The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-18
Suddenly Cut Off by Current
of Electricity Along the
First Wire Line
RETURN AT ONCE
WAS CERTAIN DEATH

Made Their Way Back Undiscovered
Germans Tried to Fool Americans
With Rocket Signals.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Sunday. Feb. Is, by The As
5ociated Press.-An American patrok
laving passed the first line of German
rntanglements and approached the sec
md line last night was suddenly cut
IF by current of electricity along
he frst-wire line
Instead of attempting an immediate
'eturn to their trenches which would
ave meant certain death from electro
ution or machine gun fire, the Ameri-
ans -clung closely to the earth and
alter, when the electricity was cut off
returned in safety to their positions.
1t was thrilling experience for the
patrol. \ certain number Of men set
hope of encountering number of the
enemy at point in the German
trenches. They had succeeded in get
ting through the first line and had
crawled on until the second line was
reached. When they were Just about
70 start under the second line there
was a blush glow, and turning around
they saw along, livid sparks playing
through the barbed wire Of the first
line. The enemy had turned on q pow
erful electric current.
| Tho ,.g+rnlaru r,,ioly1.- aoftacaH nr,s
= on the ground, thinking they had beer
J discovered and expecting momentarils
! to hear machine gun bullets 90 Singing
, overhead. Nothing of the kind hap
uened, however. Apparently the Ger
mans merely turned on the current By
chance, hoping that If any American!
were within the entanglements they
would be killed on the wire or Will,
: trying to Get out. The patrol returned
safely TO the American lines when tht
electricity was cut off.
The Germans apparently having dis
covered the meaning of some of tn,
American rocket signals, last nigh
caused the Americans for a considera
bic distance along the front to prepar,
for a gas attack. At first the Ger
mans sent into the air a rocket of
certain color which is the American
signal for gas attacks, but the hoa,
was discovered soon after the troop
donned their gas masks.
The Germans next sent up q rookie
calling for barrage by the Americans
but the American officers on observa
ton duty in an advanced post seeinj
whence the rocket came, got q messag
to the artillery in time to prevent i
from laying down the needless shelltire
The command to fire was ready to b
given when the information reachet
the gunners that the enemy was respon
sible for the barrage signal. Extreme
ly quick work was necessary to sto
the order to fire. for the American III
tillery has reached a high degree o
speed in going into action.
The Germans are coming to realiz
this, and they are not so free wit
their shells as in the early days of til
American occupation of the line.
the language Of the front, every tim
that Fritz sends over one shell now h
gets IAN armful'' in return.
Recently, there have been fewer GEE
man shells coming toward the Amer
can positions. But the American arti
. lery has started tactics that seemingl
= make the enemy more and more ner'
N Gus and the Germans are extremel
Ie cautious about showing themselves Tt
E. % ) are pounding the Germans, an
lie even the German is not too insight
can't target
m The enemy now retaliates at time
k. by taking pot shots at the wagons ar
motor cars, but as a general rule h
- ! artillery Is more anxious to carry OF
y the daily strife on certain location
hat are thought vulnerable. The en-
IN my infantry, however, has adopted II
policy of never letting its rifles al
machine guns sleep.
An officer s striker last evenii
~ poked his head over the top of tren,
~ to see what was doing, and bull
- promptly came his way, just missil
at him. The reports show that anoth
)h man, who for some reason jumped
Ii 4 parapet. was riddled by machine q
81, bullets before he could stand up fro
IL crouching posture. Officers have
er Keep constantly after the men not
IN show themselves and to be careful. O
A. man found in a listening post witho
his shrapnel helmet explained that t
helmet had made his head ache and
ouId stand anything but that.
~