New-York tribune., 1918-11-04
French Cavalry on Out
! skirts, Only Three Miles
!. From City
Germans EIurl Gas
On Valenciennes
Five thousand Civilians
F.. Left, $4,000 Evacuated
to Mons


FRANCE AND BELGIUM, Nv. 3 (By
The Associated Press). - The Franco
Belgian troops this morning had
reached line within five miles OF
Ghent- French cavalry last night were
repor; ed at St. Denis Westre.n Railway
Station, which is about three miles
southwest of the city.
In the meantime French AID Amerl-
can forces occupied AudeHarde, fur
xber south. Americans mad battled
their way across the Sche.dt between
Heurne and Eync, to the north Of All
denarde-
The Allied hnes in front of Ghent at
--latest reports lay approximately north
to south, through Oostvelde, Vinder-
haute east. of Wildendriesch and
Lea hem St. Martin. with cavalry az
vansing toward Ghent from the south
$4,000 Sent to Mons
Five thousand civilians had remained
behind in Va. .enclennes throughout the
6cht, The remainder, about 29,oOO.
were evacuated by the Germans during
the last week, principal to mons "a
rumber Of the residents yesterday ana
last night lost their ives as resu,1 I
Of q turther enemy bombardment with
hieh exp. .osives and gas she Is.
The Correspondent entered the Guy
. xhis morning through the western gaze;
All the bridges across the Scheid' nao
been destroyed by the retreatlhg yer
mans. the outskirts OF the piace w. W.
70 rnins from the bombardment. me
r,irht be found virtually intact, was
sad sight until the centre OF the mu-
uicipa ity was reached- mere pA
"a ~ no damage was done,
THE Grand place, with the beautiiul
uotal BE Vile. was intact, except 1oF
riding marks from the two stray
. shells. ,. oo11oc+ed
. throughout the city some viewing ,.ae ra7
establish their homes. Little chll9rels
>nere to be seen playing in the rulned
streets, with dead Germans unnohceo
beside them Their JOY at their uei'sei-
ance was too great TO TAKE III 'ho
tragedy about them.
!. WITH THE ALLIED ARMIES IN
FRANCE AND BELGIUM, Nov. (by
1.-THE Associated Press ).-V Valenc 'ennes
llwas captured by the British THIS morn
Hing releasing thousands of residents
who had been in bondage for tour
gears.
of troops thrown around the city was
s.forged at 1880 o'clock, when converg-
sing infantry met east Of the invested
: splace and began q further. advance or
enemy territory. Marty was occupied
at an early hour and patrols we're push
tine up the road leading to st. Sau We
! Virtually all the German troops ha'
been withdrawn from the bottled-ul
metropolis of Valencennes during tn
might, but machine gunners who hat
.been left beh nd to give battle unit
sthev were killed were still snippin
sfrom houses and street fighting fol
Flowed the entry of the British forces
/ Germans Bombard City
! German troops to-day were throw
ling explosives and gas into the de
s&ence .ess city, which the British hav
,eo carefully avoided bombard.ng be
cause of t danger to civilians.
! Last night Americans from the Pa
scifc Coast, who played a brilliant par
.in the advance, captured the wester
.putskrts of the city of Audenardc
(which straddles the Scheldt. Thi
FAmerican unit yesterday added an ad
Tto that achieved the day before.
I Only One Bridge Left
! When the Americans. after thei
+brilliant drive, came up against Aude
5narde they found that the Germans ha
Blown up all the bridges but on
across a small branch of the Scheld
which encircles the western side of tn
eity.
This remaining bridge was mine
and due to go up at any minute.
Trenchman who lived ne r by had care
fully observed the laying of the e,
Eplosives and knew where the German
had concealed the electric wires leat
Eng to it.
AS the Frenchman saw the Amer
cans approaching he took his life in hi
hands. raced to the bridge and cut tn
wires. He then waved to the Amer
cans and they surged across the bride
with mighty cheer.
The total number of prisoners take
by the Americans up to his morning
the Audenarde sector was 1900.
Water Covers Retreat
The capture of Vaenciennes was
fine piece of generalshp. In the
drive of yesterday the Canadian
pushed across the Rhonelle and esta
lshed their lines east and west be!o
the city. then turning sharply sout
ward Above the citys northern limi
the who!e country had been flooded,
there was no possibility of attackil
across it.
Thus the Germans were cut off