Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1918-09-27
COURTICE TELLS OF VISIT TO
WAR EXPOSITION AT CHICAGO

Irving Courtice, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
James Courtice. who is at the Great
Lakes Training station writes good
account of visit to the recent war
exposition at Chicago The letter to
his sister, in part, follows:
Sept. 10, 1918
The fellows are getting ready for
liberty. did not intend to go this
week but about the eleventh hour ]
decided to go to see the war exposition
SO as [ had bid to go with couple
her fellows / went. We went out TO
the exposition about $3.50. Men in uni
form are admitted free We took in
the sights. Saw trenches, dugouts,
gun pits, wire entanglements, tank,
various guns, large and small, Ameri-
can and foreign, ancient and modern
We saw lots of aeroplanes including
one captured from the Huns badly
broken and one of allied type badly
smashed, OF course there ere many
not tell for our time was so short that
we only got flying glance at most OF
the exhibits.
We went up town and saw some
great sights then went to restaurant
for supper. After supper we went back
to see the sham battle which was a
sight worth seeing and one which will
stick to me till see something more
real.
Talk about people. There were
hundreds of thousands there atching.
The battle field was down in hollow,
sort of an arena surrounded by seats
like a grand stand The seats were
being taken at 300 by people who
brot their suppers SO as not to loose
out on a seat. Then there was mob
| standing on the ridge behind the seats.
This mob was about forty deep and
both seats and this mob surrounded or
rather filled three sides of field of
between and lU acres
Every thing you read about was
present on the field trenches, shell
craters, barbed wire, gun pits field
hospital, Y. NJ C. A, dugout and a
tank.
The field was dimly lighted by
search lights The battle began by
the Huns shooting star shells. These
rise to quite an altitude and burst and
some light giving substance hitched to
parachute gradually comes to earth.
The light is very intense and ilIumi-
mates the whole field for from two to
three minutes AT the bursting of the
first of these every man vanished into
the ground An artillery fire from both
sides was started which demonstrated
the bursting of the big shells and
shrapnel shells These last burst
several times while in air. All during
this star shells were bursting to iiumi
nate the field Next the musketry be-
gan followed by several tries on the
part of the Americans to capture a
trench in which movement hand gren-
AIDES and bayOnettes were used. The
only result was few prisoners taken
Some fellows being wounded the first
aid men were in action with litters and
some first aid was administered right
on the open field under fire. The heavy
artillery hit it up good and heavy for
while. The roar was fierce. Next
an American tank sneaks slowly across
the field with continuous stream of
machine gun fire. At this point every
man went over the top and went to it
with bayonettes and grenades. Men
were falling lywhere and with the
smoke and dim light it was a CHASTITY
sight.
Right at this point some of the fairer
sex whom | suppose had dear ones
cover there" could not endure any
longer. There were a good many who
tainted
The men coming over the top wore
gas masks They looked more like
devils than humans. When the trench
was captured huge flag was stretched
over part of the field and Illuminated
by search light.
Well must go and have nap.
Your loving brother, IRV.
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