The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1918-05-03
Iinot Man Tells
of Shc1ling of
& Paris by Big Gun
SAYS 10000 LEFT CITY DAILY
DURING THE FIRST FEW
DAYS COMPARTMENT
TOOK SHELLS TWELVE
MINUTES TO REACH PARIS

ALL CLASSES OF PEOPLE ARE
sOL1DLY BEHIND THE WAR
IN FRANCE
Minot, N. D., April 19.-Thirty tnous-
and people left Paris daily during the
first few days that city was under
bcmbardment of. German long range
guns. many Of them old men, women
and children seeking safety in cities
further south, according to F. C. Upton
of Minot, who returned to this city
yesterday, after spending five months
in France, where he was engaged IN
assembling gas tractors for the French
government Mr.. Upton was In France
\ during the first five days of the big
German offensive and saw, first hand,
the results of the big German gun.
The bombardment was a surprise TO
the people of Paris and for the first
few hours they could not account for
sat. But by o'clock the first AFTER
noon French airmen had located the
Paris were carrying accounts OF 1t
and it's work.
The first gun used, exploded and
could not be used, according to In
formation secured by French author
tiles from Germans taken prisoners
a few days later. When it exploded
five gunners were killed. The shells
reaching Paris fell about five minutes
apart at first but after the first day
they came less frequently and then
ceased for time altogether. The
story, reported in official circles In
Paris and England was that the Ger
mans installed another gun shortly
after the first one exploded, The gem
eral belief was that the Germans
were evidently trying to destroy the
Eiffel tower and the gunners were
given the range by airmen.
It is estimated that shells must
have been thrown twenty five miles
high and that they required twelve
minutes in passing from the gun to
the point of explosion: In Europe 1t
is not expected that the Allies will
endeayor to build such guns, as their
yalue in actual warfare is small. The
shells used are nine inches In dame
ter. with walls three inches thick,
leaving a hollow of three inches and
a half In diameter for the explosive.
The explosion is caused by conclusion,
as the shell explodes as soon as it
strikes. Mr.. Upton saw one wall thru
WHICH A. a:.shensspenetrated, breaking ing q
hole; somewhat larger than a door but
5 the shell fell, harmless, inside the
building, on the floor: 'v''
y Expected Retirements
The people of France and England
expected the allied line to fall back
when the big German offensive COM
menced, Mr. Upton states. They have
the greatest faith in their leaders and
the fighting strength of their forces
b and are in absolute accord with the
policy of giving ground and saving
men: The working classes, and, IN
fact. all classes, in both France and
England (Mr. Upton spent some time
in the British Isles), are solidly be-
hind the war. They are not intense
like the Americans, but they have
: that dogged determination which in
tends to win. There is general feel
ing that to win the war may not mean
the destruction of Germany, but all
have deeply rooted conviction that
+ the Germans cannot defeat them.
5ssSs. German Atrocities
Feeling everywhere in France and
;: England is very bitter against Ger
many because of the atrocities she
d has permitted her troops to commit
"These cannot be told in. language hor-
rible enough to be fair" Mr.. Upton
says. He talked with men who had
served in the army and who had seen
5, the things they told about ;. One man
who was invalided home after serv-
1 ing three years and being wounded In
the elbow, said that of the hundred
men in his company who went into
3 the fight in the first advance Of the
Germans through Belgium and France
only himself and one companion re.
turned. Some of them were scrucifie1:
{. head downward, and others suffered
such brutalities that the telling Is
nauseating. There are few German
4sprisoners being taken by the q Allies Ns4
&. now and these German atrocities &C.
q count for the limited number. Two
NJ, Continued 5on page 4. ..j. s.. .5