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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1914)
utJVWWW- JBJejC"ftg&TWBK.-5y 1i TWMW " 1 . k r-j?-3W AvcvAk 4 -tJUS s.Vl THE GEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRA9KA, A 1 . F W TxP GEN. FRENCH TELLS NOW STRATEGY .' iJSlA SAVED BRITISH FROM ANNIHILATION ML! wMi raraNf n&A0TTfc' so pr 4 LL alone, G, 14 1 foot abovu sea level, on top of Klamath peak In Siskiyou county, Cali fornia, a young woman for montliH at a time during tlio prevalence of the forest 11 ro season last year, did her part, and did It well, In the effort the government 1b making to preserve the forests of tlto coun try from destructive flames which have for years past caused an annual property loss iof 125,000,000, and cost each year an average of 75 human beings. She Is Miss Halite M. Daggott, and sho Is tho only 'woman lookout employed by tho forest service. Ah .soon as tho season of forest fires boglns this year, 'Wlas Daggott will again bo found at her post Posted In her small cabin on top of tho mountain peak It will be her duty, as last year, to scan the (vast forest in every dlroctlon as far as she can see by naked eye and telescope, by day for smoke, and for tho red glaro of flro by night, and report the ro suit of her observations by tolophono to tho main olllco of tho forest patrol miles and miles away. Few women would caro for such a Job, fewer still 'would seek It, and still less would bo able 'to stand 'the strain of the inflntto loneliness, or the roar of tho violent storms which swoop tho peak, or tho menace of tho wild beasts which roam tho heavily wooded ridges. Miss Daggett, however, not only eagerly longed for tho station, but secured It Hitter considerable exertion, and now she declares that she en (Joyed the llfo and was Intensely Interested In tho work sho had to do. Perhaps tho call of tho wild Is In her blood. Her parents aro pioneers, her father, John Dag Rett, having crossed tho lsthmub In 1852, and her mother, a mere baby, being taken across tho plains from Kentucky tho same year. Miss Daggett was boril at tho Klamath mine, In tho shadow of tho peak on which tho lookout 'ntatlon Is perched. Sho spent (most of her early yearB out of doors' riding and tramping over tho hills with her brother, so that lit wau natural that, with her In born love of tho forests, sho should bo nnxlouB to tako part In jtho fight which tho forost service men are mnklng for the protec tion of tho forests. Debarred by Ihor Bex, however, from the kind of work which most if tho sarv .Ice men are doing, sho saw no opportunity until lookout stations 'woro established, and then after 'earnest solicitation Bccurcd tho Waco sho held so well. Somo of tho servlco men nm. dieted that after a few days of me on tno peak sho would tele phone that she was frlchtennd h Hho loneliness nnd tho danger, but nuu wns run or pluck and high spirit, and day nftor dav n i,- hoen eyes ranged tho hills whtni. .... .. Snimnt, riv.. ,,.......-., U'CH constitute tho -tail report, by tolcpUono" .,,.""c """' ""', KaESis .only filled the place With nliThoTk i which a trained man could have shown, but sho was re weeksnt;goWhCn tU flr - i2 "fb" I Miss Daggett's oarlleat recollection, sho says, -abounds with amoko-clouded summer days and jilroa that wandered over tho country nt their own Hwcot will, unchecked unloss thoy happened to Intorforo seriously with Bomoono'a claim or . woodpjlo, when thoy w(ero usually turned off by tback-flring nnd headed in another direction, to (Contlnuo their mlschlof until thoy olthor died for lack of fuel or were quenched by tho fall rains. Consequently, sho grow up with a florco hatred nt Ithe devastating fires, and wolcomod tho forco wiucn arrived to combat them. But not until the lookout stations woro Installed did thoro come mi opportunity for her to Join what had un to that Itimo been a raan'B light; although sho and her Blster hod frequently beon able to help on tho (sniall thlngn, such as extinguishing spreading icamp fires, or carrying supplies to tho firing lino. Then through tho liboral-mindodnoss nnd cour Itosy of tho officials in her district, she was given Jtho position of lookout at Eddy's Gulch station in Hho Fourth district of the Klanmth national for .est; nnd entered upon her work tho first day of Juno, 1013. with n firm determination to mnko 'good, for she know that tho appointment of n 'Woman was rather In tho nnturo of nn experi ment, and nnturnlly folt that there was a great deal duo tho men who had beon willing to glvo hor tho chance. ( It was a swift change in throo days, from San (Francisco, civilization and Boa level, to a solitary icabln nearly C.G00 foot olovatlon and three hours' 'hard climb from nuywhero, Uut in splto of tho tfact that almost tho very first quostlon asked i by everyone Is: "Isn't It awfully lonesomo up Ithoro?" Miss Daggott doclaroa that never for a imoment, nftcr tho first half-hour following hor 'BlBtor's depaituro with tho pack animals, when nho had a chance to look around, did she feel tho nlightest longing to retrace hor stops. Whllo alio liad been on tho peak before In hor oarly rambles, nho had never thought of It as n home. One of her pat dreams had always beon of a log cabin, and here was an Ideal ono, brand new the sum mer bofore, nnd as cozy Indoors as could bo wished, while outdoors, ull outdoors, was a grand er door-yurd than any estate In tho land could boast. It was a prospect of glorious freedom from four wnlls and a time-clock, Klamath peak Is not really a peak In tho con ventional aenso of tho word, but it Is rather tho 'culmination of a long serlus of ridges running up from tho watersheds of tho north and south forks of tho Salmon river. Its central location In tho district makes it, howovor, an idoal sp'-t for a r n, -w 1. ,.i JmW k A . i lT-fT ii i ihhv, .nm a.';vjjv.?-.' . m m mt 11 -- - r -- , - in fumy t " rjg$&mmmUiiMmmW, BuSMuSMROftr'tr-WE..-. y mw , A r- llliliiHflBirHEnnnk cw H; MM ' M London. Many English breakfasts went untasted while tho people read tho graphic account by Field Marshal Sir John French of tho heroic light made by tho British expeditionary forco to keep from being annihilated. Like a wildcat pursued by hounds, the Hrltlsh forco backed stubbornly to ward tho Hlver Olse, constantly show ing its teeth, but realising that It must attnln tho river or perish. Text of the Report. Tho repoit Is published In tho Lon don Gazette, the official organ. It Is as follows : "Tho transportation of tho troops 'from England by rail and sea was ef fected In the best order find without a check. Concentration was practi cally completed on tho evening of Fri day, August 21, and I was able to make dispositions to move the forco during Saturday to positions I con sidered most favorable from which to commence tho operations which Gen eral Joffre requested me to under take." , General French then described In detail tho position taken up by lib forces at and on tho east and west of Mons, and tho retirement of the center behind Mons on Sunday, Au gust He continues: jM332Z&g&zr orrrar o&j&AimffiF&iK: station. Misa Daggott describes It as tho hub of a wheel with tho linos of ridges as spokes, nnd nn unbrokon rim of peaks encircling around it; some eternally snow-capped, and most nil of them high er than Itself. To tho oust there is a shoulder of snowy Shasta and an unaeon neighbor lookout on Eagle peak; to tho south, tho high, Jagged odgo of Trinity county, and, Just discernible with the glasses, a shining how cnbln on Packor'B peak; to the west, behind Orleans mountain with Its ever-watchful occupant, a faint gllmpso of tho shining Pacific bIiowb with n favorable sunset, nnd all In between Is n seeming wilderness of ridges nnd gulches, making up what Is said to bo ono of tho finest continuous vIowb In the whole of tho "West. "Bird and anlmnl llfo were also very plentiful," Bays Miss Dnggott, "filling tho nlr with songs nnd chatter, coming to tho doorstop for food, and often invading tho cabin Itself. I positively de clined owning a cat on account of Its destructive intentions on Bmall llfo a pair of owls proving satisfactory as mice catchers, besides bolug amus ing nB neighbors as well. Frequently deer fed around tho cabin In the evenings, and thero was a small bear down by tho spring, besides sevoral larger ones whose tracks I often saw on the trail. In ndditton to these, a couplo of porcupines helped koop mo from becoming lonesomo, by using va rious moaiiB to find n way Into the cnbln at night. "All theso animals being harmless, It had never boeu my custom to carry n gun In so-called west ern fashion, until ono morning I discovered a big panthor trnok out on tho trail, and then In dofor onco to my family's united request, I buckled on tho orthodox weapon, which had beon accumulat ing dust on the cabin shelf, and proceoded to be plcturesquo, but to, no avail, as tho beast did not ngnln roturn. "At many of the btn,tlons tho quostlon of wood and water Is a norlous ono on account of tho elevation; but I was especially favored, as wood lies about In nil shapes and quantities, only wait ing for an ax to convert It Into suitable lengths, whllo water unlimited could bo melted from tho snow banks which lingered until tho last of July, although It did seem n little odd to go for water with a shovel In addition to a bucket. Later the supply was packed In canvas Btcks from a spring about a mile nway In tho timber. This was al ways a Job sought by anyone coming up on horso hack, and thanks to tho kindly efforts of tho gunrds who passed that way, and my few visitors. It was always easy to koop tho pot boiling. My Bister brought up my supplies nnd mall from home every week, n dUtance of nine mllos." Tho dally duties of llfo at MIbb Dnggott'o look out aro ntntill, merely coiiBlstlug of an early morning and Into evening tramp of half a mllo to tho point of tho ride, whore tho trees obscuro tho north view of the cabin, and a constant watch on all sides for a traco of smoke. A watch of this naturo soon becomes an Instinct, according to Miss Daggott, for sho found horsolf often awaken ing In tho night for n look nround. In fact, she wo?mw-ai&Mmz&2ic Boon became to feel, as she expresses it, that the lookout is ''an ounco of prevention." Then thero are threo dally reports to be sent to the district headquarters In town, to provo tint overythlng Is serene, and extra roports If they are not, and lastly a little, very little, housework to do. Not a very buey day, as Judged by our modern standards of rush, but a lookout's motto might ii 1P "tIipv nlso serve who only Btand and wait." And there Is always tho groat map spread out at one's feet to study by new lights and shadows whllo waiting, and tho ever-busy phono with Its numerous calls, which must bo kept within honrlng, go that ono cannot wander far. That phone, Miss Daggett says with its grad ually extending feelers, made hor feel exnetly Hko a big spider In tho center of a web, with the fires for files; nnd those fires were certainly treated to exactly the speedy fato of the other unworthy pestfl Thiotigh nil tho days up to the close of the term on November C, when a light snow put nn end to all danger of fires, sho felt an ever growing sense of responsibility, which finally came to he almost n feeling of proprietorship, re sulting In tho deslro to punish anyone careless enough to set fires In her "door-yard." Tho utter dependence on tho telophono was brought vividly to Miss Daggott'a mind one aft ernoon soon after her arrival, when nn extra heavy electrical storm, which broko close by, caused one of the electrical arresters on tho out side of tho cabin to burn out, qulto contrary to precedent, nnd sho was,' cut off from tho world until tho next day, when someone from tho offlco ramo up In haste to find out tho causa of tho sllonco and set things aright. They often Joke now, she says, about expecting to find her hidden under n log for safety, but it wasn't quite so fun ny nt tho tlmo. Thero Booms, howovor, to be very little actual danger from these storms. In splto of the fart that thoy nro very heavy and numerous at that elevation. Ono scon becomes accustomed to the racket, or, nt least, Miss Daggott did. Flut in tho dnmngo theso atoms cause by starting fires lies their chief Interest to tho lookout, for It reaulres a quick eve to detect, In among tho rage of fogs vhlch arise In their wako. tho small puff of smoke which tells of somo tree struck In a burnnblo spot. Generally It shows nt once, but In one Instance thoro wns a lapse of almost two weeks before tho fall of tho smoldering top fanned up enough smoke to bo seen. v At night tho new fires show up llkotlnv candle flames, and aro easily spotted against tho dark background of tho ridges, but aro not so easy to exactly locate for an immediate report. Upon tho speed and nccuracy of this report, however, de pends tho ofllclency of tho servlco, a3 was proved by tho summar'B record of extra small ncroage burned In splto of over forty fires reported. To tho electrical storms, Miss Daggott adds, are attributed most of our present-day fires, as trav 'oler and citizen alike aro dally feeling more re sponsible for the preservation of tho riches be stowed by nature, and although some Btlll hold to the snuio views s ono old-timer, who mndo tho comment, when lightning fires were being dis cussed, that lie "guessed that was tho Almighty's way of clearing tho forosts," tho genoral trond of opinion seems to bo that man, In tho form of forest sorvlco, Is doing an excellent work In keoplng a vwatnufu! eye o U limits of that hith erto wholesalo clearing. Surprised by Joffre'o Message. "Meanwhile, about five In the after noon, I received a most unexpected message from General Joffre by tele graph, telling me that at least three German corps were moving on my position in front nnd that another corps was engaged in a turning move ment from the direction of Tournal. Ho also informed mo that the two re serve French divisions and tho Fifth French army corps on my right were retiring, tho Germans having on the previous day gained possession of tho passage of the Sambre between Charlerol nnd Namur. Had Reserve Position Ready. "In view of the possibility of my being driven from the Mona position I had previously ordered a position in the rear to be reconnoltered. r "When tho news of the retirement of the French and tho heavy German threatening on my front reached me I endeavored to confirm It by aeroplane reconnolssance and ng a result of this I determined to effect a retirement to tho Maubeugo position at daybreak on the 24th. ' Fighting on the 24th. "A certain amount of fighting con fined along the whole line throughout the night and at daybreak o i the 24th the second division from the neigh borhood of Harmlgnies made u power ful demonstration as if to retake IHnche. Under cover of this demon stration the Second corps retired on tho lino of Dour, Quaroublo and Framerles. Tho third division on the right of tho corps suffered consider able loss In this opcrntlon from the enemy who had retaken Mona. "The Second corps haltol on this line, where they intrenched them selves, onabllng Sir Douglas Halg with tho First corps to withdraw to tho new position nnd ho effected this with out much further loss, reaching the line from Davay to Maubeuge about seven In the evening. "About 7:30 In tho morning General Allenby received a messago from Sir Charles Ferguason, commanding tho fifth division, saying he wns very hard pressed and In urgent need of sup port. On receipt of this message Gon oral Allenby drew In his cavalry and endeavored to bring direct support to the fifth division. Re-Enforcements Brought Up. "Tho Nineteenth Infantry brigade, which had been guarding the line of communications, was brought by rail to Valenciennes on tho 22d and 23d. On"thQ morning of tho 24th they were moved out to a position south of Quaroublo to support the left flank of the Second corps. "With the assistance of cavalry Sir Horace Smith Dorrlon was en abled to effect his retreat to a new position, although having two corp3 of the enemy on IiIb front and one threatening his flnnk. Ho suffered great losses In doing so. "At nightfall a position was occu pied by tho Second corps to the west of Davay, tho First corps to the right. Tho right was protected by tho for tress of Maubeuge, the loft by the Nineteenth brigade In positions be tween Jenlnin and Hruay and by cav alry on the outer Hank. Tho French wore still rotlrlng nnd I had no sup port except such as was afforded by tho fortress of Maubeugo, and deter mined efforts of tho enemy to got around my Hank assured me that It was his intention to hem me against that place and surround mo. Not a Moment to Be Lost. "I folt that not a moment must be lost In returning to another position. The retirement waa resumed in the early morning of the 25th to a posi tion In the neighborhood of LeCuteau and tho rear guard was ordered to bo clear of Maubeuge and Havay by 3:30 a. m. Two cavalry brigades, with the divisional cavalry of the 3econd corps, covered tho movement or the Second corps, nnd tho remainder of the cavalry division, with tho Nine teenth brigade, tho whole under com mnnd of Genoral Allenby, covered the west flank. "Tho fourth division commenced Its detrnlnment nt LeCateau on Sunday, tho 23d, and by tho morning of tha 25th 11 battalions and a brigade of ar tillery, with tho divisional staff, were available for service "Although tho troops had been or dered to occupy the Cambral-Lo-Cateau-Landrecles position and ground had, during tho 25th, been par tially preparing and Intrenched, I hail grnvo doubts owing to Information I had received as to the accumulating strength of tho enemy ngaliiBt me ns to the wisdom of standing there to fight. "Having regard to tho continued ro tiroment of tho French right, my ox posed left flank, tho tendency of tho enemy's western corps to envelop mo, and more than all tho exhausted con dition of tho troops, I determined to make a great effort to continue tho re treat till I could put some substantial Obstacle, such ns the Somme or tho disc, between my troops and the ene my, and afford tho former somo op portunity for rest and reorganization. "Orders were therefore sent to tho corps commanders to continue their retreat as soon as trfey possibly could toward the general line of Ver mand, St. Quentin and Rlbemont, and the cavalry under General Allenby wore ordered to cover the retirement. Throughout the 25th and far into tho evening tho First corps continued to march on Landrecles, following the road along the eastern border of tho forest of Mormal, and arrived at Land recles about ten o'clock. Enemy Allows No Rest. "I had Intended that the corps should come further west, so aa to fill up tho gap between Lecateau1 and Landrecles, but tho men were exhaust odand could not get further .In with out a rest. "Tho enemy, however, would not nllow them this rest, and about 9:30 Hint ovenlng the report waa received that tho Fourth Guards brigade In Landrecles was heavily attacked by troops of tho Ninth German army corps, who woro coming through the forest to the north of tho towjn. TI1I3 brigade fought most gallantly and. caused tho enemy to suffer a tre mendous loss in issuing from tho for est into tho narrow streets of tho town. This loss has been estimated from reliable sources at between 700 and 1,000. "At tho samo time information reached me from Sir Douglas Ilaig that his first division was also heavily engaged south and east of Marilles." Two French divisions assisted tho First corps to retire In tho night of tho 25th. Second corps took position between Caudry and LeCateau. Attacked by Four Corps. "At daybreak it became apparent that tho enemy waa throwing the bulk of his strength against tho left of tho position occupied by the Second corps and the fourth division. At this tlmo the guns of four German army corps were In position against them, and Sir Horace Smith Dorricn report ed to me that he judged it impossible to continue hlB retirement at day break, as ordered, in the face of such, an attack. , "I sent him orders to use his ut-' most endeavors to break off the actlonj and rctiro at tho earliest possible mo ment, as it was Impossible for mo to send him support, the First corps be- ing at the moment incapable of move- ment. "The French cavalry corps under1 General Sordet was coming up on1 our left rear early in the morning and' I sent him an urgent message to do his utmost to come up and support! tho retirement of my left flank, butt owing to tho fatigue of his horses ho' found himself unable to Intervene in, any way. Outnumbered Four to One. "There had been no tlmo to ln- trench the position properly, but tho troops showed a magnificent, front to the terrible fire which confronted! them. The artillery, althouirh out-. matched by at least four to ono, mada a splendid fight nnd inflicted heavy' losses on their opponents. "At length it became apparent that if comploto annihilation was to hoi avoided retirement must be attempted! and tho order waa given to commence It about 3:30 In the ntternoon. The movement waa covered with most de voted Intrepidity nnd determination by! tho artillery, which had itself suffered heavily, and tho fine work done by, the cavalry In tho further retreat fromi the position assisted materially thoi final completion of this most difficult' and dangerous operation. Fortunate-' ly, the enemy had himself Buffered too1 heavily to engago In an energetic pur-! suit. "Tho retreat was continued far into' the night of tho 2Gth and through thoi 27th nnd tho 28th. on which dato the! troops halted on tho line from Noyen, Chauny and LeFere, having then, thrown off tho weight of tho enemy's' pursuit. French Come to Rescue. "On the 27th and the 28th I wns much Indebted to General Sordet and tho French cavalry division, which ho commands, for materially assisting my retirement, and successfully driv ing back somo of the enemy on Cam bra!. General d'Amado also, with tho Sixty-first and Sixty-second reservo divisions, moved down from tho neigh borhood of Arras on the enemy's right flank nnd took much presure off tho rear of tho British forces, "ThlB closed the period cdvorlng tho heavy fighting, which commenced at Mons on Sunday afternoon, August 23, and which really constituted a four days' battle. At this point, there fore, I proposo to close the present dispatch." 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