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Show SHELL FIRE LAYS RHEIMS IN RUINS French Front, July 24. Rhelnu Is wilting. Tho big cathedral city of tho Champagne district has tho np-penrnnco np-penrnnco of a hollow shell which has collapsed In parts and Is rapidly subsiding sub-siding Into a shapeless mass. Not only tho cathedral but all the public buildings and private dwelling dwell-ing houses have suffered terribly in the last half year from tho raging vengeance of tho Gorman gunners, who havo turned a rain of shells to tho stricken city whenever their armies have been defeated nt any point on the front. Theso defeats have been so freaucnt, either on n small or large scale, slneo tno allied offensive begnn this yenr, thnt the city has rarely passed more than two or three dnys without undergoing Se vere bombardment. . , Tho extent of tho undeserved punishment pun-ishment mny bo gathered from the figures rlatlng tho number of sholls of all calibres poured Into tho streets and on the cnthedral during a slnglo fortnight from Juno 15 to June 2. Tho total between those two dates was no fewer than 16,052. Thero are only 500 persons left out of a peace-time population of nbout 115,000. Among thorn nro a goodly proportion of women nnd children. Como of tho younger women have continued their work throughout, many of them being employed In thy champagno cellars, where during tho day they are comparatively safe from tho German flro. School Is still being carried on, the classes being held below tho street surfaco and tho municipal government govern-ment also Is conducting in tho bowels bow-els of the earth, where tho city fatn-ers fatn-ers meet to discuss relief measures. A visit to Cardinal Lucon, archbishop arch-bishop of Hhlms, who has never for a moment thought of deserting his post near the cathedral, found him In very confident spirits and tho full belief that allied victory was assured. Ho referred In course of conversation to the great help ho received from Amrlcn and from tho othor allies. Ho said: "The entry of America Into the war will surely hasten the defeat of tho Germans, who In the namo of their kultur havo done so much harm to civilization." The American consulato, which has not been occupied since early In tho war, has not suffered greatly from tho constant bombardment. One shell pierced tho roof nnd left somo marks of its explosion, whllo nil the windows have beon destroyed. In tho cathedral Itself a great change has taken place In recent months. Groat gaping holes show In the roof. All the anciont stained glas3 has fallen out In millions of fragments onto tho stone floor as a consequence of tho shell explosions In and around the building; that statues of saints havo crumbled, frequently fre-quently craters show In tho floor; nil the woodwork Iwb succumbed to tho flames and nt nny moment a big shell mny cnuio tho whole structure to collapse. Nearly 700 shells havo hit tho building. Ono of thorn, a 12,-lnch projectile, did not explodo and that now stands on its haso boslde ono of tho pillars of tho niilve. |