The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-03-18
MeziereS Victim of Hun Ferocity
Even UP to Signing of
ArmiStiCe.
BELLS ARE CARRIED AWAY
After Suffering in 1921 Its First At
tack Sacred Edificc Got Germans
Parthian Shot-Fufl of His
toric interest.
BY M. Liable A.. POULIN.
On the New York Herald.)


Mezieres, Ardennes, France.-It Is a
fact known to everyone that the Ger
mans, after having desperately begged
for the armistice, shelled the town of
Mezieres, even III 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-
pecially to be mentioned. 1t is a fine
Gothic ~flambOyant structure with five
naves, the largest and perhaps the
most beautiful of the country. This
church has had, among other princely
visitors, the honor of celebrating the
marriage ceremony of Charles TX and
Elisabeth of Austria (1570). We make
bold to assert that it was "the last
of the churches shelled." A fact less
known, although not less interesting,
is that 1t was also "the first of the
churches to be shelled."
Begun in 1890. 1t was % years old
when in 1921 the imperials besieged
Mezieres, defended by Bayard, the
knight without fear or reproach. His
torians relate that shells were en-
ployed for the first time during this
siege. The enemy shelled the town
for exactly a month, from August 81
until September 27, and one part was
entirely destroyed. The monuments
- xro1l 80 IL .lx-L -k-..1I L.
the projectiles, as is proved by the
archives of the epoch, kept in the de-
pository of the department of Me
zieres. 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 B~ombarded.
One can notice hat the lombard
ments of this epoch, ever compared to
those that the history of after times
was to note, were not-as certain
people might believe-"games of chill
dren." The church of Mezieres was,
however, to undergo more terrible
ones on three different occasions.
Completed with difficulty in 1926,
that is to say, a hundred and twenty
seven years after the laying of the
foundation stone, 1t was soon to have
lived the golden age of it's life. To
say nothing of the fire which broke
out In its steeple 1882, neither of the
acts of vandalism of the r~evolutionists,
let us speak only Of the bombardments
which 1t suffered.
The Prussians shelled 1t in 1915. An
Inscription on the wall reminds the
reader that 1t was nearly ruined. 1t
lost It's beautiful stained-glass win
dows Of the sixteenth century and the
exterior pinnacles were seriously dam
aged. Several shells penetrated into
the interior, causing a great deal of
damage.
Hardly had. the damage Of 1915 been
repaired when a new cloud arose on
the horizon and threatened Mezieres
In 1870. New invasion, new fears and
ruins for our town on the from
tier.
The 81st of December, 1870, and LIST
Of January, 1871-German Christmas
box-the enemy again shelled Me
The church was principally
aimed at and was once. more the VIC
of the shells, which spoiled the
burst the vaults, broke the
sculptures and stained-glass windows.
Loses Peal of Bells.
During nearly forty-seven years
ruins had been repaired. The
church of Mezieres had passed the
part Of this great war without
but In 1917 and 1918 the Ger
took away the five beautiful
,ells, the most tuneful and the loud
st In the country, and what is worse
the organ In order to get down
he bells. But the church itself re-
NAMED uninjured. 1t would have been
much luck for our church, the des-
my of which seemed united to all our
han t~wenty-four hours before the ar
the fury of the r%etreating en-
my poured out In the vile lombard
aent of Mezieres, which lasted TWEEN
? hours. Among other buildings the
'hurch of Our Lady was struck. All
stained-glass windows were either
3tally or partly broken, and WHAT'S
lore important, the flamboyant null
0ns of man, windows were broken.
he church was struck by many 2
ombs, some of which hit the lantern F.
[ the steeple, the tower of the signal
IAN. Some struck the top, some the
ault, some the interior of the coun-
Thanks to the armistice, which game
list In time to prevent the enemy
destroying Mezieres totally, the
image, though considerable, is not
,yond repair. But 1t Is certain, too, (,
at this bombardment is another +,
'oof of the insincerity and the saw ,
,ery Of our enemies, and-a fact I,
orth noticing that our church, the .
Ut church to be shelled in history, :
- also the last,