Show BombProof Trench rench City G Guards rd French Off Duty Duly Shells F all T hick sl y i to Vi j r Underground C Community With Its Streets and andS nd S Squares r s Hidden From Enemy Is Described by i Recruit on Duty for First Time Tie S I I r Oct 9 A J A graphic des de s n ot of the trenches in the he re- re dp Sp li the greatest that the world has Is is' related 1 by ly y Louis Burelle Burello In a r recent number of ot the Figaro Mr I. I t tells realistically the ImI im- im p of a soldier coming to h hi his first of duty in the trenches When ime I leaves ves the woods of ot AIli Al- Al li 11 writes following the road to an imposing ng Wall cuts bit f the ho view It Jt resembles a huge h lIMp heap p of white sand left leit there by titanic ti- ti pioneer carving the natural co corridor corridor- from irom Clermont by the Argonne Argonne Ar- Ar gonne lionne and on the east by the Hessian forests Worn afar off the entire region emeji tp be deserted There Is no anor sound of ot life lite save for tor ari an ri oc oc- oc ca ional swallow flying twittering past l poking looking tor or a nes nest destroyed for- for S cv r. r Suddenly one finds t tie the e road rood barred by an impo imposing ing harri barricade of of g filled fille 1 with earth supported by br beams beani and with a a. foundation of 01 sa sacks laCks ks Of of t rand It is a regular redoubt of ot th the fri es of ot Vauban and passage i lg is im l lq possible l am lm im at the foot of ot the he mountain The grade is a twenty degree slant up to 10 the to-the the middle where it it Increases ases from twenty five to thirty degrees s to the crest of the plateau On my right I I. I see a broken window set In Ina ina ina a s section cUon of ot wall tho the remnants remnants remnants rem rem- nants of ot a farmhouse On each side of the barricade Is a a a- n narrow cut mounting In ma a winding This is the he communication tench t It is te only about a yard Wide vide but it more than two two- yards deep Fr Frequent little sidings sidings- out cut ut Int into the wall Vall allow persons to pass each other oth oth- er er And Ad as S. S 1 climb t-climb It I 1 begin to s see e e a sort tort life lite I pass sev ral p oh on on fatig fatigue e duty Some Sone ar are carrying provisions others other ga ga- ga and beams A group carrying a huge ket l of ot soup pass passes s and I Ismeli I smelt the aroma of 01 the rich us Gay a and d Happy i It is Is a pleasure to see men in this this 1 solitude They are dirty many of ot them th m only partly partI clad In uniform and I fb y yare are browned and weather beaten I The The-Jr clothing lothi g is dust t they yar are are Vigorous and and gay Their r. r laces laces' s' s are tinted the color of of the i brown Irown earth brown earth in which is-which wh ch they live their beards black brown and I give give- them an expression of fet ferocious ferocious' J virility These are indeed I tl tle p nUfi living lining working working- 1 Jn th the iii of the earth clinging clinging cling cling- clingI I t to the the- ing with desperate tenacity hillside which they have sprinkled I with their blo blood d They are all smoking amok amok- i ing some ome cigarettes others pipes All AU Allare Allare are smiling g all reflect the good hamor huI hu ha mor and d h hope pe of tru true children children of France n e by little littlEr the tr trench opens I but until I turn t and f myself in inthe I the Ue middle of a little Tittle city with Its I streets anI and squares 1 I 1 see soldiers sitting or or crouching hing in excavations 1 carved in the stiles of gf the lie trenches Some of thes these thead ate are but but hol holes s s' into which it Is necessary Ito to to crawl on ones one's stomach In these the blankets c herve ve as beds the packs as as as' pillows bureaus bureUs ure us arid and buffets A little lIttI place places I is- is s reserved for tor rifle and equipment The he door is made up ip of t. t the sh shelter lter tent lent fastened by Its pins to The whole Is rustic easily constructed construct construct- ed and comfort comfortable ble But the there e are re some regular pa pal pal- aces They are are are- below the level of the trench and ana are reinforced d' d by pl a and d branch branche I I I marvel as I traverse liis little I City an anti and l. l I go on t to the third line of t trenches rhe he c Or Uon trench widens out he here hee E 1 too On Ozi each side I the parapets are supported by ga- ga blons blona and bY h havy Vy w wre e. e cation tion tion trenched s radiate in all directions directions Hons eael with Us Its sign post Lines cf Gf telephone wire are strung long along their sides The Ascent is is steeper ier the footing ts La slippery ry and one makes frequent false steps Finally Income to the the- third line This his tr ch is solidly a a a veritable belt abo about t the of beams gabion sacks of ot earth and planks all all' weM together b h wire pf Of great reat sizes size proofs line it ii at Rt irregular intervals interval's elbows nade- nade of gb ions preventing ade d and also sheltering from the c. in loopholes s e sid i t the wah he enemy Be Beaches chea sr are he 7 fo fog fhe he night ight sentinels Shel Shelters Shelter's erg t t o i lt in the Sides solidly b s VV i n the First Line Trench T-H T V Profound Profound silence reigns reigns- l Kerp er a 6 b peaks ks only onTy in low Jow tones Tile The ar aoi- aoi r matlon seen sean below Is sent aI and lh the n mp o gar Stand with wIh the rigidity of statues eyes ft fixed ed d pon upon tile the tle sky sIy J rifles i Jn In hand band They Je Jere re are re watching for I 1 w watch teni them with r respect for forra a moment then continue my as ascent ent t AsI s' s go up the slen silence seems s e-s ems Et to to 6 d deep ep v t h i if it that be possible I arry af at at the tle second e. e line Une and hero here find the same sume SI it li l l' l entrenchments and the same sll nt sentinels their eyes eyes' Also fixed zi tf the e sky rol At tl last f I find myself in the first first- ln line A sentinel In Jn his niche nichel l I l out ut M l loophole be bends down isens From m t time to tm time timO a bullet bulie from the strikes the parap parapet he behind h th J sentinels are sh shel l With vi a a dull blow At each sen sentinels sentinel's tinel's right hand is i a a box ot Of of cartridges cartridges car car- cr- cr on which I read cad red different In Inscriptions In- In Pastilles for Boche digestive capsules and ano another her n the linier device Promises s for Iron I crosses Besides Beside each ech man too are boxes NIxes of ot petards and of ot hand grenades gre gre- nades rados Some somo round roun others oval in inform rc form In all aU little both offensive of of- of- of and aritt n defensive Tho The G Germans are now flow eight now yard away aYi twelve now twenty five as the trench winds I I peek peak through a loophole and s see e ectore before n me a barb barbed d wire entanglement entanglement entangle entangle- ment mont supported by posts sunk In the ground A Ut little further furher on Js II is the Boche Bocho line Its loophole cleverly con con- is coaled Its parapet Is also by barbed Is wire arid and ard its is whitesand sand sandbags nd barbed bags gleam In the the To t the e eleft left Is a a. a bit of ot wall blackened l by Py lire overhaul by I 1 put down dOrt my y pack little ar arsenal enal and receiving the the- the theor or orders or pO ders post fr the old sentinel take my |