Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-03-06
FIRST AND LAST
CHURCH SHELLED
Mezieres Victim Of Hun Ferocity
Even Up to Signing of
ArmistiCe.
Bells ARE CARRIED AWAY
After Suffering In 1921 Its First A.
tack Sacred Edifiee Got GermanS
Parthian Shot--Fuii Of His
toric Interest.
BY M. Liable A. POULIN.

BY M. Liable A. POUllN.
tin the New York Herad)
Mezieres. Ardennes, France.-It Is a
fact known to everyone that the Ger
mans. after having desperately begged
for the armistice, sheled the town of
MeZieres. even up to the exact mo-
ment Of the beginning of the armistice,
cowardly and without any military
reason whatever They aimed espe-
cially at the monuments, which were
well known to them, as they had oc-
cupied the city for four years.
Among the latter the church Is es-
pccially to be mentioned. 1t Is fine
Gothic hamboyant structure with five
paves, the lurgest and perhaps he
most beautiful of the country. .hiS
church has had, among other princely
visitors, the honor of celebrating the
marriage ceremony of Charles TX and
Elisabeth Of Austria G570). We make
bold to assert that it was "the last
of the churches shelled." A fact less
known, although not less interesting.
is that II was also "the first of the
churches to be shelled."
Begun IN l409, 1t was % years old
when in 1921 the imperlals besleged
Mezieres, defended by Bayard, the
knight without fear or reproach. His
torlans relate that shells were EN-.
ployed for the first time during this
siege. The enemy shelled the town
for exactly month, from August 81
until September q. and one part was
entirely destroyed. The monuments
as well as the church were struck by
the projectilcs, as Is proved by the
archives of the epoch kept in the de-
pository Of the department Of Me
Eieres. Several large holes had to be
mended in the roof OF the church
steeple as the glass frame Of the
round Of the steeple which had been
broken during the siege"
Many Times Bombarded.
One can notice that the lombard
ments Of this epoch, even compared to
those that the history of after times
was to note, We're nOt-as certain
people might believe-'games of chill.
dren." The church of Mezeres was,
however, to undergo more terrible
ones on three different occasions.
Completed with difficulty In 1926.
that Is to say, hundred and twenty
seven years after the laying of the
RI ha
lived the golden age of its life. To
say nothing of the fire which broke
out in its steeple UGS2), neither Of the
acts of vandalism of the revolutionists
let us speak only of the bombardments
which it suffered.
The Prussians Shelled 1t in 1918. An
inscription on the wall reminds the
reader that 1t was nearly ruined. II
lost It's beautiful stained-glass win
dows of the sixteenth century and the
exterior pinnacles We're seriously dam
aged Several shells penetrated into
the interior, causing great deal OF
damage.
Hardly had the damage Of 1915 been
TPHtlIttI Win a lie" Clouu ulOSe VII
the horizon and threatened MeZieres
In 1870. New invasion, new fears and
new ruins for our town on the from
tier.
The 31st of December 1870, and 1st
of January, 1S71-German Christmas
box-the enemy again shelled Me-
zieres. The church was principally
aimed at and was once more the vic.
tim of the shells, which spoiled the
steeple, burst the vaults, broke the
sculptures and stained-glass windows
Loses Peal Of Bells.
During nearly forty-seven years
these ruins had been repaired The
church of Mezieres had passed The
greater part of this great war without
damage, but in 1917 and 1918 the Ger
mans took away the five beautiful
bells, the most tuneful and the loud
est in the country, and what is worse
broke the organ in order to get dowh
the bells. But the church itself re
manned uninjured. 1t would have beer
100 llutli luth lOl Jul NHuI tht uSS
tiny of which seemed united to all OuI
national woes. On November 10, les:
than twenty-four hours before the ar
mistice, the fury of the retreating en-
envy poured out in the vile lombard
ment of Mezieres, which lasted TWEEN
ty hours. Among other buildings the
Church of Our Lady was struck. Al
the stainedglass windows were either
totally or partly broken, and what il,
more important, the flamborant mul
lions of many windows were broken
The church was struck by many
bombs, some of which hit the Lantern
of the steeple, the tower of the signal
man. Some struck the top, some the
vault, some the interior of the coun
terforts.
Thanks to the armistice, which came
just in time to prevent the enemy
from destroying Mezieres totally, the
damage, though considerable, is no
beyond repair. But 1t is certain, too
that this bombardment is anothe
proof of the insincerty and the say
agery Of our enemies and-a fac
worth noticing-that our church, tn,
first church to be shelled In history
was also the last.