The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1919-04-04
neziefes Victim OF Hun Ferocity
Even Up to Signing Of
Armistice.

by N. LIABLE A. pouLiN.
ua the New York Herald

ia the New YORK. Hsraiaj
Mexieres. Ardenhes. France 1T In q
fart known 10 everyone that the Ger.
naanh. after having desperately begged
for the srm)stiee. sheilsd the town Of
Msrieres, even up 10 the exact mo
ment " the beginning OF the armistie~.
eowafily and without amy military
frHanE whatever, They aitaed espe-
eiaiiy ut the monuments, which we're
well known 20 them. az they had oc-
ssrss~i ~'is%S city Tor 'f6uf Years. '<
Among the latter the church IN CO.
rectnIty 10 bs mentioned I, In 1n-
Gothic nAnlboysps structure with riye
. Bass&. ias lafssel aaI psEAap1 .be
most henetitnl IT the country. Ibis
church has had, among other prihcrly
visitors, the honor Of celebrating the
marriage ceremony " Charles X and
Elisabeth " Austsis ;l57pl. We make
bold 10 nsseFt that X @as "the last
OF tbe churches shellcJ" A FACT Iess
kuown, although not less Interesting.
In that II VAS aiss the first af the
churches 10 h~ sheiled."
Hsgun In its. N was ~ years Gid
when In 1891 the imperiaIs b.sisged
Mexlsres. defended by IayaFd, the
knight without fear or repruaeh Ills
tefians relate tina, shells we're rm.
played for the first time during this
siege. The enemy shei|ed the town
for exactly month"; from August 81
.uatif September ~ aid ode par, Was
entirely destroyed The monuments
~ well as The church were struck by
the proiec,lles. as " proved by the
archives Of the epoch, kept In the ae
roslt0ry Of the department Ut Me-,
setrs, SeJetal large holes had e. he
mrudcd 10 the ROOT Of the church
steePte AS "the glass frame of the
round of the sfe"plr which had been
broken dufing tbs sieg","
Many rtmss Bemhsrdsd.
one can notice that the homhnrd
nents 81 this epoch. even compared 10
those that the HISTORY Of after times
was tn note were nnt-es certain
People might heltvve gaines If chll
drvu." The church 81 MefEer.= was
however, 10 undergu more terrible
ones on three dIferent occasions
Completed With difficulty IN lam
that Is 10 say. e hundred and twenty.
seven years after the laying NJ the
foundation stone, II was snon 70 have
lived tho golden age ~ ,ts itfc To
say nothing Of the Are which broke
ou, Ia It's steeple tltiS2l neither Of the
acts NJ vandalism ~ the rpyolutlonlxts
LEI us speak nnty W the non,hardtnsnts
Which a. suffered. .... .s-...
The rrusslsns sh~llsd II In 1919. An
inscription ON the wall reminds the
reader that II was nearly ruined I,
lest i's beautiful stained glass ~iu.
bows II the sixteenth century and the
exterior rtnnncles we're seriously dam.
aged Several shell. penetrated into
Wv l"''i'ft, tHu"Hk kttNt usAi Vi
damage
Hardly had the dsnass ~ 1918 been
repaired when a new cloud arose on
the hcrtroh and Threatened Mezierss
IN 1870 New Invasion new fears aud
rev ruins fot cur town 90 the iron.
tier
The i'H Of December. 1870 and lw
81 January, l>Tl German Christmas
hux the enemy again Shrltoa NJ,
strres The Church was pr{neinaly
aimed ~ and was once Funr,, the We
tim 0t the. shells, whtch spotted the
aeFple. hurst the waits. hfrke me-
sculptures aud stained glass ~ .paows
leses PEA 81 Rrlis
rorins nesrly trrty,sesen . year.
these ruins had ncen repaired The
church Of Mesterrs had passed tho
greater part 81 this great war without
csmase, but IN lai' and 1915 the Ger.
nsns took sway the Eve hcauttra
bells the most ,nnetal and the loud
est IN thr eeantry. and whs; Is uNrss
hnakr the organ In order 10 Sv, down
the bells, Hat The church i,~lt -
malncd uainiared, I, would Asve t"en
tou much luck for oar church the jes.
tiny ~ which s~emes' matted TO sil cur
national wees On November 10. less
than twFnts,fcur hours before the ar
u%Utce the fary Of the rctrvating en-.
enty pNars' eat In She vile ecmas I'd
r'rp ~ NetgersS which lasted tween
:, @a~S AmeaS ut.s~r haiitiass the
t't1 Il nur Lady was struck Al
'Hr "Hsav,! s|sss windows were es,hes
t'H'N W PARTY Nruxcn. and What IL
t'"te i"i~c'ast the ra'asos Ant mui.
t"tS ~ waey @tnaNws we're hru&vr.
~ yhGrrh aas struck hy many
e.'', >.92e ~ Nhith su the isat.ru
q ,Nc sF-r she tower u tie signal.
r.a1 Sc S5-uvN ths top same tie
s@o.' S's lss recrer " .he t~,un