Antwerp

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 48, 13 October 1914, Page 5

Antwerp

THE ATTACK. GERMANS’ UTTER DISREGARD FOR LIFE. United Pbkss (Received 9.5 a.m.) London, October 12. Correspondents agree that the German attacks between the outer and inner forts at Antwerp were carried out, With an utter disregard for life in face of the mines and other means of defence. Long after entry the Germans, fearing mines, continued firing upon and around the ruins of the blown-up forts. Five trainloads of German wounded around Antwerp* were sent to Aix la Chappelle. IN THE LAST DITCH. ELECTRIFYING EFFECT OF ARRIVAL OF BRITISH TROOPS. BELGIANS FIGHT LIKE HELLI (Received 9.5 a.m.) London, October 12. Antwerp messages despatched prior to capture record a demonstration following the arrival of the British troops. The whole population was raised from extreme depression to The Belgian soldiers for the first time sang triumphant marching songs, and afterwards fought with dogged and careless gallantry. They became new men. The British troops occupied the advanced trenches near the Nethe, where they were exposed to a continuous galling shrapnel fire, without the choice to return the fire with their rifles. Accordingly, the men were brought back half a mile from the river to better constructed trenches. During the night of the sth, the Germans crossed the river, but were beaten back by the fire of the English marines. Belgian officers spoke with the deepest emotion of the gallantry of the Britishers. On the 6th the British guns were mounted on the inner right part, but it was increasingly evident by the 7th that the Germans were only awaiting an opportunity to bombard the city, and that there was no hope of saving the town. BLACK DESTRUCTION. ENEMY WELL SUPPLIED WITH ARTILLERY. London, October 12. The Press Bureau publishes a communication from th© French headqur.rters, which mentions that there wns a lull in the operations on our immediate front pending the general advance at Arras. Tiio Germans are well supplied with a.rii'.lery, which was particularly violent on Tuesday and Wednesday, hut with no success. The only place where they gained ground was at Rove, where the gains were not worth s tithe, of the cost of men and material. ■Jt Tie towns on the battle line are JP.ow Irenes of black destruction. Arnir. has been wrecked, Albert is nonexistent. and Douai has been half burned down. ’ NOTHING FRESH.” Paris, October li. H "Tioial eormnunique issued at says:—“There is nothing report, except that a flag k-yie-m captured near Lassigny. Th© pi -d operations of the day are satisfactory.”

THE RETREAT TO OSTEND. United Press iAssociation. Ostend, October 12. With a view of reaching Ostend in forced marches, six hundred motor cars were used to convey various contingents of the retreating garrison through Salzaede. The sqldiers were relieved of their knapsacks, which were placed ; in vans, while London motor- ’ buses carried the footsore troops who had fallen in the rear. - Then came dogs, di'awing columns of machine guns, and next the artillery, and after that the rearguard. The procession continued for two days. ACROSS THE DUTCH FRONTIER. Ostend, October 12. The first party of marines and bluejackets on Sunday, 4th inst., hurried to Antwerp. During Monday and Tuesday a large proportion of the Belgians marched to the westward, for the purpose of ensuring the line of retreat. A large additional force of marines arrived at Antwerp on Tuesday morning. An Amsterdam telegram states that the Germans attacked the rearguard of the retreating garrison near St. Nicholas, using their heavy field artillery from a great distance. The Belgian and British troops crossed the frontier at different places, mostly at Putten and Sasvangent. All were taken by boat to Flushing, and thence to the concentrated camp at Gasterland. FRENCH ADMIRATION OF THE BELGIANS. Paris, October 12. The newspapers pay a tribute to the latest act of Belgian heroism and selfsacrifice. They point out the small value of fixed fortifications in the face of the terrific power of modern siege artillery. The capture of the town is a sterile victory. It is an attempt to counter-balance in the eyes of the German people the coming evacuation of French territory. BELGIUM’S FATE. GERMAN CHANCELLOR’S STATEMENT RECEIVED. THE DUTCH ALARMED. (Received 8.45 a.m.) London, October 12. Many consider that Antwerp is far beyond the limit of Herr von Beth-mann-Hollwog’s statement regarding the necessity of invading Belgium for the purpose of entering France. The seizure of Antwerp is regarded as the prelude to the annexation of Belgium and the threatening of Holland’s integrity and independence. The Dutch realise that Germany will not be content that Holland should provide her with an outlet to the sea, and that Holland’s commerical traffic would vanish. Tho populace have now an intimate knowledge of the barbarities perpetrated in Belgium. A VISION OF HELL! DAYS OF FEARSOME SCENES IN ANTWERP. London, October 12. A report; from Flushing states that the Germans have fined Antwerp 20 millions sterling. British correspondents who were at Antwerp, and who have reached Flushing and Amsterdam, narrate that Antwerp was afire in eight places on Wednesday night, and it was impossible to put out the fires, as the Germans bad destroyed th© water supply on Tuesday near Fort Waelhem, and the shell fir© prevented all efforts to repair the waterworks. The German guns were so cleverly concealed that tho Belgians wore unable to locate them, and their artillery

fire was quite ineffective while the Germans were advancing their big guns. South-east of Antwerp the Germans in unsuspected force attacked tlie line of the Scheldt from Giimberghen to Wotteren, with the object of attacking Antwerp from the west. Thirty thousand were engaged in this movement, and they forced the passage of the Scheldt near Schoonaerde by means of pontoon bridges. The Belgians had been in the trenches for four days, and the men were worn out and incapable of withstanding the attacks of these large bodies of men; but they pluckily hold their ground for some time. Finally the Germans advanced to Lotaeren.

Meamvlule the panorama of the city from the tower of the cathedral resembled Gustave Bore’s “Vision of Hell.” The southern portion of the city was a desolate ruin. Whole streets were ablaze. The thick, black smoke from blazing oil tanks, accompanied by occasional great tongues of fire, made a scene of appalling grandeur.

Four miles from the city was the line of the enemy’s guns.

Throughout Wednesday and Thursday morning, the civilians of Antwerp endeavored to escape over a pontoon bridge leading to St. Nicholas, hoping to reach Ghent.

The greater part of the second line of forts fell at midday on Thursday. The authorities then claimed the pontoon for military purposes, and used it to transport the garrison until all were south of the Scheldt, when it was blown up.

Panic among the population commenced during the bombardment on Wednesday night. Fifteen thousand failed to secure passages by the Ostend steamers. In the desperate struggle to get aboard the dozen tugboats going to Dutch ports, several fell into the river, and some were drowned. It is estimated that 300,000 fled.

A correspondent seeking refuge from the shells in the cellar of an Antwerp hotel encountered tho Australians Louise Mack,representative of the London Evening News, and Frank Fox, representative of the Moaning Post. There are extraordinary scenes at Flushing. Refugees are camped in tho streets, in sheds, and in the barracks. /When a box of bread was carried into tho field, the refugees made a wild rush, men and women fighting for a portion. It was some time before they could he persuaded to await further supplies. The majority of the refugees went to Essechen and Rosendaal, whore the roads hear a ceaseless pilgrimage of women, children, and aged men seeking sanctuary in Holland.

Here and there is to be seen a luxurious motor-car, bearing a lady heavily wrapped up in rich furs. But others are wheeling harrows with their few belongings. Seventy per cent, are destitute. Numbers of children were born on the roadside during the flight. Elsewhere aged women, terrorised and hunger-stricken, died on the pathways.

The Dutch sent motor-cars to scoiir the country in search of aged and sick stragglers. In some cases small babies became seperated from their mothers. In hundreds of cases small children had arrived in Holland without their parents. The Dutch families have already arranged to adopt them if the parents cannot be traced. In one case a woman, whose husband was killed by a German shell during the flight, lost her two children in the turmoil, and only the baby remains.

While thousands were traversing Eschen, a ’rumor that th© Germans were coming caused a panic, and the stampede was only quelled when the narish priest, having ascended the church tower and scanned the countryside, assured the refugees that the rumor was untrue.

The last Belgians left early on Friday. They maintained a heavy gunfire to the last moment, in order to gain time for an orderly retreat. They then blew up the remaining forts, and withdrew.

The Germans entered by the Malines gate at noon. When they entered Antwerp they told a few citizens remaining that the refugees must return within two days or their homes would he used for troops and their furniture taken from them.

There was heavy fighting on Friday afternoou'bet ween the retreating garrison and the Germans across the Scheldt advancing upon the western side of Antwerp. Two hundred German Uhlans cornered a Belgian patrol at Nazareth on Wednesday. After the fight 21 Belgians were missing. Five were discovered wounded and hidden in a ditch, and 16 dead in the open, of whom 10 had their heads smashed in with the butt-ends of the Germans’ rifles. THE COCKPIT OF EUROPE. BELGIUM LIKELY TO REMAIN THE SCENE OF OPERATIONS. United Press Association, (Received 11.25 a.m.) London, October 12. The Times, in a leader, says the soizpre of Antwerp will only become of appreciable value to the enemy if they make Belgium the threatro of a defensive campaign in the west. Should they bo driven out of France, Antwerp will considerably strengthen thbir chance of fighting in Belgium rather than in their own country. By holding Belgium it will compel the Allies to fight on a long front extending i from Antwerp to Belfort, but the chief scene of operations will still bo in Belgium. — ! The following figures give an idea of the importance of the port of Antwerp in relation to other world ports: Entered. Cleared. New York 13,763.765 13.549,183 Antwerp 13,288,677 13.272.665 Hamburg 11,830,949 11,945,389 Hong Kong 11,138,527 11,142,117 Rotterdam 10,624,499 10,609,814 jLondon 10,800,716 8,748,008