The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-03-06

Monday, March 4.-Between five hun
dred and fifteen hundred gas shells
are thrown on the American positions
on the Chemin des Danes front every
day, but there has been no serious
gas casualties. The men have been
trained thoroughly in the use Of gas
masks and the necessity Of putting
them on before going into the trench
es. They do not find it inconvenient
to work and fight "like divers" as
they say. A few men have been gass-
ed slightly while adjusting their he'll
NETS, but this is inevitable when the
gas shells are thrown long distance
behind the lines.
A brigadier general and major
who were riding in an automobile on
a tour of inspection few days ago
were gassed slightly when a shell
burst within 100 yards Of their car.
They suffered from headache and
slight nausea but otherwise there
were no ill effects. An American bri-
gadier general said today he has
fasked for an American divisional CT
,tation for each member of the raiding
party of rs of his men which assisted
the French in the raid of Feb. % in
which two German officers and 81
men were captured. Two officers and
two men of the raiding party already
have been decorated by the French
with the war cross. This is the first
request for citation of Americans in
this sector.
Some of the Americans on the Che
min des Danes are having an expert
ence with cave life behind the front
line, their billets being quarries and
natural recesses beneath tie surface.
The correspondent on a visit to this
sector found them thus quartered, oc-
cupying positions held by the Ger
mans less than year ago.
Dugeuts Dignified by Names
Most of the Americans, however,
are living in the trenches and accom-
panying dugouts.
The underground billets are vari-
ously named. One is called the Pan
theon. It accommodates thousand
men. The correspondent found both
French and American soldiers living
together there in perfect harmony.
The living quarters of the Ameri-
cans in this cave are 80 feet under
ground. Fresh air is supplied by large
air pumps. The cave is in part cleo
trically lighted. Elsewhere acetylene
lamps and oil lanterns are substitute
ed The men usually remain in this
cavern from to 8 days each, a COM
Ipany being assigned a certain portion
Of the excavation. A small railway
for carrying supplies runs through
the cave.
One sign over door reads: EAST
Boston channel" and one man stand
ing near said: "That reminds me of
home"
Nearby stood others who had beg
ged to be allowed to stay in the line
a few more days.
Why, they took us out before we
even had decent scrap" said ma
chine gunner. AS soon as the Ger
mans learned the Americans were in
the trenches opposite them they pat
up sign reading: Welcome Yam
KEGS" but the infantrymen riddled It
with bullets. All the soldiers with
whom the visitor talked exhibited
pleasure at being in the trenches
rather than in training camp.
The general took the party Of cor
respondents to his headquarters and
pointed out the location Of his troops
on large map.
How much of no mans land do
you control" the general was asked.
81 will illustrate to you on this
map" he replied, and he did So
A patrol sent out by the Americans
recently almost stumbled over a like
detachment from the Germans. The
Americans overheard the German
commander tell one Of HIS men that
the Americans might surprise them
before they got the Americans first.
"Tn that case I will kill you first"
the German whispered; NOW don't
you make a sound and we will not be
disturbed" The American sergeant
LED his men back to their trenches.