The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-09-12
Lieut.. Stiers Tells of
a Visit to Trenches

ical Reserve Corps. 130th Infantry. in
the course of letter from France to
his wife in Chicago. which has been
forwarded to relatives here for pc
rusal, says:
IL have seen q lot since | last wrote
you. went to the trenches for a short
time TO see how they did things in a
medical way. We left here in an auto
truck. They call them lorries over
here. at least the English do. and the
name is becoming familiar to the
Americans. Capt. Reed and Lieut..
Hazel went from our regiment The
roads had a lot of ruts and holes in
them. and il was like riding in big
wagon. only going faster. We went
to a field ambulance company and
they took us by ambulance to the adj
vanced dressing station. The other
members Of the party were taken
somewhere else.
Il told Capt Reed that he could go
and that Lieut. Hazel and myself
would Flip u coin to decide who should
stay. He said for us, to settle the
matter. It fell TO my lot to go. which
I considered was lucky. especially as
drive against the enemy was rumored.
The day was cloudy and foreboding as
we started out with guide TO the
regimental aid post. A few shells be-
gan dropping in the distance. although
IL was quite dark at the time. We
were much interested in the different
shrieks and whizzing they made.
which was plainly heard. AT last we
reached the station. which was a dug
out fbout 80 feet underground Soon
the Germans began shelling the area
abous us. and we could feel the earth
tremble as the big shells hit the
ground in the vicinity. II never oc.
CURED to me to be scared as the
place where we were was shell and
bomb proof as long as we stayed in.
side. and we did not need any urging
to do that. Besides the regimentai
medical officers are not allowed TO
trenches to take care of the wounded
as the first aid look after that part of
the matter. The first aid men know
as much about stopping the flow of
blood as doctor, and physicians are
required to remain inside. as the in
jured may be brought In at any time
that need immediate attention. Soon
we began TO have some work Ia do.
cannot tel you how many killed and
wounded that we had. bu, no. many
of either
The wounded certainly vc.e brave.
One man Was In group OF hse when
shell struck between them. -Four OF
them were killed and the ftih had
both arms badly mangied. the tip OF
his nose torn of and what would have
been the bill of his hat shattered He
commented on his escape from dsa.i:
by saying: Look at that bloody hat.
would you. The Doche must have bit
ceived a good many nasty.lookine
wounds. but he did not groan when
brought In so as to be heard 10 feet
away. He remarked: Just To think
was the next man TO go on leave. and
now | have got this Blighty' Blighiy
is the name OF a hospital back In
England. where the British send their
men as soon as they are able io cross
the channel and. of course. they al
times look on that as getting home.
"The stretcher-bearers and runners
certainly all ought to be given crosses
OF honor for the magnificent way
they 90 their work. They go any.
where a. any time. whatever happens.
but, OF course. use as good judgment
as time and experience can teach
them TO dodge missiles of eve.y kind.
We had rather busy time. and went
to bed early in the morning. and ]
was much surprised to see from my
wrist watch when got up that 1t had
stopped q had neglected to wind III.
but II was 10 o'clock. ! don't know
whether was scared or not but soon
forgot any feeling OF that sort when
hit the bed on a litter. Almost in
stantly was fast asleep.
II got breakfast ard went out to in
spect some of the fresh shell holes
near by. One was almost directly
over our dugout. went about talking
TO everybody met. including man
sitting by an anti-aircraft gnn. Then
saw few more unfortunates being
brought In. Some of them were, of