Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1919-01-03

AANk n INV AhANhNAANANNG NAN AAnN ~ y |
afterward n small force OF Belgian
cavalry had arrived and driven the
BOches out. The Germans were ex-
pected either TO return or begin n bonn
bnrdment nc any moment and all the
inhabitants who sported cellars were
hiding In them. The rest were trying
TO get out OF town with their belong
ings as best they could.
On reaching our objective we mnde
straight for the Hotel de vile. where
we were admitted and after n short
walt taken to the b~urgomaster. We
questioned him as 60 news, for we had
been instructed to pick up any lnfor-
nation he might have ms 10 conditions.
But we did not get much. for he could
not get about because OF the Germans,
who had made II a policy TO terrorlze
the people OF the town.
We had just got into the car and
were about TO start when the burgo-
master himself came running out. lie
ordered us TO leave the car there and
said he would direct us where TO 20.
He Insisted that we 20 on foot, but l
could not understand when he tried
to explain why.
We soon saw the probable reason
for the burgomaster's refusal to ride
In the car. All around for about n
mile the roads were heavily mined ana
small red flags IN iron stnves were
stuck between the cobblestones, as
warnings not to put In much time
around those places. Also. there were
notices stuck up all around warning
people OF the mines anI forbldding
heavy carts to pass. When we got
of the rond l breathed again
After n great deal Of questioning we
finally reached our destination and
made our report to the local command
ami. We told him all we could and In
turn received various Information
from him. We were then taken over
to the hotel. Here we read n few
Paris newspapers. that were several
weeks old, until about eight, when we
had dinner, and a fine dinner Il was,
too.
After we had eaten all we could, and
wished for more room In the hold, we
went out into the garden and yarned
n while with some gendnrmes, and
then went to bed. We had n big room
on the third floor front. We had Just
turned In, and were all set for a good
nights rest, when there wns an explo-
sion of n different kind from any I
had heard before, and we and the bed
rocked about, like q canoe In the wake
OF n stern-wheeler.
There were seven more explosions,
and then they stopped. though we
could hear the rattle of a machine gun
nc some distance away. Bartel said II
must be the forts, and after some argu-
ment | agreed with him. He said that
the Germans must have tried an nd.
vance under cover of a bombardment,
and that as soon rs the forts got into
action the Germans breezed. We were
not worried much. so we did not get
out OF bed.
A few minutes later we heard foot
steps on the roof, and then a woman
In Il window across the street, asking
II gendurme whether II was safe to go
back to bed. Then | got up and took
a look into the street. There were a lot
Of people standing around talking, but
II was not Interesting enough TO keep
a tired man up, so back into the hay.
II seemed about the middle OF the
night when Bnrtel called me, but he
said II was time to get out nnC get to
work. We found he had made a poor
guess, for when We were hale dressed
he looked AT his watch and II was only
u quarter pnst seven. but we decided
TO stay up, since we were that far
along, and then go down and cruise for
n breakfast.
When we got downstairs and found
some of the hotel people II took them
a long time TO get II through our heads
that there had been some real excite
ment during the night. The explosions
were those of bombs dropped by a
Zeppelin, which had sailed over the
city.
The first bomb had fallen less than
two hundred yards from where we
slept. No wonder the bed rocked II
had struck a narrow three-story house
around the corner from the hotel. and
had blown II to bits. Ten people had
been killed outright. and n number
died later. The bomb tore a fine hole
and hurled pieces of Itself several hun.
dred yards. The street itself wa
filled with rocks, and II number OF
houses were down. and others wreck
cd. When we got out into the street
and talked nth some army men W.
found that even they were surprised
by the force OF the explosion.
w. l..w..A 49, A.. % - IT,