The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-04-05

on the ground 10 the point where we
were 10 commence work. This in or
der that we would not get lost in .he
/ darkness. The proposed trench was
also laid out with tape
The covering party went out first
After a short wait two scouts came
back with information that the work
ing party was TO follow and carry on"
with their work.
In extended order, two yards apart
we noiSeleSSly crept across No Mans
Land. Ii was nervous work every
minute we expected machine gun to
open fire on us. Stray bullets Cracked"
around us or ricochet sang over
head
Arriving AT the taped diagram of
the trench, rifles slung around our
shoulders, we lost no time in getting
TO work. We dug as quietly as pos
sihlc but every now and then the noise
of pick or shovel striking stone
would send the cold shverS down our
backs. Under our breaths We heartily
cursed the offending Tommy
At intervals a star shell would go W
from the German lines and W. would
rer,ain motioniess until the glare Of It's
white light died out.
When the trench had reached q
depth of two feet we felt safer. be
cause il could afford us cover in case
we were discovered and fired on.
The digging had been in progress
about two hours, when suddenly hell
seemed to break loose in the form of
machine-gun and rife fire.
We dropped down on our bellies in
the shallow trench, bullets Knocking
up the ground and swapping in the air.
Then shrapnel butted in The music
was hot and Tommy danced.
The covering party was having a
rough time of ii; they had no cover;
just had 10 take their medicine
Word was passed down the line TO
beat ii for our trenches We needed no
urging; grabbing our tools and stoop-
ing low, we legged il across No Mans
Land. The covering party got away
10 poor start but beat us in. They
must have had wings because we low
cred the record
Painting and out of breath we tum-
pied into our front-line trench. tore
my hands getting through our wire,
but. al the time. didn't notice ii; nv
journey was too urgent.
When the roll was called we found
that we had gotten IL In the nose for
63 casualties.
our artillery put harrage on Fritz
front-line and communication trenches
and their machine-gun and rifle fire
suddenly ceased
Upon the cessation of this fire
stretcher bearers went out to look for
killed and wounded Next dny we
learned that II OF our men had been
killed and 81 wounded. Five men were
missing; lost in the darkness. they
must have wandered over into the Ger
man lines. where they were either
killed or captured
Speaking of stretcher bearers and
wounded ii is very hard for the aver
age civilian to comprehend the enor-
nous cost of taking care of wounded
and the war in general. He or she gets
so accustomed TO seeing billions of dol.
lars in print that the significance of
the amount is passed over without
thought.
From an official statement published
In one of the London papers, If is
stated that 1t costs between six and
seven thousand pounds (S30. 900 to S35.-
OOO) to kill or wound n soldier. This
result was attained ny taking the cost
OF the war to date and dividing IL by
the killed and wounded.
1t may sound heartless and inhuman,
but 1t is fact, nevertheless, that from
military standpoint II is better for n
man to be killed than wounded.
- III a man is killed he is buried, and