The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-04-05
MO SA II Tells H0l US.
TROOPS WENT OVER TOP FIRST TINE

lines opened up At first the qr:rs
yas dssultory, but as the German
cuns began to repI:-, our own IN
creased the intensity Of their fire az
I'll tnore was rothinE but one long
deafeuing roar, louder. from time 10
time. as the biggest calibres sent their
enormous shells screening and sing
ing over our heads toward the enemy
trenches some 300 cards IN front OF
US.
+ thought I had seen violent bonn
bardments IL front OF Dtxmude, up IN
belgium. last fail. when in the course
of a single day 1900 shells were eT-
changed: but that firing vas nothing
in intensity to what witnessed on the
N the snan space OF 30 minutes.
during the battle. our scores OF guns
T1onred more than 10000 shells into
those German trenches and strong
holds. And the fire was kept up, vttE
out a seconds pause for more than
four hours!
In our trenches. the initial nervous.
ness OF our men soon wore away. anu
fl3ev sestled down to their jobs with
+he seriousness Of veterans. Then II
was thar had a good chance to study
them.
Folks at home. / never realized IN
Ill then that our wars are not tooSht
bv'mature men. but by mere boys OF
course. our new conScript army VIII
be older. but in the American lines
with me todsy was many a Lad who Is
vet 10 celebrate his twentieth birth
day.
everyone Of them; stropS Nnbed. ,c!eae
cut American boys from high schools
and factories and Offices, most o!
whom could have. stayed, out OIL ms
war. but who had come in because
their veins pulsated with real req
blood, and the spirit Of adventure ana
fight stirred their entire beings.
A boy I had known for years cape
hurryins about, saying as ne passed
"BuIy Smith just went over. Got
it IN the head from machine gun
had known Billy for a fine, big,
jovial fellow. His entire company Will
mourn his loss.
wrist-yatch as the minute approached
TO 20 over the cop. But the American
artillery fire only increased IN yo!'
une. and everybody began to Tondes
il 1t would stop
What vill we do Il it basr I stopped
when the tine comes TO go over" a
captain asked 4 coloHel-
'.IEby, go right on over" the colonel
answered. &.
Five. minutes before the leap, every
man was ready to climb out Of the
not one out Of ten Of the entire out
tit was showing trace OF nervous
ness. now. They all seemed relieved
by the thought that in 2 few minutes
the terrible Smelling would stop.
Exactly on the second, the artillery
quit firing
And at the time instant every maa
went over the top! =
To me, pee.ing after them. the Ger
man trenches seemed, at Just ;hat
minute. miles away.
Practically every German gun bad
been. sileuced now, and ! could mage
out clearly our men dodging across
No Msn's LAID toward the enemy
trenches.
vent down into the post dugour.
where. / knew. all reports would be
rushed by couriers.
Before the first courier arrived.
rockets had gone up from the German
trenches.
But they were American rockets.
and they meant that our troops had
gained their first objective.
The first COURIER stumbled breath
less, hatless and perspiring into the
dugout, and saluted the officer In
change:
Sir. he painted, I'VE are in thetr
trenches. Our artillery had pounded
their wires and dugouts all to hell
excuse me, str-aIl TO pieces; we'vS
captured some prisoners who threw
up their bands and surrendered long
before We got to them. The rest Of
the Germans ran away and have re-
tired 70 their fourth line OF defenses-
We're now blowing up the rest OF theIS
dugoutS. Only two Of our men have
been killed From the looks OF things
I guess we've Filled lot Of the en-
envy"
And so it went for the next hour-
Every courier brought good news.
There hadn't been a hitch anywhere
in the American plans. and everything
had gone OF like clockwork.
The enemy, who had been taught
to sheer at the American army, had
run away. refusing to stay and meet
our boys bayonet to bayouet.
Tbirty-dve pounds Of brown sugar
kept a jersey City plant With $4,000
-