The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-25
WAR SCOURGE
LEFT RHEIMS
CHASTITY RUIN
Battered French Town Is Call
ed Modern Pompeii; Ger
man Shells Levelled Nearly
All Buildings

sion or the war are CcSCllD-u ny u va
respondent in Tho Manchester Quarrel
an" He likcns the city to Pompen, the
ancient Roman resort buried by Wy
canic eruption nineteen ctnturics ago.
IF ones reflections in journeying
from Paris to Rheims through the rural
scenes Of desolation and ruin arc &C.
pressing. the Impressions created by
the appearance of th3 town which once
was Rheims are appalling" he says.
"One had been prepared. or at least had
hoped. to find that there had been some
cxagGcration OF thu effects Of the en-
cmy's ruthless handiwork. and that
Rheims. though perhaps badly USED, was
still habitablc. In truth. no ~oros
could do full justice TO the horror or
this scene Of desolation.
vast Heap Of Ruins.
Rheims is literally dcst roycd-a vast
heap of ruins, almost every stone OF
which will have to be cleared away be-
fore there can be Il thought Of restora-
ton. -Four vars ago it was hano-
some, flnurishing town of 10000 inhap-
itants. | doubt whether there are hair
n hundred whole houses in the entire
place today. while it's people are SCAT
tered far and wide. banished from
homes which they will never see again.
for they exist no longer.
Prom tho wrecked railway station
forward wherever the cy? turns 1t meets
only heaps Of debris. l secured the
town in every direction. foTowing one
by one tho principal thorouGhfarcs ana
thence exploring the side streets ana py-
ways. in the hope of finding some raw
orcd quarter which had missed the deau-
" rain Of shot and shell. but In vain.
In one or two spots away from INC cen
trc isolat cd houses. and in one church'
hay. had a miraculous escape. but such
executions are negligible. Rheims IS
ruined beyond recognition or repair.
Here and there French flags float over
what wer: official buildings. but these
are now at tho most blackcned ana
siChtlrss walls, behind which arc root-
less spaces filled with wrccKage. IL 10
pitiful to see whole streets RACED almost
literally to the ground. and the brlght
sunshine Of a warm day. as II Tell upon
the scene. far from relieving. seemed
rath.r to acccntuate its horror.
Few Buildings Left.
Here is what is left on an atelier de
constructions: the workshop will neeo
to be reconstructed itself before II VIII
again build for others. This shattered
facade belonged 10 patriclan mousse;
the lofty rooms, tho high windows ana
tho remains OF fine ironwork gate ieao'
ing into n courtyard attest past uls
nifty. Here is thu wrcckaGc or the Id"
couHs-bdt few people want law III
Pheiius today. Here stood tho Gran1
Hotel de Iondrcs--you can still reao
IN, sirn-now a heap Of stones. bricks
and crumbled mortar. This is the front
Of tho theatre. though you can id"ntily
II onl, by n few playblls which remain
Cor behind no part Of II is rccognlzaoio'
Tho spacious Town Hall is mere
she'll: nothing Of IN" noble interior mas
survived. The tower of the ruiheo
church Of ST. Rcmi has clock "''H
two faces. Onc told tho tune until
1920 and the Other until 500 (or was II
the other way round") upon soma dread
fuI day which probably no on" Will ever
recall Above a gaping hole which useo
t. hr shop window l noticed inc rcIn'
mint cf placard upon which might
et,lI he read tho words evidently re-
trrrinr to tn bridesmaids stock or
varrs) cn'icrcmcnt verse. Change the.
word In rcnvcrsc or boulcvers" and the
Who'll. story Of Rheims IS told-'h@
town is absolutely shattered and over
thrown.
Ono Statue Escaped.
~, tho centre Of the Place Koyaie
stands the statue of Louis Qulnze'
which has somehow escaped. 1t is
strangely arrcs;inE sight-thr figure
turned with beaded head and out
stretched hand toward the devastated
town. II those lips could only speak
what other words would ih-y say 'naT
h,,r here,
"Thcrc are contrasts. however. uneN-
ncctcd and always path"tc-a palm
;rco spreading it's fans in tn midst or
n waste which once was Earo"n;
mass rf ivy clinGrnE Xix" grim ocath ~
n lettering pile which looks as thoueh
!, might collapse nj any moment;
crass-cruwn courtyard. solemn IN us
Gloom and ourCt. an oasis amid IN" pre-
VaIling waste.
ION. public hulding which has sur
fcrrd but it'll" is TN" Civil Hospital
military conSldCratlcns may nave
rromp;cd tho hombardcrs to spare II
humane ConSldcrat ions never -"
streets and roads. h"w-v"r. Suggest
town whose life has suddenly come 10
AN ahrupt and total standstill.
Tram Line But No Cars
"rromyay lines carry ~ cars. cI"c.
iric standards are without wires. gas
posts without Iamrs. fountains mat co
not flow. one thinks of Hcrculan"um
ard p0mpclr. rs they. to-. IN IN" HiluSl
e life were caught IN tho grip OF de-
s,rucIlon and death. Yet with diner-
cnCc. for Rhcrms appears To nav" p"ci'
cy,cuatcd in more or loss orderly taSh-
ion and it's inhabitants. 7 judge. were
ohIo ,r renee their Chait"is. or the
better part "f them. before Ihcy "ch'
AWAY. Nevertheless. her" and 'hcrc
broken acknowledgements or pea
stcads. Chldrcn's cots. and uhoIS''n-
ruishahIc wood and iron work or all
kinds and sIz~S-minglcs with IN" con-
fuscL vrcckapr Of broken walls. fallcn
roofs. twisted iron gird.r RS. and shattcr-
cd pillars.
"In spite nf the all-pr"valling drras'
t,i,nn Il It'll, business Is AGAIN bclhR
done hy small fox in odd corners:
,bcrc arc a few .Caharcts and rcStaur-
ants for IN. cuvri"r and petit pour
rcois with here AMI th'r" green
rrncrr's store. a bakers shop. ard eve"
q nharuaCv. Most If th"$" enterprises
mr.. found on tho ground floors of ruiEcd
buildings. md where the glass has Icon
blown cut, which is usually tho cas-
blinds sheets uf oil paper. Chrd"aro'
Tin plntr ur wooden shutters nav" tah'h
its rlacc They r.prcS"nt rather G"''-
full attempts AT commerce" ON hut""'e
scale amid unique difficulties.
mia chattered Cathedral