The herald., 1918-03-14

OF big pontOOn. 1t was on pOntoon
bridges that the Italians entered the
city and this wreck was one of the
remnants of that crossings The big
railroad bridge was lying ia wreck
from artillery fire. Further on was
the massive stone bridge, with one Of
its main arches blown to pieces. Near
these bridges lie several important pa
per mills, where paper is made for gov
eminent notes. All these mills were
masses of ruins, with Il few tall Chin
neys still standing among the debris.
Goritz itself was under the rain OF
terrific bombardment, for the full force
of the great offensive was now only
few hours off.
And yet with the imminent danger
many persons still chung 10 their homes
and belongings with that same tenacity
which makes the NeSuvian peasants
cling to the mountainside when the vol
canO Is raging and threatening to bury
them. But most of these people on
the streets are the poor who could not
get away and the small ShOpkeeperS
who cannot afford to abandon their
goods. The big stores are all closed
and the place has an air of a deserted
city, with only a few StragglerS bring
ing up the rear. GOritz had $4,000
people, but only 5000 are left, and
these make only a scattered showing
In the wide main street fringed on
either side with its shell-tOrn fronts. Ii
was raining hard and this added to the
lugubriOus spectacle.
Entering the city we passed the ex-
tenSive Jesuit establishment where 600
seminarianS are located. one corner
was knocked off, the cOrnices were
hanging and several big holes told
where the shells had found Il mark.
The main contour of the street was
preserved and the buildings We're in
tact as whole, bot every second or
third had been hit, some collapSing en-
tlrely, others with their front wall
gone and their upper rooms with house
hold goods showing from the street.
But there was no vast area of COM
pletely leveled debris, as ut Verdun or
MOnastir. The outlines of city were
Still there, but it was u city sieved by
bOmbardment.
Trip to the Citadel.
The trip to the citadel was the event
of the day. This is huge pile, with
Old-time mOat and battlements and a
great tower dominating the whole
country for miles around. Here we
were to view Mount Gabriel, Mount Mi
Gael, the Biansizza plateau and the
whole range Of ground which had
passed through this upheaval. 1t was
uphill to the citadel. Everything
showed the havoc of long continued
fire. In one great court there was q
pretty little chapel which had come
through the ordeal untouched, though
all around was wreck.
Once upon the battlements a com
manding view was ahead. There was
one point of vantage where this view
was particularly good, known as the
observation post. We halted moment
about to enter the post, but Others
wished to push on to the very front OF
the wall, and this view prevailed. II
was a most fortunate decision, as we
soon after had reason to know.
On the battlements splendid view
stretched out for miles over this bat
tleground of mountains, valleys and
plains, with the city houses clustered
below and the roads winding of
through the valleys and foothills. There
! in front was Mount Gabriel, this side
held by the Italians, the other by the
Austrians.
There runs the dividing line" sait
the escort, pointing to a line of trees
and depressiOns near the summit.
The Italian trenches could be plainl!
seen, but there was no need of indi
eating dividing line, for the bursts o.
smoke along one side Of the SUNNI
and the answering bursts from tn,
other side told where the line was
OF to the left was Mount Michael
once swept clean by shell fire, but nov
green again. Nestled I'm a hollow wa
the convent of st. Catarina. The Bian
sizza plateau was off to the left, ant
through the mist were the dim out