The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-01-21
FALL OF STATUE
ENDS HUN LUCK
Quaint Legend Of ASert Madon.
ma, Distorted by Germans,
Has Sequel. =
TRICK OF PARISH PRIEST
When Virgin Of Albert Was pethroneo
the Huns From Being 1ruculent
conquerors Were Forced 70
Knees In Submission.

IOndon.-All the world knows the
story of the Madonna which was dis
lodged by German shell fire from its
perch on the tower of the parish
church at Albert during the first mad
rush of the Huns through France in
1914. The statue did not fall, nor was
it greatly damaged, but the base was
so shattered that it hung precariously
over the main road from Amiens to
Bapaume, which passes under the
very walls of the beautiful old church.
For some reason, when the red tide Of
war swept westward through Albert.
the Hun did not complete the destruc-
! ton of the tower, and the statue still
maintained its strange poise after the
invaders had been rolled back at the
battle of the Marne, a eg4 ". -
Days Of Great Hope. !
Those were the days Of great hope.
France was fighting with skin and de-.
termination. Britain was steadily in
creasing her small but wonderful
army, and the Russians were advanc.
ing almost at q gallop through East,
Prussia. In fact, there were optimists
who thought Germany would sue for
peace before Observation-Disclosures.
1914! Some hint of the trend of popu-
lar thought was given by the quaint,
conceit which grew upin the hearts Of
the people, namely, that when the Vir-
gin of Albert fell (as fall she must, In
the opinion of all who saw the statue)
the war would end in victory for
France and her allies. But the war
did not end, nor did the statue fall,
and the opposing armies settled down
to nearly four years of trench war
fare, with the odds greatly in favor
of the Hun, and success constantly at
tending his efforts and those Of his Ill
omened helpers, the Turks. Nv. ~
The Germans, who certainly never
miss point in their efforts to under
mine their opponents morale. seized
on the legend. Varying it to suit theil
purpose they spread the story far and
wide that when the statue fell France
would lose the war. Now, the town OF
Albert possesses most patriotic and
efficient parish priest. r. No sooner did
the Hun version of the lstory reach
his ears than, he sought out q skilled
blacksmith. The two assembled the|
half-ruined tower, surveyed the broken
base, and So braced and riveted the|
statue to its recumbent position that
fall it could not until the tower itself
gave way. r. 3&4f;EEEs,fsS r. S5G. i
i Hun Again IN Albert. i
4 So for many d day every British
Tommy who marched to 8 the front
along the road to Bqpaume raised his
wondering eyes to the Madonna high
above his head and few there were|
) of any denomination who failed t0|
find in its strange attitude a species
of benign benediction. At last, during
/ those black days of last March and
: April, the seemingly impossible hap
pened. The British line bent before,
the fury of n German assault, aided
. as it was by long-continued fog, and
the Hun was once again in Albert.
: When the British retired the statue
was still intact, but, whether by &C.
lSluVul Vi NSSleA HoI yCL nHC"uS luC
Germans brought down the tower, and
with it fell the virgin and child. And
here comes the strange part of the
story, to which latest development
public attention Is now directed for
the first time. Hardly a yard farther
did the German advance progress.
. From that day onward the green.
gray hordes were pressed back, slowly
at first, but with an ever-increasing &c.
lerty which finally developed to !
rout. lay. a. Z y
In word the luck Of the Huns
deserted them when the Virgin of A.
bert was dethroned. From being the
struculent conquerors of nearly all Eu.
rope they were forced to their knees
whining for mercy. The foregoing
fkcts cannot be gainsaid. Viewed in
retrospect they form one of the most
curious and interesting episodes Of
the greatest Of all wars.