The sun., 1918-07-24
AMERICANS FIND
THIERRY A BIG
MASS OF RUINS
Germans Before Retreat
Added to Wreckage Done
by Shot and Shell.
MUCH BOOTY LEFT BEHIND
Noted Statue Remains Intact
in Town That Once Held
5000 Happy People.
by RAYMOND G. CARROLL.


Special Gable Despatch 10 TEE SrS and the
Public Ledger.
Copyright 1915: oil rights reserred
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, July 23.-Four months ago at
the time the Germans began their
spring offensive, I was for forty-eight
hours in Chateau Thierry, then a
lively attractive. smiling city of 5000
inhabitants.
On Sunday, upon its occupancy by
the advancing Franco-American troops
following the retreat northward OF the
German army after its seven weeks
sotourn there. the correspondents at
tached to the AmAlcan Army entered
to find many buildings like shambles
the streets barricaded and fewer thar
200 Of the original population. The
parts Of France.
Twice now Chateau Thierry has
passed its title back to France. the
first occasion following the battle OF
the Marne in 1914. Its famous ruined
castle. built in the eighth century BY
Charles Martel. up a flight OF steps
from the public square. Is decidedly re-
ruined The fifteenth century church
Is frightful!y shellpocked the tiles of
the roof and the tapestries torn.
Like the streets Of Cairo.
The Germans had used blankets for
camoufiage oyer the streets, giving the
thoroughfares decidedly Cairo like as
pect. The handsome Hotel de Vile was
disfgured and on the river bank the
Hotel Elephant. where | formerly
had stopped. was an unsightly and sor'
rowful wreck. Only the statues OF Jean
de la Fontaine. the celebrated fabulist
stood untouched at the entrance to the
city. unmarked. bold defiant.
The passage OF the American troops
through the streets to the areas beyond
was uneventful. their stalwart forms
casting long shadows upon the white
cobblestones. Late Saturday cap
tured German officer impaired the in
formation to the French that the enemy
withdrawal was fixed for midnight. Hall
an hour before that time our artillery
had turned a destructive barrage upon
the exits from the city. and promptly at
. O'Clock Sunday morning the first
French troops crossed the river in boats
from the southern section of the city
which they never had lost, and entered
the northern half
SIX hours later the Americans went
over in advance groups. following the
signal men to string wires. and the en-.
gineers to reopen the roads for the
heavy artillery later to cross upon tenn.
porary bridges before nightfail.
The Germans conducted their re-
treat in a skilful manner with machine
guns. which were we'll handled. while
their artillery was being shifted. Crews
OF eight were left behind with each
machine gun under orders to stick /;
out. Late Sunday afternoon the Ger.
man artillery had reached fresh posi-.
tions and began dropping clusters OF
shells into Chateau Thierry. and the
roar Of cannon was resumed with echoes
from the new corners OF the horizon.
Many Articles Abandoned.
Trenches. dugouts and cellars, lately
the refuge places of the enemy. were
filled with abandoned articles. including
some rifles. much clothing and ammuni-
ton and numerous potshaped helmets
Many dugouts along the roadside outside
t,J