The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-11-14
LAST ADVANCE
OF YANKEES
oas OF Greatest Feats of Engineering
Work was When Bridges
Were Spawned Across
Mouse.

by Webb Miller, United Press Staff
Correspondent
l WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES
IN FRANCE, Nov. 6.-(Delay ed j
I There are numerous tales OF 1ndl-
lvidual heroism as the Yankees push
on in their peace drive"
i One of the most spectacular was
furnished by Lieutenants b. O. Aeon
and w. Darwin of Chicago, aviators,
who yesterday engaged in the stiHest
/ lighting north of Beaumont German
machine gunners forced the two to
land close to the enemy nests. In
stead of surrendering the Americans
I, used the guns on their planes to hold
off the Boches until darkness fell.
Then they escaped and reached the
American lines this morning. The
doughboys are having the greatest
difficulty in catching up with the Ger
mans. Our artillerymen are using
/ great numbers of captured enemy
cannon and motor trucks, are gather
ing up deserted ammunition, food
and other supplies. These trucks
sometimes are operating far ahead OF
| the doughboys. who find everything
ready for them when they advance.
One of the greatest feats of engi-
neering work ever accomplished by
the American army was the bridging
OF the Mouse in the region Of Stenay
where the Yanks were under terrific
shell FIRE. In building the pontoons,
| they used Boche boats and materials,
captured during the fighting at Cha
/ teau Thierry. These had been brought
from Germany for the kaiser's Paris
offensive in July. There was more
than enough material to cross the
Mouse which was flooded to mile
10 width, thanks to the Boches' am
billions last summer.
| Hundreds of civilians, robbed by
the Germans, have been rescued by
Americans as the latter have taken
village after village. The Boches' last
occupation was always the reQuisi-
tioning of the remaining goods from
the impoverished natives. Yankee
trucks are bringing the refugees
back out of the range of shell fire.
Women and children gratefully tell
of how the first wave of doughboys
shared their food with them.
| After a terrible bombardment,
heard voices speaking in a strange
Language outside" said Nine. Marie
Fournier, of Laneuville.
Il soon knew 1t was not the Boches.
Il had never seen an American before,
| but l knew it was the Americans who
had come. The Germans said the
Americans were wild and barbarous.
| We did not believe it.
When the first Americans opened
packages of hard tack and shared
them with the children we were very
sad because we had nothing to give
1t
fee, no wine.'
Jeane, all under ten, and dirty, climb
ed on to motor truck, their hands
crammed with food the ughboys
! four, said she had never seen her
Marseilles. The Americans are send
ing the family to him.
A pioneer unit rushed ahead under
orders to conduct its own campaign
and choose its own front, but to
establish contact with the enemy.
Three Salvation Army lassies-
Margaret Sheldon of Chicago, Anna
Sansone, ST. Paul, and Louise Young
!of Poughkeepsie-tryi to keep pace
with the advance, reached a battered
town at four in the morning.
A tent already had been erected by
the supply train and the girls were
ordered to pile into it and get some
sleep. Instead of resting, they started
to work. Before nine o'clock they
had made 1000 doughnuts and were
serving them with chocolate along
the line. When Boche shells whistled
overhead. the doughboys would duck
into nearby shell holes, but the girls
never moved. They made doughnuts
all morning under constant lombard
ment.
Nearby other Salvation Army
women were acting as nurses in first
aid hospitals.
! The Salvation Army is planning to
keep in touch with the Americans
till the last man returns home.