The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, August 22, 1918, Page 7, Image 7
A CHAMBER OF HORRORS.
(Continued from page 3, column 1)
tunnel from the other end, which,
with the aid of a poilu, we finally
discovered.
The entrance-to this tunnel was extremely
difficult. We soon had to
walk on all fours. Soon the pale
light of the orifice through which we
had entered was lost and we had to
light our candles aid electric lights.
Arrived at the foot of a staircase of
seventy steps, we found ourselves in
a series of little rooms, about which
were scattered innumerable bottles.
It had been the German beer shop.
* There were also all the appliances
for boiling and sterilizing water. One
of the rooms had evidently been a
dormitory, the mattresses being still
there, but this was not what we had
come to seek?not a corpse was to
"be found. Had they, then, invented
this gruesome tale?
Suddenly in the last compartment
by the light of my smoky candle I
seemed to see in the partition wall of
the mine a closed door. I pulled it
towards myself and it opened, releasing
an odor of mushrooms and
mould and a swarm of mosquitoes.
A Scene of Horror.
The pale and smoky candle revealed
a horrible sight. Before me lay
the bodies of soldiers in every imaginable
pose in which death had overtaken
them with such suddenness.
They had lain there sihce August,
1917, some leaning against each other,
some on the back, some on the
facd, some seated, others leaning on
their guns, many lying side by side
seemed asleep. It would seem as if
thft "hmr?Mitv and lack of light and
air had preserved the bodies?the
flesh was still on the hands except in
certain places, where it had fallen off
and the bones were exposed.
The heads were still covered with
* hair under the helmets, while the
eyes, wide op)en, were like great
empty black holes, which seemed to
shrink with terror from the light.
( The spectacle was infernal and one
had to summon all the force of his
soul to preserve his equanimity and
see what he wished to see. How had
they died? What must be done to
prevent our own men from a similar
fate? These thoughts were strong
enough to conquer the horrible repulsion
I experienced against continuing
the exploration.
"The corpse of an enemy always
smells good," says an old proverb of
the savages, but at the same time I
r realized that a soldier wha has died
for his country is always worthy of
respect, even when it is the case of a
country like Germany, which has
treated us with the most abominable
cruelty. I wished to pass among the
dead- with reverence and to accomplish
this I prayed to the god of battles
that he would accord to these
warriors the pardon of their faults
towards us, and that their souls in
repose might show their compatriots,
still living, the folly of the
war and of their own misdeeds.
Trying Moments.
A muddy and blackish water stood
over the surface of the soil in the
middle of which one found groups of
corpses forming little islands. You
can imagine the pain and horror with
which I passed from one of these little
islands to another assisting myself
with endp of old rails and moldy
planks. To cross here it was necessary
to step across a head, or an arm,
or a cross formed by a leg and an
arm?at one point I thought I had
arrived at solid ground formed of
sacks of earth. It proved to be backs
or loins.-' Perspiration poured down
my face, my hands were covered with
the mould and filth of the walls, my
clothes had touched everywhere the
the horrors which surrounded me. In
spite of all my precaution my feet
had sunk in the mud and water where
for nine months the decomposition of
these corpses had been in progress.
Victims of Their Own Device.
At last I arrived at the end of the
tunnel, only to find it a cul-de-sac. It
had been completely closed by the explosion
of one our largest projectiles.
This projectile had penetrated the
earth to a great depth, burst the tun
nel and spread on all sides a mass or
oxide <Jf carbon, which had asphyxiated
in the most terrific manner all
those who had taken shelter in the
I tunnel. Those who had been at the
end through which I had made my
entrance were dhtirelv cut off from
the outer air by the little door, carefully
closed, of which I have spoken,
and must have been instantly killed.
This door had been used as a protection
from the gas which they anticipated.
What they had looked upon,
as a safety device proved the cause of
instant dath. They were victims of
an invention which they and their
kaiser had so much admired.
Seeking an Exit.
I had been told that the tunnel
contained surgical operating rooms!
and that I would find a surgeon in I
the act of taking off a leg, etc. I ex-j
amined. thoroughly every outlet and j
passage without success. You may]
imagine with what relief I left thisj
chamber of horrors and found my-l
self once more in the fresh .air. The
light of the morning was becoming;
strong and there was considerable
danger of being discovered by the
enemy. I was not willing to leave,
however, without extending my research
as far as possible. I had
heard that there was another entrance
at the side of the first one
by which one could discover the infirmary.
I felt that I must find it.
A poilu in charge of a mitralleuse
was stationed at a little distance;
with his aid I discovered the entrance
which I wished, but this time it was
absolutely the unknown. The entrance
was nothing but a man hole
without steps about eight or ten meters
in depth and filled with water.
I saw how one might descend?simply
let. oneself fall in, but the question
was how to get out. The chimney
sweep to go up the chimney helps
himself with feet and the hands on
the sides, which is perfectly solid,
but if I had attempted to mount by
this method the earth would have
crumbled and I should have been
precipitated into the infirmary. I
should have to invent some special
means to accomplish this descent. It
was too late then to seek for them.
The light was becoming more and
more bright. % Already the balls were
beginning to whistle and richochet
among the broken stones.
I must postpone this operation and
if I succeed I will tell you what I
have seen, at least for the present. I
shall hope to be able to send you
some more interesting and less lug
j ubrious news.
The Quinine That Does Not Affect the Head
Because of its tonic and laxative effect, LAXATIVE
BROMO QUININE is better than ordinary
Quinine and does not cause nervousness nor
ringing in head. Remember the full name and
look for the signature of E> W. GROVE* 30c.
EXECUTOR'S SALE.
Notice is hereby given that the underscigned
executor of the estate of
| George W. Beard, deceased, will, on
August 22, 1918, offer for sale to the
highest bidder at the residence of
the late George W. Beard, the following
personal property of the said
estate: 1 buggy, 1 wagon, cane mill,
kettle, etc. Terms of sale, cash.
G. W. BEARD,
Executor.
July 23?4t.
PETITION FOR FINAL DISCHARGE
State bf South Carolina, County of
Bamberg.?rCourt of Probate.
Ex Parte, Pink Ealy, In Re, Estate
of William Ealy, deceased.
To all and singular the kindred
and creditors of William Ealy, deceased:
Take notice, That the undersigned
will apply to the Judge
of Probate at Bamberg, S. C., on
-l i- - " r> _ j j? ~ e * .. 1 n i o ii
Uie uaj ui nugusL, jlo?o, at ??
o'clock, a. ra., for a final settlement
of the estate of William Ealy, deceased,
and discharge from the office
of Administratrix of said estate.
PINK EALEY,
Administratrix of the Estate of
William Ealy, Deceased.
July 26th, 1918? 4t.
No Worms in a Healthy Child
All children troubled with worms have an unhealthy
color, which indicates poor blood, and as a
rule, there is more or less stomach disturbance.
GROVE'S TASTELESS chill TONIC given regularly
for two or three weeks will enrich the blood, improve
the digestion, and act as a General Strengthening
Tonic to the whole system. Nature will then
throw off or dispel the worms, and the Child will be
in perfect health. Pleasant to take. 60c per bottle.
* ma i
i
Labo
I
Auatm
BEL
At home in yi
wi
m
THE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MAN I
uses the commercial bank extensively.
Business could not
exist without it. If you're not jftwlW Iffilnb
a client of ours there are many i?M jjj
reasons why you should be. ? wj Wj? pA
Our bank not only affords a xfljL\
safe place for your money, but \ 00\
pays interest as well. Let us ^ ^ \
explain our methods to you. \ jr^\
I Enterprise Bank I
I 5 Per Cent. Interest Paid on Savings Deposits. Bamberg, S. C. I
|
THRIFT STAMPS
WAR-SAVINGS STAMPS f
*
It is not only a patriotic investment, but
your duty as an American citizen to aid
in the' financing of our government,
which must provide protection and sustenance
for our soldiers "Over There"
? ? <? h nil M rt / , ^ * T '
Ill Uiucr max nicy oiiaii picoci vc uic
safety of our homes and families here.
The money paid for War-Savings Stamps
is a loan and will be repaid in full by
the United States government plus 4
! per cent, interest, compounded quarterly.
No amount is to small to be of material
help. Every purchase?if only 25c-expedites
our victory.
i
| WAR-SAVINGS STAMPS ARE ON
SALE HERE.
I 9 N
HERALD BOOK STORE
11 BAMJjbKU, d. t. ||
' " f
i ii i ?ai I??? M? ? ?-i ' rrrT~~^
Conserve | I
r, energy and material? I
Ceep a few bottles of 1
lero-Cola
Jj I Ml III i? ? J Ijjjjmf
dut refrigerator?always ready to serve.
holesome?Refreshing
th no bad after effect
AA-A. A A A A A^A A^A A^. A^A A^4 A^A ^ A
"^ ^ ^ ^ ^, ^, ^ <y"<ji ^ *y *!(^ (f
'I I
f I
Y ^
Y T
Y Y
>
Y Just arrived. Something fancy?big and fat. *$
A Guaranteed to please. Try one for your break- A
Y fast.
Y T
T X
Y ^
X X
I TOM DUCKER f
Y PHONE 15 NEXT TO COPELAND'S BAMBERG S. C. Y
V
.4. .P. A A A A A ^ A A A A A ^ A A A A A A a4A
iyriwnu[? w vat tat tat tat tvt wtl^r w wf 'sir v tat '*^r w v v y
?, -
-IMI--I--I--I--I ! -I-^ -:I;':I;-I;-I? ! -I?-I? g
:: I BUY W. S. S. BUY W. 8. S. I ?
$ I and Help and Help I W
I WIN THE WAR WIN THE WAR I A
I < I I
ft - $
? -r^v p
%?' tlf / 5!
? ' . vl
II We're Still Receiving - ?
ml 1a { ">
i ' W fjfij
I New,Fresh .I'M
w / T
I Straw Hats 1
1 |
qf New Hats of the very newest shapes J
iji and braids are still coming in. You ? J
jf* are sure to get the most becoming * *
3? shape, for our assortment is immense. 2 ?
jg HOW ABOUT
1 That Summer Suit i!
J? $
fWe Still Have a Good Assortment. ? ?
We carry a complete line of E. & W. J E
Shirts and Collars. * J
. RC FOLK CO. .
*1 BAMBERG. S. C. If?
5? B I
?!?*!* *1' ?I? *1**1* *Ijj* *1^ ^I' J' ^ *1* ffi ?I? *1' *j? *1? 'I*
Horses and Mules
We have a full stock on hand of
Horses and Mules. Our stock is selected
personally by a member of our
firm, and each animal sold has the
Jones Bros.' guarantee?and you
1 know what that means. When you
need a horse or mule, don't fail to
come to our stables. We will take
pleasure in showing you. Our stock
is always in good condition?they are
bought sound and sold sound.
BUGGIES, WAGONS, HARNESS
/
We have a splendid line of Buggies,
Wagons, Harness, Lap Robes, Whips,
Etc. We have a number of styles in j
Buggies and Harness, and we can suit
you. We handle only the best vehicles
to be had, and cur prices are
always right. Come to see us; you
are always welcome.
Innpc Rfnc
RAILROAD AVENUE BAMBERG, S. C. j |
Back The Boys Up. at The Front. Buy War Saving Stamps
v
J