THE SEMLWEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
fk
c
R".
V
n-'
hr
-V "
s 1'
v.
V
A.V. .
"W i
f4
fe. '.
', f .
ft"
t
tCKAGE-STREWN
LOOK US IF
By C. W. WILLIAMS.
Paris. With several other repre
sentatives or American newspapers I
WW permitted to pass several days in
""the zono of military activity" on cre
dentials obtained at the personal re
quest of Ambassador Herrlck, that wo
might describe tho destruction caused
by tho Germans In unfortified towns.
Although I have- given a plcdgo to say
nothing concerning tho movement of
tho troops or of certain points visited.
1 am permitted now to send n report
of a part of my experiences.
Wo crossed tho entire battlefield of
tho Marne, passed directly bohlud tho
lines of the battlo on tho Alsno, ac
cidentally getting under flro for an
ontiro afternoon and lunching In a ho
tel to tho orchestra of bursting shells,
ono end of tho building bolng blown
away during tho bombardment.
We witnessed a battle botween an
urmored French monoplano and a
Gorman battery, and also had tho ex
perience of bolng accused of bolng
3ermon spies by two men wearing the
English uniform, who, on falling to ac
count for their own German accent,
-woro Bpeedlly taken away under guard
with their "numbers ud." as thn Frmiph
commandant expressed what awaited
them.
Likens Battle to Cyclone.
On account of our exceptional cro
dentlals wo wero able to seo moro
actual war than many correspond
ents, who, when they learned that
permits to get to the front were not
forthcoming, went anyway, usually)
falling Into tho hands of tho military
authorities. Getting arrested has
beon tho chief business, of tho war
correspondents in this war, oven our
accidental view of tho fighting being
sufficient to cause our Bpeedy return
to Paris under parolo.
Going over tho battlefield of tho
Marne, wo found the battle had fol
lowed much the same tactics as a cy
clone, In that in somo places nothing,
not oven the haystacks, had been dis
turbed, while In" others everything,
tho villages, roads and llelds, had been
utterly devastated by shells.
Wo talked with the Inhabitants of
every village and always heard the
samo story that during occupation
the Germans had offered little trouble
to the civilians and had confined their
activities to looting and wasting tho
provisions; also that when retreating
they had destroyed all tho food they
"wero unable to carry.
Fire Baptism In Church.
Our baptism of flro appropriately
camo while we wero In a church. At
noon of tho second day wo motored
into a deserted village and wero
stopped by a sentry, who acknowl
edged our credentials, but warned us
if we Intended to proceed to bowaro
of bullets. But there was no hostile
sound to alarm us.
As wo drove carelessly over tho
"brow of a hill where tho road dipped
down a valley Into tho town wo wero
in direct line with tho Gorman flro,
as great holes in tho ground and fall
en treeB testified.
It Is a wonder our big motor car
was not an immediate mark. On tho
way wo noticed a church steeple shot
completely off so, after finding an Inn,
whoro tho proprietor came from the
cellar and offered to guard our car
and prepare luncheon, wo decided flrBt
to examine tho church. Tho inn-keeper
explained that wo had como during
a lull in tho bombardment, but tho si
lent, deserted place lulled all sense of
danger.
Shell Hits Sanctuary.
Tho verger showed us over tho
church and we were walking through
tho ruined navo when suddenly wo
neard a sound like the shrill whlBtllng
of the wind.
"It begins again," our conductor said
simply.
As tho speech ended wo heard a
loud boom and tho sound of falling
masonry as tho shell struck tho far
end of tho building.
We hurried to tho hotol, tho shells
screaming overhead. We saw the build
ings tumbling into ruins, glasB fall
ing llko fine powder, and remnants of
furniture hanging grotesquely from
scraps of masonry.
" All my life I had wondered what
would be the sensation if I ever was
under fire would I be afraid? To
my intense relief I suddenly became
fatalistic. I was undor flro with a
vengeance, but instead of being afraid
I kept Baying to myself:
"Being afraid won't help matters;
besides, uothlng will happen if wo
just keep close to tho wnlls and away
from the middle of tho streets."
Accusers Taken as Spies.
On the way me wet two men in
English uniforms, who later de
nounced us as spies. Wo hailed them
and they replied that they had been
cut off from their regiment and wero
now lighting with tho French Just
as luncheon wa3 announced eight sol
diers filed Into tho hotel, arrostod us
and marched us before tho command
ant, who saw that our papers wero
all right, but suggested that on ac
count of the dangerous position wo
leave as soon as possible. Wo asked
permission to finish our luncheon.
It was lucky that wo were nrrestod
then boforo tho accusation that wo
wero spies for when that question
l aroso there was no doubt in tho mind
of tho commandant concerning ub, so
our accusers' chargo merely reacted
upon themselves,
( Part of Hotel Wrecked.
During tho oplsodo of arrest thero
was another lull In tho bombardment,
which began again as wo were seatod
1
BATTLEFIELDS
SWEPT BY
at luncheon. All through tho meal tho
shells whlBtled nnd screnmed over
head, and tho dishes rattled constant
ly on tho tabic.
W hen tho meal was over tho propri
etor called us to witness what had
happened vto tho far wing of tho ho
tel. It was demolished.
"Alert" had Just been sounded and
tho sollders were running through tho
Btreots. Wo ran out in timo to see a
building fall half a block away, com
pletely filling tho street by which wo
entered tho town an hour earlier.
In a few minutes we heard the sharp
cracklo of Infantry about half a mllo
away and had a sudden deslro to got
away before tho automobile retreat
waB cut off. Just then wo heurd tho
sound of an aero engine overhead. It
was flying so low that through a
glass wo could easily seo tho whir
ring propeller.
Germans Fire at Aviator.
Tho machine was mounted with a
rapld-flro gun, which was trying to lo
cate tho German gunners, who im
mediately abandoned tho destruction
of tho town in nn attempt to bring it
down.
For ten minutes we saw shells
bursting all about It. At time3 it waB
lost in smoke, but when tho smoko
cleared away thero was tho mono
plano still blazing away, always
mounting to a higher level and finally
disappearing toward tho French
lines.
There was another lull In tho can
nonade and wo wero permitted to
pass down the street near a river,
where, by peering around a building
wo could see where tho German bat
teries wore secreted in tho hills. We
wero warned not to get Into tho street
which led to tho bridge, as tho Ger
mans raked that street with their
fire if a person appeared. Wo then
took advantage of a lull In the fir
ing and departed to the south at 70
miles an hour, to beat tho shells if
any were aimed our way as wo
crossed tho rise In the hill.
Shells Strike 100 Years Apart.
Wo passed tho night at a village
whero considerable execution had
been dono by German shells. Wo saw
on curious effect of them. In a
historic building near the city hall
thero was a shell Imbedded in the
wall with a plato fixed beneath It
showing It struck there in tho year
1814. Just next to it was an unex
ploded shell of 100 years after stick
ing In the wall.
Wo again struck out toward tho
battle, lino, but when wo wero with
in sound of tho firing tho authorities
decided we had seen enough of war
and detained us for two days as
guests of a regimental staff, which
was quartered in a courtyard. Thero
wo wero privileged to seo how tho
French soldiers lived and became such
hardened fighters as they wero prov
ing themselves to be. Wo ate with
them and slept with them in the straw
until orders came to send us to Paris.
As wo wero leaving our cowyard tho
authorities grabbed another group of
correspondents, four In number, head
ed by Richard Harding Davis. They
wero ordered to accompany ub to
Paris Instead of passing several days
In tho straw sampling hardtack and
army fare.
Tells of Horrors of War.
London. The Standard correspond
ent, F. St. Beaman, writing from a
town In Franco, says:
"Tho fearful horrors of war can
never be grasped by seeing tho care
fully tended wounded who come back
to England and hearing their tales,
however gruesome, while there Is
scarcely a dayxin any of tho French
towns near tho armies that docs not
bring with it some live terror from
the front. One example will suffice
to point out this truth. Four dayB
ago tho hospital corps and volun
teers wero notified that a convoy was
expected. Towards midnight It ar
rived, bringing French and German
wounded. The latter were abandoned
by tho Germans in Senlls when they
retreated after setting flro to tho
town.
"Wo had had many tralnn of wound
ed boforo, and all necessary arrange
ments were made as usual, but when
this convoy arrived oven tho most
hardened had to summon all fortitudo
to tho task of emptying tho carriages.
When a man had a broken leg or
arm or a bullet through his lungs tho
skilled ambulance staff soon had him
comfortably backed, but here wero
human vestiges so mangled that It
was difficult to find a placo to touch
them without cnusing screams and
moans. An Insufferable charnal house
stench pervades the whole night air.
Laid Out Four Days.
"Most of tho wounded had lain for
four days and nights whero they had
fallen before being picked up, and
had not yet had their wounds exam
ined, much less dressed. Under tho
burning sun and myriad of files and
under later rains they had been left
to Buffer tho torture of pain, hunger
and thirst until it was a marvel they
Btlll breathed.
"The state of their wounds cannot
bo guessed and does not bear doscrlp
tlon. It was three o'clock in tho
morning, before they could bo dis
posed of in hospitals. Even 24
hours later all had had first dressing.
Tho Germans were far the worst cases,
for tho French flro Beemed to hnvo
been much moro destructive nnd
when it does not kill outright ravages
horribly. After four days many died,
and wo had to shift them again, such
of them as could bo moved."
CYCLONE
FLOUR RATE CASE RIPENED,
U. Q. Powell to Appear Before Inter
state Commission.
U. G. Powell, rate expert for tho
ntato railway commission, will go to
Chicago October 6 to appear boforo
tho intcrstato commerce commission
which is to reopon tho Nobrnska-ICau-sns
flour rato caso under section 4 of
tho application of tho railroads. It Is
a reopening of tho fight inado by Paci
fic coast millers to get Nebraska and
Kansas wheat to bo mixed In tho
making of flour and to keep Nobraska
and Knnsas flour out of tho coast mar
koL Tho lnterstnto commorco com
mission In deciding another rato caso
called tho Intor-mountaln rato case,
hold that rates to tho coast could not
exceed tho rates to tho Intermediate
points from Nobraska and Kansas
points. The rato to Heno waB plus
the rato to San Francisco. Mr. Powell
fought the original coast rato caso
and is thoroughly familiar with all
phnscB of tho situation. Ho contcndi
that tho spread butweon flour and
wheat rates to tho coast was too
much nnd resulted in keoplng middlo
west flour out of the Pacific const
market, but permitted the shipment
of middlo west wheat to the coast,
thero to bo mado into flour and' ship
ped back oast In competition with Ne
braska and Kansas flour.
At tho close or a brief hearing the
state railway commission decided not
to amend its previous order requiring
tho Union Pacific Railroad company to
glvo additional train service oil tho
Spalding branch. Chairman Clarke
announced that tho order would be
como etfoctlvo October 11 and if at
tho end of ninety days tho company
desires to do so it can file an appli
cation for a modification of tho order.
The company desired tho commission
to modify tho order by making it n
trial order for ninety days. Attorney
N. II. Loomls for tho company was
present to make such a plea. J. R.
Shields of Fullorton said tho earnings
on the Spalding branch wero higher
than on some othor branches and Jus
titled additional service. The company
announced that it would try a motor
car and If the traffic Justifies, n steam
train will be put on. A record of re
colpts and expenditures will bo kept
for ninety days.
Tho staio railway commission has
closed a hearing of the application of
tho Nebraska Portland Cemont com
pany of Superior for reduced freight
rales on cement. Tho company is pre
pared to ship the output of a cemont
mill at Superior, but alleges It cannot
compete with companies outside of
Nobraska on account of high rates in
Nobraska, It proposes a. rate of 7
cents from Superior to Omaha aud a
rate of 8V6 cents from Superior to
Lincoln.
In roferenco to tho controversy
now on between different factions of
parents and teachers intorosted In
tho methods of instruction of tho
Omaha School for the Doaf, Chairman
Holcomb of tho board of control has
announced tho board decided to glvo
tho oral system a thorough trial.
Children who show no nptltudo for
it will not lack facilities for learning
to communicate by tho old-fashioned
mothod.
Department Commnndor O. II. Du
rand and Assistant Adjutant General
A. M. Trimble hnvo Issued an order tc
G. A. R. posts calling their attention
to tho second Friday In October as
patriotic day and asking that It bo ob
served by public meetings. Tho
woman's relief corps, ladles of tho
grand army, sons and daughters of
veterans, and Spanish American vet
erans have been asked to Join In the
exercises.
Tho state railway commission has
heard testimony from officers of the
Kearney Electric & Water Powers
company for permission to Issue $25,
000 of bonds. Tho company desires to
issuo bonds for the purpose of paying
debts and purchaso of additional
equipment. Tho commission's account
ants who havo examined tho com
pany's bookB havo reported favor
ably. Seven hundred and eighteen new
uniforms will soon be on display at
the state prison. Following soveral
meetings botween tho board of con
trol and tho warden, it la announced
that each of tho threo hundred and
fifty-nine will have a suit for every
day nnd ono for Sunday. The suits
will bo of wool.
Tho department of weights and
measures connected with tho Puro
Food commission will begin thlB
week testing scales and weights at
tho state Institutions. Tho law ro
quires that this test shall bo made
onco a year and for that purpose tho
work will begin Immediately.
Articles of Incorporation filed with
tho secretary of Htato say the purpose
of the organization Ib for tho organi
zation of tho varlouB spiritualist
churches and sociotlea of tho state
of Nobraska, ho United States and
the world Into ono general body to
facilitate tho promulgation of tho
rollgion and philosophy of spiritual
ism, to uphold such principles of
ethics and culture as will assist hero
in and give unto tho world such as
sistance as will bring to it in a puro
and simple mantior tho truth of
spiritualism.
SINKING
v. -- ... flBBT3HHHHHHHHHHHHH9? o AVAVAH
ff e Mt'ABHHBBBBBlHHHlHvV 1
n ""' ' "" n
This photograph, taken from a
gagoment off Helgoland. Her two
SCENE IN
NfcA. s. ... . . s "' AV(A? uwmw T"llIRnUPimWMllJAM,
- " -. """"' J..W.W.. -KVV.rt.lV.V4.W ,w,v,v.i..
Part of Dinant as it appeared after tho Germans had Bholled it. Tho building on tho loft waB a largo hotol and,
llko all tho other structures in the city, was destroyed. Near tho bridge aro seen somo Gorman soldiers fishing.
BRITISH
Photograph taken during ono of
enemy being concealed In the woods.
CATHEDRAL OF
, . 1V
. x iZ$:
, -i L. . ?
-s T
f.
Jw Vt ' '&
resss
llliSOP
Stf : VVA.fi 7)& ffi. H4A' ' JP . JBAwA- O' ySBtt. fik' T -iVirf
w '"-m umx " .. j- mn "-w-- y mxJmmamM hibi' c . t? Wb . -xs
.
IwSB&CS
yjmyM Jt?
rV
&&
Tho intorior of tho cathedral at
ocruDied that city.
vl!El2
THE GERMAN CRUISER MAINZ
Ilritlsh cruiser, shows tho German cruiser Mains sinking during tho naval on
funnels and two of nor masts had been shot away.
DINANT AFTER ITS DESTRUCTION
, t
-.' AVsstA?
Wt tV.h,v,- MWKvVMS A V.W .
.. .,- v fviv
HIGHLANDERS ON THE
the battles in northern Franco, showing
M0NS IN RUINS
vt7ar:ia? -t
lt.1
SakT
(?2Fu
-V!
. s f.riM M.
A --
&$'
SfgS
Mons after tho Germans had Bholled and
i" . tww?ft - i i iii hi in am i raMH. .tvumf:
f. ml mnrri nt I imWXr r j
TsmmAAlllXPA: s z."
-r??2?eT. '3 T
tta
.v ii;"MT'ra: imiii -r. -" i
"nri lr.J?Jtf - v? stV
iK.L.. SEfiSPiL'Si r'yi
WiV.Vfc.wiVX tk
FIRING LINE
Highlanders on tho firing line, tho
PROUD PRIVATE LANGE
Privnto Lango of tho Twelfth regi
ment of tho Belgian nrmy holding the
order Issued by King Albort conveying
to him tho decoration of Choynlier of
tho First Ordor of Leopold. This
honor was conferred for his wonder
ful feat at Horstal, whoro ho captured
tho flag of tho Nlnotloth Gorman In
fantry, killing a colonel and 14 sol
diers in tho encounter.
Tf C WM