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Show 1: DESPERATE FIGHT ACROSS A RIVER k Havre, Sept 16 To the story or l the battle of the Marne must be add- m e that of the Aisne river crossing which was on a scale such as never before has been seen in the world. The time was Saturday evening and jB the moment had arrived when if the v3Mt fleeing host was to be saved a stand H of some sort must be made The enemy gathered hurriedly together for 9 a great effort on the heights that jjS overlook the river. He had his guns jflB In place and his men ready when our troops and those of our ally reached H the south bank of the river. Clearly it was essential to the al lies that the crossing should be made il H if the great pursuit was to be con I H tinned and the hard won victory I H pressed home. Consider what the at- H tack meant. The river was swollen H and running swiftly after the recent J H heavy rains. Bridges must be built. H under a withering fire. They rausi H be maintained undamaged They must H be crossed and all vantage points H were held by men rendered desperate, HL fighting for their very lives 1H It was a terrible prospect, but It H did not daunt our splendid forces. H The attack began on Sunday morn ing with all the elan and dash whlcti characterized the great struggle of Hi1 ihe week before. Our guns were brought up and placed in position and a terrific duel opened; for so long as h the German artillery remained uiibI- Hi lenced the hope of effecting a passage H was slight Indeed. H Froin what I heard, and fortune H has favored me in this respect, that H wrangle of great guns was an lnaplr- Hi ing business a combat of titans Over the valley shells screeched hour after hour, doing fierce execution on both sides, but our gunner held to their posts in a manner that evoked the wonder and admiration of all who Hi witnessed it. 1 have heard doubts expressed ae to whether the events of the last week may not have exhausted the endur-ance endur-ance of these warriors and rendered B them Incapable of continuing the pur- B suit an unworthy fear Victory has B fired our men. Just as reverses stlf B fened them. Far from showing any B sign of weariness, they are difficult B to hold back "Keep the enemy on B the run," is the watchword of the B whole force. B But what a task that of bridging a great river. The crossings are at B Attlchy, at Vic and close to Araberin, between Compelgne and Solssons, so far as the course of the center is concerned One may imagine that the slow stern work of bringing big pontoons Into position and launching them Hj would be difficult under favorable cir- cumstances Now it might seem al-most al-most impossible. -The engineers la-bor la-bor doggedly under a fire that eats into their numbers as the day grows old. Over on the north bank the enemy's guns are being hushed as the fiercest hours of combat are passed One by one the great pontoons are brought Into line Soldier lads begin to advance across the new opened bridge and still our artillery sweeps the helchts maklntr way for them. In I the hour of sunset a chill wind i sweeps the heights The heights are i won and the enemy again thrown back He has gamed his respite of twelve hours, but that respite is not enough. Darkness falls upon his bitter bit-ter recoil. "They fought stiff on the banks,' said a soldier, "but not stiff enough.) Once let us get right up to them and1 they must break Our Iron does it.l Besides, it had been a long day and I think they were hungry, not us. We went into them and into the rout of them and they melted. Afterward I It was queerly quiet In the night Ourj boys are mad and the French are mad." All along the lines was victory. Not once, but many times, and In many places has this crossing been accomplished. |