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LIEGE'S TRAGIC STORY

WHAT THE SIEGE MEANT' TO

THE CITY

, A terribly graphic ietory. of the xeal- • ity of war to me people of aiiy town ■ on which its curse Iβ inflicted is given by a "Times", special correspondent, ivho dhows what the siege "of Liege meant. to'its townspeople, the civilians and the women and the children. ."■ '■ '.'Stories are" now coming to hand, and they make terrible reading.- They reveal war in all its naked horror, in - all its unthinkable brutality.., They *£how to what depths of despair innocent .;'. people may be' plunged-by this, great r. blague, when it is carried to their doors ■ Mid allowed, to defile' their hearths. ■' the! noise albrie; was terrific; it never : : 'ceased. . Riglit and left, north and : v south, the thunder of .the cannon rolled ; with fearful menace, the.rifles cracked .■■■fiercely, overhead the shells• screeched , and the bullets sang. An- eye-witness. has. told me that it was like living in , an , inferno! Women jind children, es- ' pecially the latter, were terrified beyond expression; they hid themselves in. their ; .. houses; many of them;went.down into ; the. cellars and .remained- there. without i food, expecting every moment that their .•■ dwellings .would be brought in ruins . upon the top of them, entombing them. '■ : "Nor was this apprehension foolish. Every now and thena shell .would come ; screaming over the town and : fall, npon .the roofs of the. houses. It, would ex- ■ plode with terrific force,' shattering, walls ■ ; - and floors aiid' leaving; - a/heap of ruins. . 'From these houses one .!heard "..the ', eoreams of .the injured and dying, the ; ; ■: shrill. alarm, of '■■ little ■ children; dis- '■'.■' traught women' rushed out. into- .the '..'.' etreet. Several houses,, moreover, 1 took ■.->-..! fire. and 'burned'.to the ; : ground:., v Here again, cruel .scenes were, witness- •■"'■. ,Ed, scenes-which, it'iis.-.scarcely', possible ': to. think about. Some of ...the shells ; : : descended.'.in\:tilie'"streets' and : were ■■ buried.in the asphalt paving; when:they ;?•.- : esploded lrage-i' holes : were blown out, ■•-. rendering passage impossible and smash-

;sng the house fronts' and balconies. In-

•''.deed) it is said that there was scarce-' •>;. M.v a, single irp.ad, in , the town which es- ; Scaped ' this■ terrible' visitation:.. 'The Vγtown,' according to a refugee, 'looked ■ like a cemetery "in , , which there had been ■ The streets, were torn ■*'.; up --and. full of wreckage.' ■ . •-.'■"■.'' Th- German soldiersy.:sat: playing "cards and; smoking and drinking. They forced the/ townspeople ;to.,minister ,: to ■/their needs. An order, too, was issued ■ .that.every Belgian should; keep his door , . open day : and. night so. that tho con- ■ (]_uerbrs should not be stayed if they de- ';■. .sired' to' enter 'anywhere.; Remember : that the : people of Liege had, most of .■'■ them, their wives and families in the 'town, and consider what such an order ■; 'lueansl" : : - ■-■ ,:'/'■'''- ■•■.'■■■

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19141008.2.39

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
442

LIEGE'S TRAGIC STORY Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 6

LIEGE'S TRAGIC STORY Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 6

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