Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-25
CHARGED WIRE FEKCE
DOESN'T TURN BOChtS
German Fugitivcs Make Way
Through Electrified Belgian
Border Through a Barrel.

10 one not conVcrSant with al Tue
circumstances, it might sound like
fairly simple proposition TO leave Belgium
via the Dutch border. In reality, 1t is
ANYTHING but that. In the first place, the
Hun realizes full we'll that in order for a
man TO escape over this frontier, II is iiIst
Necessary for him TO reach the frontier,
Now Belgium is very small, as countries
90: but size is not so small that one flying
leap will take man from any part OF her
territories into Holland So the German
has tried to minimize the probability of
Belgian citizens getting close enough TO the
northern boundary to get across 1T.
TRIP ROUTED ON PASS.
In the first place. it is "verboten" to
travel from one place To another without
permit or paSsagicrschcin, signed by the
military authority This permit states the
exact route of travel. the date of departure
and ARRIVAL, and the date and itinerary
for the IctuIn, 50 IT is a matter OF the
greatest difficulty for stranger To so,ourn
Tor any time in the frontier districts with
out being detected Finally, nobody eX-
cept those who lived there before the
war is on any pretcNt allowed within so
many miles OF the border,
Nevert helcss. BelgianS escape into Hot
land III considerable numbers, and VIII
continue to do so. The usual procedure is
to wait until the soldiers garSoned at the
! frontier villages arc relieved by new men.
Dming the first few weeks Il goes with
k,ut saving that these new scntrles will
not know the names and faces of all the
villagers who are entitled to the privilege
of the locality: 50 during this period il IS
| comparatively easy for Belgians from
other parts of the country to hide among
the local population Ii is not even out of
IL. .,t,+
carte d'idCntite. So, once near the boI der.
al the right season. there is no great risk
attached to remaining there for the few
DAYS necessary.
OF course. the Huns have put up a
parbed wire fence about ten feet high along
he whole frontier between Holland and
Belgium. This fence docs not constitute
lcrely physical impedimcnt TO cross
ng. for each wire carries a high voltage
urrent, supplied by the power stations
Antwerp and other municipalities. SO
touch a wire means instant death.
sENrRIEs ALONG THE LINE
OF course, even such fence would be
little use unless well guarded 80 at
tcrvals of 200 meters, on approximately
be same number of wards there is a
(ntry box, with German sentry patrol
q his short beat This Is quite adequate
prevent any organized attack upon the
re-. and reduces the would-be eScaper
some cXpedIent for getting over or
Ter or through the wires in a hurry
lie the sentrys back is turned 1t Is
eceSsary 10 state that. by preference
oonlesS and stormy night is selected; :;
perhaps il Is not fully realized. over
that during the autumn and winter
Ou IN Belgium It Is raining on SIN
Is out of seven 50 that II is not hard
hake good guess.
h the prearranged night, after dusk,
fugitives come together in one Of the
erous cafes outside the villages. and
wait until the guides who are TO
them across announce that the hour
Dmc These guides are usually men
for wears have Smugglcd sugar and
acco between Belgium and Holland; !;
have covered the route - often
h. even in the pitch dark they know
~ little path and ditch and brook.
kEEP or THE MAIN ROADS.
rhe territory on both sides the border
noorland covered here and there with
mps Of woods of Scotch fir The main
Ids are carefully avoided; st'Iet IN
uctions are given not TO speak a word :
d all 90 barefoot IN order TO reduce 10
minimum the amount of accidental
use. There Is one guide for every ten
rsons He walks in front and the fu-
rives follow in single file along the ex-
emcly narrow paths, An interv.l of
bout two hundred yards Is left betw en-
ech two groups. so that, if any group
ave dangerous encounter, the others
ave plenty OF time 10 make for safety.
Having come near the lve-wire fence
be real danger begins There are several
ecognized ways OF crossing. One can
limb over it by means Of double step
hdder. not unlike the model 50 commonly
een In domestic service on this side OF
he water: one can also creep under
{ where II passes a dried-up or damned
itch or brook, doing a little emergency
excavation to enlarge the passage if this
be necessary. But the safest way Is TO
creep through the fence In q tunnel IN
provised from a -four or wine barrel stuck
between two wires As dry wood Is a
non-conductor. there Is no danger OF
comm in contact with the current, pro-
vlded he night Is not too wet a one II
il i. the best measure of safety possible
Is obtained BY means of a packing Of rub
Der cloth between wood and wires
HUN SENTRY NOT IMP OsING.
The German sentry, whom one might