UNKNOWN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 11 November 1914, Page 7

UNKNOWN

IN THE <IRIMIAX TKKXCUKs;. " ' KKLICS OF THE UJCAD. EARTII PLOUGHED BY SHELLS. "Tho valley of the llarne looked very . peaceful and eaim as 1 traversed it in the dusk of the {September afternoon," writes the correspondent of the London Chronicle. "The harvest 'had been gathered, but tlie. grapes were hardly ripe. At the village of Ohes-sy I found refuge in a farmhouse for the night, where the 'Anglais' were welcomed and made comfortable, "On Sunday morning I continued my journey in the direction of lleaux. Here again the bridge of six arches over tnc JMarne had been blown up, and the curious old water mill? in the bed of the river as well. Everything else portable on the riverbanks seemed to have heen ' thrown into the stream, which was a mass of floating woodwork of all kinds. "There were evidences of some fierce Sighting outside the town. On a hill to t!ie eastward huge lives had been cut right off close to the ground. This was an eloquent testimony to the accuracy and intensity of the shelllir..' of modern artillery. All around lay the unburied bodies of Centum soldiers who bore on their collars tin; number !>. The scene Was a terrible and sickening one. Host of them were finely-built fellows, and all round tliem lay the carcases of horses. ~S]vn were husy burning the men iand burning the horses. "On the '.summit of the hill, to the east of Mcaux, was a small farm con-

sisting of an orchard, house, mid outbuildings. Hound this the battle seemed to have, raged most fiercely. The Orniatis hud constructed a trench about a hundred yards from the' road, which ran for nearly three miles in the direction of Trilport. "This trench bore manv signs of the accuracy and power of the fire of the allied artillery. Orcit pits had been torn in the earth around. The rain of the previous night had washed away the earth, revealing the thousands .of shrapnel ballets which had penetrated it The carnage must have been fearful, as every shell seemed to have burst right over the trenches. One mess tin T picked up had no fewer than Jifteen bullet holes in it. "Many iraces were left in the trenches

of their fate occupants. Fnipty nvsit tins, packets iif biscuits ilojio up in (loth, MiiTitv wine bottles', and pails which had been raided fr<im the surronmlhif* farmhouses "Had boon left in confusion. "TTans .seemed to lin>„ helped himself pretty lively to the nieture <>osteanls as lie passed over the French frontier, for thousands of these weiv seatt-rrd about, evidently intended io he cent to tlretc.hcn wlv-ii Paris was reached. On one spot T picked un/ a rnsarv and a little manual of tVhoiie 'devotion •printed in llcrlin. "The nrceipitate nature of the Oerm.an flight was evidenced lie the tifhts -•vhieh niit the eye outside the trenches flreatooaK rifles knapsacks, blanket and haversacks had ■h"en rx-i rw.iv in ihe headlong flhrht. Some .vims behind tl-.e trenches had h'-en the*had heen removed, hut' the heans of empty shell eases remaned behind, and were then beim/. cleared away by the French soldiers/'