Huns Precede Grand Offensive With Violent Bombardment; Naval Guns Shell Towns and Giies
kUk HARRISBURG SHHHi TELEGRAPH M
Qfc otar-lnftcpen&cnt
LXXXVII— No. 155 12 PAGES
AMERICAN TROOPS BAR PATHWAY OF HUNS
WHO LAUNCH TERRIFIC DRIVE FOR PARIS
Yankees Pour Withering Fire
With Machine Guns Into
Ranks of Enemy Hordes
PERSHING'S MEN QUICK TO
LAUNCH COUNTERATTACK;
Late Reports Indicate Americans Are)
Holding Their Own In Face
Of Powerful Attack
By Associated Press
With the American Army on the Marns, July.ls, 8.40 A. M.—
The Germans at daylight to-day launched a violent attack against
the American positions west of Chateau-Thierry, especially near
Vaux.
The attack came after a most violent bombardment of high
explosives and gas shells throughout the night. The American
troops sought shelter wherever it was available. When the enemy
infantry appeared, the Americans swarmed out and met the j
attackers with a rain of machine gun bullets.
Yanks Hold Their Own
The Americans wore their gas masks as they fought the:
attacking Germans.
An enemy bombardment of towns in the rear of the lines began
shortly after six o'clock a. m.
The latest report says the Americans are holding their own in
the fighting, maintaining their positions.
Great Guns Roar
At this hour it had not been determined how the battle in the
vicinity of Vaux was progressing. The whole line in both direc
tions from that town was dense with smoke and gas fumes. The
roar of the cannonade was punctured in the few intermissions with
a terrific din of machine gun and rifle fire which seemed of the
hottest character in Vaux itself.
In this locality it was not known whether the Germans in this
attack had begun another offensive, but the intensity of the fighting
indicated to those near the scene that the operation was a renewal
of the general attack that had been expected.
Yanks on the Job
The American forces on this front delivered a counterattack
upon the Germans in the Vaux region this morning and drove off
the enemy.
It is reported that the Americans have advanced their own
lines a distance of several hundred yards, but this has not been
confirmed.
It is clear that the German attack in the Vaux region com
pletely broke down under the American counterattack. Further
sharp fighting is likely to develop in this area at any time,
however.
Word received here shows that the enemy also launched an
attack east of Rheinis, but on the sectors on that front on which
French and Americans are fighting side by side the positions are
reported intact.
American Fire Is Deadly
The American machine gunners here let the enemy come
close to their positions and then opened a deadly fire into the
advancing close formation of Germans.
In their attick on the Marne front held by the Americans the
Germans threw many bridges across the river. Over these the
Germans are passing under a withering fire from the artillery.
German progress is being stayed by the machine gunnes.
The Americans and their French comrades have resisted the
enemy to the utmost and are continuing this character of
resistance.
Americans Die in Tracks
The operation at Vaux appeared to be a feint, for soon after it
began the Germans attacked all along the Marne, where they
were gallantly opposed by more of the American troops and the
French.
The first crossing was made at the peak of the big river bend.
The American machine gunners and infantrymen fought and died
where they stood here.
Others of the American troops withdrew strategically as the
enemy attacked from east of Chateau-Thierry to along the Marne,
east of Dormans, making additional crossings.
No Progress
Shortly after eleven o'clock one of the American infantry regi
ments launched a counterattack in the region of Conde.
Reports received here shortly after 11 a. m. on the fighting to
the east of Rheims said that the enemy, up to about an hour
previously, had made no progress whatever there.
In the Conde region, however, before the American counter
attack, the German advance appeared to have eliminated the river
salient.
At 11.20 o'clock this morning the long range bombardment was
becoming more intense.
The aay opened sunny, but low clouds are now scurrying over
the battlefield, threatening rain.
The Counterattack '
Reports from Vaux this afternoon indicate the Americans had
advanced their line in this region in the face of ther determined
enemy attack. The advance pxtended a distance of approxi
mately 700 yards, but the Americans subsequently withdrew to
their original line for strategic reasons. Twenty-eight Germans
wire taken prisoner in this sector.
• The American barrage here broke up the enemy waves and
drove them back in confusion.
SINGLE COPY
2 CENTS
BIG GUNS THROW
SHELLS IN TOWNS
25 MILES IN REAR
With the American Army
in France, July 15.
AN ENEMY bombardment of
towns in the rear of the
lines began shortly after
o'clock a. m.
Heavy shells from German
naVal guns arc falling in regions
far behind the actual battle area.
.Many of these projectiles liuve
fallen in the city of Mcaux, 25
mlcs from Chateau Thierry. In
many of these towns the German
shell lire is constant, the projec
tiles being from ten and twelve
inch naval guns.
Reports from American advance
positions said the American troops
were "handling the enemy well"
in the desperate fighting which is
continuing.
AMERICAN AND
BRITISH TROOPS !
INVADE RUSSIA
Call on Russians to Aid Them
in Fight Against
Germans
TAKE MCRMAN COAST
Bolsheviki Forces Withdraw
in Front of Advancing
Allied Host
By Associated Press ,
London, July 15.—American and
British troops have ocupied the whole
of the Murman coast, in Northern
Russia, says a dispatch from Mos
cow to the Central News Agency by
way of Amsterdam.
After capturing Kem, a railroad
station on the White Sea coast, the
dispatch adds, the American and
British forces advanced toward To
roki, the Russian Bolsheviki author
ities having withdrawn to Nirok.
The commanders of the entente
allied forces have issued an appeal
to the population on the Murman
coast requesting help against Ger
many and Finland. It is declared
I the Murman coast is Russian terri
tory under the protection of the en
tente powers.
Germans Outwitted
At the express request of the Rus
sians considerable allied forces now
are on the Murman coast, which is
on the Arctic Ocean to the extreme
north of Russia. On this coast there
are several harbors which are free
from ice all the year round and are
connected by rail with Petrograd.
More forces are being sent and the
local population is co-operating with
the troops which have already arriv
ed to defend these railways.
Meanwhile the Germans are mak
ing a desperate attempt to secure the
control of the Murman coast. They
need the harbors for submarine
bases now that Zeebrugge ijas been
closed and Ostend rendered of little
value while the British mine fields
make it ever more difficult for.their
submarines to reach the Atlantic.
The total German force in Russia
is thirty-two German and lifteen
Austrian divisions, composed mainly
of old and inferior men. This force
is spread over a vast area from Pet
rograd to the Black Sea.
In Finland, threatening the Mur
man railway the Germans have rath
er more than a division but the bulk
of this body is in the south and not
easily within reach of the Murman
railway. The railway may, however
be attacked by airplanes.
Elevator Rules Take
Joy From Lives of
Many by Long Delays
Many a tenant of the Harrisburg
office buildings had the joy taken out
of life this morning when his eleva
j tor man instead of greeting him with
his usual "good morning" informed
him that he would have to walk to
his second floor office hereaftpr,
"First Stop Third Floor" is the little
sign on the elevator cage in the of
fice buildings that makes a tenant
think- seriously of moving his office
to the third floor.
Another angle of the elevator re
strictions thai, exasperated the busi
ness men was the ruling that the
elevator cannot move until loaded
to half Its capacity. Instead of rush
ing In the elevator and belpg whirred
to his office on the slxt floor, the
business man who arrived a little
late this morning had to stand and
fume while the elevator operator
waited for a load equal to half the
capacity of his elevator. To-night
| will find the men who want to work
overtime walking up the stairs to
their offices and carrying their own
candles.
m In some of the buildings it was re
! ported that letter carriers on the up
per floors were compelled to wait and
lost much time, because of the delay
in getting a sufficient number of per
sons going to lower floors. Others
said they had been compelled to wait
at least five minutes before the ele
vators came for them. Elderly per
sons calling at business places on the
second floors of buildings also com
plained that they found it difficult to
walk as in the majority of buildings
the first floor is much higher than the
other ones and as a result more steps
must be ascended.
HARRISBURG, PA., MONDAY EVENING, JULY 15, 1918
HARRISBURG AT
TURNING POINT
IN ITS HISTORY
Must Seize Upon Great Opportunity Knocking at Its
Door or Sink to the Level of Stagnated Communi
ties Lacking in Will and Vision; Houses Few and
Conditions Frightful; Rents High and Going Up;
What Are We Going to Do?
[This is the first of a series of
articles to appear in the Harris
burg Telegraph dealing with
housing conditions in Harrisburg
and their improvement. The ser
ies is designed to show the need
and point the way to better
ments. The Chamber of Com
merce proposes to seek govern
ment aid in meeting the demand
for houses suddenly augmented
by the greatly increased activi
ties of local industries engaged in
the manufacture of war supplies
and the construction here of two
very large military depots. This
appeal is warranted by the cir
cumstances and is a verv proper
move, but it is incidental to the
greater work the city must do
for itself, and it is the purpose
of the Telegraph to go thor
oughly into the matter of perma
nent development along the most
modern approved lines.]
HARRISBURG is at a turn
ing point in its history.
The city never was so
prosperous. Never have its in
dustries been so busy; never
were its people so generally em
ployed at high wages. Never
has it grown so rapidly as with
in the past year. Never has its
prospects to the eye of the un
thinking appeared brighter.
But in reality we are facing a
crisis. Our very growth is largely
responsible. Our old clothes have be-
COMMUNITY SONG
UNITS URGED FOR
PERIOD OF WAR
Plan Works Most Successfully
in Other Cities Where Big
Crowds Congregate
Community singing is becoming a
nation-wide movement atf a result
of the war. Harrisburg has had a
large part in this interesting devel
opment.
In Philadelphia there has been
growing upone feature of thesinging
which should appeal to the singers
of this city. In a single block of
that city twenty-three men have
gone into the service and somebody
suggested getting together once i
week and singing patriotic songs in
honor of the boys who had gone out.
An adjoining block where seventeen
boys had responded to the colors
felt that these boys should also be
honored in the same way and as a
result in a short time several blocks
had combined for community sing
ing in honor of the soldiers, and
once a week there is singing in dif
ferent parts of Philadelphia where
organizations have been perfected,
the meetings being held at given
points where the singing of patrio
tic songs express the sentiments of
the people.
An incident of each weekly song
fest is a brief address and a report
from the boys who enlisted from the
particular neighborhood. In one
case a young soldier of the vicinity
who had remained with his wounded
comrade.s until they could be carried
[ back was the hero of the occasion.
Would Work Here
It has been suggested that some
of the competent community singers
of Harrisburg might iret together and
arrange for neighborhood singing
organizations of the character indi
cated. These organizations could
cover several neighborhood blocks
and meet once a week at a central
[ point. In Philadelphia a cornetlst
I usually leads the singing.
| The Telegraph would be glad to
i give any assistance in this matter
| that is possible and as little in the
way of expense is involved it ought
to be an easy matter to interest the
singers of nil parts of Harrisburg
in community organizations. Per
haps the open space about school
buildings would be most convenient
for such gatherings once a week on
a nlghi r specified.
What section of the city will bte
first in tftts patriotic effort to honor
the boys and "keep the home fires
burnlhg?"
Haitens Declare War on
Germany; Vote Unanimous
By Associated Press
Port Au Prince, Haiti, July 15.—|
The council of state acting in accord-]
ance with the legislative powers
given It under the new Haltien con
stitution, has unaiinously voted the
declaration of war upon Germany
demanded by the president of the
republic.
come too small for us, and some of
them are shabby to the point of
ihame.
We have made Harrisburg attrac
tive with j)ublic parks, paved streets,
filtered water and ample sanitation.
We have invited industry to locate
here, and it has accepted. With in
dustry have come workers —and we
no longer have place wherein the
stranger may quarter his family. Wo
must have more and better houses at
reasonable rentals or—we must see
the city miss its great opportunity
and sink lo the level of thousands
of other stagnated communities
whose people have not bad the vis
ion or the will to provide place for
the sll'ts the gods have lavished
upon them.
Houses Few; Hents High
Empty houses at reasonable ren
tals do not exist in Harrisburg. De
spite the few complaints filed with
the committee named by Mayor
ICeister to investigate rentals, the
fact can *be easily proved that rents
for fair houses are beyond the reach
of the purse of many self-respecting
families desiring decent living condi
tions and are rapidly going u-p. One
Emerald street renter, for example,
was recently compelled to move Into
apartments because the rent was ad
vanced at one leap from $29 to S6O
a month. This is an extreme case
but the Telegraph knows of other
rent increases almost as unreason
able, and almost invariably when a
[Continued on Page 7.]
BOARD 2 CALLS
NINETY MEN FOR
NATION'S SERVICE
Quota For Hill District Sched
uled to Leave For Camp
on July 2(5
City Board No. 2 this morning an
nounced the names of the ninety
men who will be sent to Camp
Wadsworth, Chralotte, S. C., July 26.
Tii men will entrain at 10.15 Friday
evening. will assemble at the
board headquarters at 11 o'clock
Friday morning for final instructions
before they entrain.
The quota's as announced follows:
Eeon B. Husler, Dickinson, Cum
berland county, Pa.; Eramett C.
Wolf, 22 6 Hummel street: John E.
Schillinger, 112 South Fourteenth
street: George E. TJwens, Liverpool:
Frank Earl Blair, 1839 Park street:
John E. Zook, Central Y. M. C. A.,
Philadelphia, Pa.; Charles J. Miller,
R. D. No. 3, Halifax; Paul .E. Shaff
ner. 1333 Haehnlen street: Paul J.
Yost, 175 North Front street, §teel
[Continued on Page 2.]
Girl of Seven Near Death
in City Swimming Pool
Anna Stauffer, seven-years old, 222
Chestnut street, narrowly escaped
drowning in the city swimming pool
at Island Park this afternoon when
she went beyond her depth. Play
mates pulled her from the water un
conscious. Patrolman Joseph Demma
went to Island Park with the
pulmotor and succeeded in reviving
the girl after five minutes work. She
is at the Harrisburg Hospital.
CHOI.KItA IN PETROGRAD
By Associated Press
I.nnilon, July 15—Several hundred
from Cholera, according to travelers
who have arrived in Stockholm, says
persons are dying dally in Petrograd
an Exchange Telegraph dispatch from
Copenhagen. The disease, they add,
now is prevalent in many parts of
Russia.
THOUSANDS 11.1, OF FEVER
By Associated Press
San Juan, Porto Rico, July 15—Ten
thousand persons In San Juan have
been HI of a three-day fever during
the past two weeks acordfng to doc
tors of tHe sanitary service.
W. S.'S.
Ask any banker what
he thinks of them
.... • I
itarßUY 'EM TODAY
ONI.Y EVENING ASSOCIATED I'ItESS
NEWSPAPEII IN HAIIItISHIJItG
ROAR OF GREAT
BOMBARDMENT
HEARD IN PARIS
PARIS, July 15.
THE inhabitants of Paris and
the suburbs, nays the Matin,
heard violent artillery iiring
in the early hours to-day. The
sky toward the east constantly
was lit up as if by a great elec
trical storm.
Those who were on the boule
vards after midnight listened to
the cuunoiiuding while small
groups gathered on the liigli
points of the city to watch the
distant heavens.. The noise of the
liring was particularly loud in the
southern part of the city.
The seetor of tile battle line
nearest Paris is that west of
Chateau Thierry, about forty-live
miles east-northeast of the French
capital. American and French
troops are burring the German
pathway there.
GREAT DRIVE IS
LAUNCHED ALONG
65-MILE FRONT
Allied Soldiers For Hours Are
Subjected to Terrible Temp
est of Artillery Fire
HUNS CROSS THE MARNE
Americans Prove Valor Under
Fire by "Handling
Enemy Well"
By Associated Press
After a wait of thirty-three days I
since they were halted in theil'
plunge toward Ccmipiegne, along the
west bank of the Oise, the Germans
at dawn to-day launched a new
phase of their mighty offensive by
attacking lrotn Chateau Thierry to
Maison de Champaigne, north of
Massignes and far east of Rheims,
over a front about sixty-five miles in
length.
Latest reports say the Germans
have crossed the Marne at several
places. This probably refers to the
reaches of the Marne between Chat
eat Thierry and Dormans.
Yankees Break Vp Attack
American troops are engaged In
the battle in this particular region
and reports say they are "handling
the enemy well." They broke up the
German drive in the Vaux region
west of Chateau Thierry by a dash
ing counterattack.
Reports show that, so far as the
length of lino is concerned the pres
ent drive is the greatest of the year.
At first, it was bejieved from the
French war office statement that the
line was about fifty miles in extent,
!>*• apparently the report from Paris
told simply of the length of the
French-held lines under attack.
Measurements of the line where
fighting is known to be going on,
however, chow that it is 105 kilome
ters, or 65.1 miles long. The attack
against the Cambrai front on March
21 was over a front of 55 miles.
[Continued on Page 10.]
City Circus Grounds to
Be Quarters For Trucks
Enroute to Ocean Port
That the circus grounds at Twen
ty-first and Greenwood streets, are to
be used for quartering army motor
trtieks during the coming week, was
the announcement made this morn
ing by military authorities. It is said
that the trucks will be quartered
there for the night en route to an
Atlantic port where they will be
shipped to the battlefront.
The circus grounds are owned by
S. F. Dunkle, Nineteenth and Derry
streets. For military reasons, It Is
stated, no details could bo given In
regard to the camping of the trucks
other than the fact that about 25
trucks will be there every night if
plans materialize.
I THE WEATHER]
Korrruit for Jul)- 15-20, Inclu
sive, for North nml Middle At
lantic States) No present Indica
tion* of much warmer) tempera
ture will vearatce somewhat l>r
low normal firm hnlf mul near
ly normal aeeond linlfi no Indi
cations of rnln of consequence.
For HarrlsburK and vicinity! Fair
to-nlKht| Tuesday partly
cloudyi not much change la .
temperature)
For ICaxtern Pennsylvania) Fair
to-nlicht) Tuesday partly
cloudy) gentle to moderate
west and northwest winds be
coming variable.
River
The main river will rise slowly.*
All tributaries will fall slowly
A staKe of about 3.0 feet Is In
dicated for HarrlsburK 'l'ues
d a Vm or n Inif.
Temperaturei N n. m„ 112,
Sum Hlsfs, ,t)4a a. m.j sets, 8)17
p. m.
Moon) First quarter, July HI.
Itlver StaKei S a. in., 3.1 feet
above lov-wuter mark.
Yesterday's Weather
Highest temperature, N2.
I.owest temperature, til.
Mom temperature, 72.
Norma! temperature, 75. .
Grand Offensive Is Heaviest
Enemy Has Launched Since
the Attack in March
INFANTRY GOES OVER TOP IN
WAVES AFTER HEAVY GUNFIRE
French Meet First Shock of German
Onrush Determined to Prevent
Division in Allies' Lines
By Associated Press
Paris, July 15.—A new offensive by the Germans was begun
last night in the region between Rheims and the Argonne. On
the front between Chateau Thierry and the Main de Massiges
the Germans attacked this morning, the war office announces.
The French arc meeting the shock of the enemy attack with
energy, and the battle continues. The struggle is preceeding on
a front of about 80 kilometers (approximately 50 miles).
London, July 15.—The Germans have crossed the Marne at
several places in their offensive begun this morning, according to
advices received here.
1 he main attack, it is added, seems to be in the Champagne.
The advices to this effect came to the Central News.
The feeling in London on the situation following the German
attack in France is that the developments are quite satisfactory.
Advices received here regarding the German offensive state
that the attack began on a front of thirty miles between Chateau
Thierry and Blighy southwest of Rheims. The Germans also
attacked east of Rheims, between Prunay and Maison de Cham
pagne, on a front of twenty-five miles.
®
T
X PLEAD FOR INTERVENTION ?
r ojp*
j? Washington—A plea for immediate' military intervene
* >n by the allies in Russia was made to-day to a group of *jf
c
X Senators hy Madame Botchkarova, former leader of the <f
*y Russian Women's Battalion of Death. Speaking through jr
hi erprjter in the marble room of the Senate, she
4* '-ir t ;od 11 vat an American army rf one hundred thousand X
4 ible, cr a combined force be sent through v
$
Jj Siberia. Unless this military aid is given soon, she said, i
J* will be too late to save Russia from Germany. X
g AVIATOR FALLS TO DEATH $
San Antonio, Texas—Alexander Santos died at the *T
| me hospital at Fort Sam Houston from injuries received
2| when lie fell in an airplane near.Brooks field, to-day. His S
J father is John Santos of Baltimore.
I WILL ENROLL NURSE RESERVES ON JULY 29
*§* ten —Enrollment for the United States nurse Tj
**■
i-reserves will begin July 29, according to an announcement 4
X by. t:jr Women's committee of the Council of National X
T .
f Defense
*
j
4 HAITI DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY %
X Port Au Prince, Haiti—The council of state, acting in *L
X accordance with the legislative powers given under the Jfj
i' new Haitien constitution, has unanimously voted the |J
J declaration ct war upon Germany demanded by the
president of the Republic. , <4J
T CORRUPTION DISTRESSES BULGARS l|*
London—Recent distress in Bulgaria, it is declared,
r. due not to ..ny shortage of food, but to m dadministra- <|l!
T n, favoritism and corruption on the part of the requisi-
X tioning authorities. Z
T JAPS TO BUILD SHIPS FOR U. S. ' T ;
4 Washington—Contracts for thirty additional steel T;
rgo ships have been let by the Shipping Board to <J
£r J ■ " y.ir'ia. Contracts also have been let for build- X
4* twenty t I ansports to the Bethlehem Shipbuilding; Cor- *f
X poratjon at Alameda, Cal. 7
? PENNSYLVANTAN ILL OVERSEAS T
X Ottawa—Allan Brown, of Boardman, Pa., reported i
ill in the latest Canadian overseas casualty list. £
t MARRIAGE LICENSES ?
ej}< William I. Nuuiclr, lliirriHliuru, mill Helen H. Mump, ShlppJM-
I I'urui Hunnril 10. I - mill Kiithlrrn M. Muck. Wormlej aburKi t j
4 William H. >lnrnh, HnrrlxburK, and Dorii A. Hear, 43ardner, 11. U., "V"
:1 lOdward I'niil and Annie M. Morrow, Harrlaburgi l.ewln K. Kline
nnd Florence M. J .Heaallii, llarrlnbunc. , v yE|
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