The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-09-06
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by this we would get our bearings
and perhaps, II II should be German
flag. timely warning. But after W,
were down the road bit and had go
clear we saw a Belgian flag whipping
around in a good, S'rong breeze. Blu
while that showed that our troops OF
the British were about to take oyel
the place II also indicated that thu
Germans were somewhere near by
Which was not so cheerful.
As we went through the suburbs
along the canal which runs on The
edge Of the town we found that al
the houses were battered up. We
tried to hall several heads that stucl
themselves out Of the spaces between
buildings and stuck themselves bacl
Just MS quickly. but we could not gel
an answer. Finally we got bold Of
a Llan who came out from q little
cafe.
He told Ms that the Germans had
been through the town and had shot
II up considerably, killing and wound
Ing few inhabitants, but that shortly
aftsrward q small force Of Belgian
cavalry had arrived and driven the
Boches out. The Germans were ex-
pected either to return or begin bonn
bnrdment at any moment and all the
inhabitants who sported cellars we're
hiding In them. The rest were trying
to get out OF town with their belong
ings as best they could.
On reaching our objective we made
straight for the Hotel de vile. where
we were admitted and after short
wait taken TO the burgomaster. We
questioned him as to news for we hnd
been instructed to pick up any infor-
mRtion he might have MS to conditions.
But we did not get much. for he could
not get about because OF the Germans,
who had made It policy to terrorlze
the people Of the town.
We had just got into the car and
We're about TO start when the burgo-
MASTER himself came running out. He
ordered us to leave the car there and
said he would direct US where TO 20.
He insisted that we so on foot, but l
could not understand when he tried
TO explain why.
We soon saw the probable renson
for the burgomaster's refusal 10 ride
in the car. All around for about
mile the roads were heavily mined and
small red nags on iron slaves were
stuck between the cobblestones, as
not to put in much time
around those places Also, there were
notices stuck up all around warning
people Of the mines and forbldding
heavy carts to pass. When we got
on the road / hreathed ngainl
After great deal Of questioning we
finally reached our destination and
made our report to the local command
ant. We told him all we could and in
turn received various information
from him, We were then taken over
TO the hotel Here we read a few
Paris newspapers. that we're several
weeks old. until about eight. when we
had dinner, and fine dinner II was,
too.
After we had eaten all we could, and
wished for more room In the hold, we
went out into the garden and yarned
a while with some gendarmes, and
then went to bed. We had a big room
on the third floor front. We had Just
turned In, and were all set for a good
nights rest, when there was an explo-
sion Of different kind from any
had heard before, and we and the bed
rocked about, like canoe In the wake
of stern.wheeler.
There were seven more explosions,
and then they stopped. though we
could hear the rattle Of machine gun
at some distance away. Bartel said It
must be the forts, and after some argu-
ment agreed with him. He said that
the Germans must have tried an adj
vance under cover Of a bombardment,
and that as soon as the forts got into
action the Germans breezed. We were
not worried much. so we did not get
out of bed.
A few minutes later we heard foot
steps on the roof, and then woman
In window across the street, asking
a gendarme whether 1t was safe to go
back to bed. Then | got up and took
/ look into the street. There were a lot
of people standing around talking, but
It was not interesting enough to keep
a tired man up, so into the hay.
1t seemed about the middle Of the
night when Bartel called me. but he
said 1t was time to get out and get to
work. We found he had made a poor
guess, for when we were half dressed
he looked at his watch and II was only |
n quarter past seven. but we decided
10 stay up, since we were that far
along. and then 60 down and cruise for
q breakfast.
When we got downstairs and found
some Of the hotel people It took them
n long time to get II through our heads
that there had been some real excite
ment during the night. The explosions
were those OF bombs dropped BY a
which had sailed over the
city.