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Show GHENT ONCE MORE IN HANDS OF GERMANS AFTER DESPERATE FiGHl London The Chronicle's corre-pomlent, corre-pomlent, Martin Ponoluie, under date 'In Belgium, Monday night," says: "Ghent is once more undsr German occupation. On Saturday and Sunday Sun-day n heroic effort was made to save the city from the consequences of a fresh German visitation. The tight around Melle on Saturday turned to the advantage of the defenders, as did that on Sunday. The combatants were within 100 yards of one another's an-other's positions. Hundreds of wounded wound-ed were lying unaided and uncared for in the immediate front of the two opposing op-posing armies. The Germans' rifle fire during the night had been continuous. con-tinuous. They fired on every one approaching ap-proaching their lines, and did not discriminate dis-criminate between combatants and noncomhatants. Retreat Decided On. "It was a critical moment. Thire was not much time for reflection, and after a careful review of the situation a general retreat was decided upon. The Germans appeared to be in great strength, but the- defending force was holding on undismayed by the fury of the German infantry assaults, supported sup-ported by heavy artillery. "There were no trains from Ghent towards the coast towns, but vehicles of every description, from dogcarts to ramshackle horse wagons, were requisitioned, and the inhabitants of Chent fled with some show of confusion confu-sion from the enemy approaching their gates. By midnight the last citizen who could scrape together money to hire a vehicle of any kind, the last soldier, and a large proportion of the wounded had quitted the city, taking the road to Bruges and Os-tend. Os-tend. "The Btreets of the city were silent si-lent and deserted, and the Hotel de Poste, which had been used as a residence resi-dence by the headquarters staff and the correspondents, was practically empty. Red Cross Nurses Brave. "There are 12 wounded in the hotel ho-tel attended by two nurses of the Belgian Bel-gian Red Cross society, who bravely refused to quit their charges, even when the doctors and stretcher bearers bear-ers abandoned their posts and vanished van-ished from Ghent. The wounded were in a feverish state of excitement. Somehow, the news of the evacuation reached their ears, and they implored the nurses to have them transported elsewhere, for not one of them relished rel-ished the idea of falling wounded into the hands of the Germans. "It was in vain we sought aid from the city authorities, who were more or less distracted at the prospect of a fresh German incursion. They frankly said they had no aid to give nd no dovht they were right. Fears for Brother. "At 6 a. m. the wounded were still in the hotel, fretting at the long delay. de-lay. No vehicle, not even a dog cart, was obtainable, and Germans might appear at any moment. "One of the nurses, Mile. Baerde-maker, Baerde-maker, whose brother was severely wounded and was lying in the hotel, had bravely faced the ordeal of the long night vigil, but now she began to show some signs of the emotion that was racking her sisterly heart. "When things looked the blackest, Mr. Van Hee, the American vice-consul, brought his automobile to the hotel ho-tel door. He was on his way to Brussels, Brus-sels, and had called for a friend who was to accompany him. "Mr. Van Hee is a big-hearted, sympathetic sym-pathetic American, and when he heard of the plight of the wounded, his eyes filled with tears. " 'Bother Brussels and official missions,' mis-sions,' he said. 'I will never leave these poor boys to be taken prisoners pris-oners by the Germans.' "He w as as good as his word. In a few minutes the wounded had been Iroufht down and the consular car nade several trips to the railway station. sta-tion. Every man was taken away from the hotel and placed on board a' military train which was in readiness lo leave for Ostend. Saves More Wounded. "Afterwards Mr. Van Hee took his automobile to the military hospital and carried off six wounded soldiers whose wounds precluded them from walking. They had been carried on stretchers. "Many of the wounded left behind in the military hospital who were able to walk had earlier in the morning morn-ing made a brave attempt to save themselves. "Some hobbled forth painfully, supporting sup-porting tottering limbs with the aid of improvised crutches. Others were helped along by the kindly arm of a lad or a woman who had come forward for-ward in answer to the appeal for aid. It was a walk of over half a mile on a paved road from the hospital to the railway station. "One train filled with wounded did get away from the city before the entry of the Germans, but a second, also loaded with brave fellows who had b ed for their country, was left behind and abandoned to the enemy There were no doctors, and but few nurses to assuage the pain of the wounded, and, to add to the hor-hetic hor-hetic ' th6re Wa3 the unsa. nrt i , f eloat over their mi3ery and helplessness." |