hands In this
war, and of the furthest advance in
the first Italian campaigns.
went to Goritz and saw the city
on the eve of its agony. 1t was the
last trip made there by anyone outside
the military before the retreat began.
The roar of the great Austro-German
offensive already had commenced,
though for the moment II was taken
for a spasmodic renewal of the cannon
ade which had been going on for weeks.
Within twenty-four hours the enemy
had crossed the IsOnzo II miles further
north, turned the Italian left wing,
beaten back the second army under
General CapellO, threatened to enyelOp
the third army under the duke of A.
Ia. brother of the king of Italy, and put
in execution that gigantic hammer
stroke by which they hoped to finish
Italy and cripple the whole entente.
Roads Left Clear.
My trip was maze by invitation Of
the supreme command, with staff edi-
tor from headquarters as escort. As
we sped along the road in the big army
automobile | noted there were no
troops along the road and bordering
fields as one sees approaching Verdun
or in the Somme or Flanders. This alb
sence of troops in the rear was part of
the system adopted. it was explained.
All the reprovisioning of the army was
done at night and the roads were left
clear by day most of the time.
Ten miles out we crossed the ltal-
ian-Austrian frontier and entered Aus
tria.
At Commons. an Austrian village on
the road, the signs above The shops
were all in Italian, showing the ltal-
ians were right in the claim that all
this section was racially Italian.
The cannonade began 10 be heard
for the first time ten miles west of Co
rita low rumble 10 the north and
east, with now and then the mufiled
boom of great gun. Day by day the
fire was getting heavier said our es-
cort. who knew the ground by heart,
and he added that the enemy forces
had been increased from 120 battalions
to $50 battaliOns.
AS we passed through the town Of
Lucinico, a far-out suburb of Goritz 1t
was seen TO be half destroyed. Along
the main street ran rows of battered
buildings, with walls half down and
shell holes making ugly gashes. But
business was going on. men were at
the cafes and women and girls strolled
the street unconcernedly. Now the au-
tomobile turned up the steep side of
Padgera hill, one of the outer defenses
of Goritz where bloody nd-to-hand
fighting occurred. One could see the
old trench and wire system, now grass
grown. All this hill had been swept
bare by shell fire, but nature had kind
ly obliterated the scars and the hillside
was again smiling with its verdur..
The sound of firing had now increased
to an enormous roar as we passed Pad
gera hill.
Turning the corner of a shattered
wall we saw the IsonzO river lying
ahead and on The further side Goritz
rising in terraces with the huge battle
ments of the citadel towering on the
right. The river looked about the
width of the Potomac at Washington.
but with swifter current from the
mountain feeders. Along the edge of
the river ran rows of sheli-torn walls
with gaping windows. This whole wa
ter front had been torn 10 pieces. and
yet many of the demolished remnants
Of the buildings were occupied and
work along the river wharyes was pro-
ceeding.
Old Bridges Replaced.
The IsonzO river was crossed by the
wooden bridge which Italian engineers
built after all the old bridges had been
blown up. On one side lay the wreck
of a big pOntOon. 1t was on pOntoon
bridges that the Italians entered the