Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-05-03
LETTER PROM FRANCE.
Paris. France,
March 20, 1918.

Dear Elmer. Helsley -
A hull in the daily routine of
a fairs, . few idle moments as
consequences very rare occa-
sion indeed-and therefore not
knowing how to while the few
weary moments away" l shall
endeavor to indite a few lines
which perchance might be of in
terest to you.
lam sure that your attention
is directed this way as this seems
to be the stage of the world right
now and everyone is interested
in the performance. 1t is like
great game of ball which has
reached an exciting stage. Ger
many is trying hard to score but
her regulars and her reserves. or
pinch hitters." are being retired
in one-two-three order, and ev-
eryone is eager to hear the final
score. Many regard it as the
ninth inning battle but war. un-
certain as baseball, can be pro-
longed for there is no definite
number of innings specified in
this one big game and the score
must be decisive. ! know too
that you have been reading of
the seventy-ive mile gun, our
Ibombardment and the recent air
raids on Paris. Perhaps you
have wondered why I have not
mentioned the latter heretofore.
When you were writing your
Iletter of March 5th, which reach
ed me several days ago, l was
confined in the Institute Pasteur,
a contagious disease hospital,
with enginia which is diphtheria
or something analogous thereto.
II was in for seventeen days and
when l got out was confined to
lquarters" for a about week but
have been back in the Office all
this week and down to hard work
land glad TO be we'll again, be-
j lieve me. The Pasteur is q
| French institution and the doc
ltors and nurses are all Frenchy
as you find them and I had a
divvle of a time understanding
them and. making myself under
stood with my limited knowledge
of their language but they were
kind aud attentive to me and
got along very we'll but had
terribly lonesome time. I soot
concluded that the fellow who
wrote i don't want to get we'll
wasn't confined in that hospita
or his would have been a differ
ept song. Now this is the frs
that / have written this to any
of you, or anyone over there, TO
| thought you might be alarmed
when there was nothing to b.
alarmed about and that / would
wait until l was alright agar
when l could assure you of ny
condition. Well, ! am feeling
tip.top now, none the worse from
the experience and am doing m,
bit once more.
The big gun, of which yol
have possibly heard, so far re-
mains a mystery. We were un
der bombardp1ent for severa
days. AT first they thought i
; was a daylight air raid and thu
daring aviators searched thu
heavens for aircraft but no enemy
lcould be found in the supermun
dane sphere. The bombardment
lbegan early on Friday morning
and later the alarm was giver
and practically all activity ceas
led, factories closed and the sub
way stopped running and people
f1ocked in the substations, eel.
lars and abris (places OF refugee
ITwenty-four shells fell that day
and ten people were killed. The
next day the bombardment began
early in the morning and the
Isiren announcing the attack
Iawoke us in time for breakfast.
Again the firing continued dur.
ling the major portion of the day
but little damage was done
THAT night the air raid alarm
was given about one o'clock but
the fliers didn't get inside the
lefty and the all clear" which
is indicated with buRles and
church bells, was sounded within
one hour. The third day, which
was Sunday, the bombardment
began early too and continued
with more rapidity until in the
afternoon which seems to have
been the finish of the seventy.
five mile monster. At this time
the people were getting accus-
toned to 4 daylight lombard
m emit. the subway resumed RIM.