Alfred Stead, correspondent of the London _Daily Express_, sends from
Ostend this narrative of two press photographers who saw some of the
German advance on Brussels:
“At Louvain, where our automobile arrived at 7 o’clock in the evening,
everything was as quiet as usual, with the residents sitting drinking
their bocks at a café in the square. Then some German prisoners were
brought in and the suffering fellows were jolting and bobbing about in
ordinary wagons, enduring agonies. Firing was heard in the distance, and
from Tirlemont the troops came in, retiring in good order. The troops
were in good spirits.
“All the way to Louvain the photographers’ automobile passed a human
stream. In the town, what a change! It was deserted, the only sign of
life being the last of the refugees who were leaving for Brussels.
“Toward the Tirlemont road there was some rifle firing which drew
nearer,” said the photographers, continuing their narrative. “Shells
began to fall among the houses, many of which took fire. The Germans
were almost in Louvain at midday. The rear guard of the Belgians
defending the railway bridge was engaged in firing heavily on the enemy.
Riderless horses came along, both German and Belgian. These were caught
and mounted by civilians. A barricade was seen in the dust of the road
as in a fog.
“Then there was more heavy rifle firing, some of which seemed to come
from houses. Reports that the Germans were not taking prisoners and the
knowledge of what had happened in other Belgian towns made it seem
probable that house firing was going on.
“At some barricades on the roads German troops and refugees arrived
simultaneously, making a defense impossible. On the road to Brussels was
an endless procession, fed as they went by inhabitants of the villages
and countryside.
“At the cross roads there passed toward Mechlin a procession of
artillery, cavalry and infantry, with dog mitrailleuses, fit but tired
and dusty. Only the dogs of the mitrailleuses looked fresh now. Along
the roadsides were refugees resting.
“Three men of the 9th Regiment had come from Aerschot, where the town
was burning. They had lost their regiment and asked to be taken to
Brussels. These men, of the famous shooting regiment which so
distinguished itself at Liége, gave to us a very different idea of the
shooting of Germans. They said the rifle shooting of the Germans was
bad. Nearly all killed by the Germans were shot in the head or the upper
part of the body. Their own officer was shot through the nose.
“In Brussels at 3 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon there was absolute quiet.
A big crowd was before the Gare du Nord awaiting news, but there was no
excitement. Belgian aeroplanes passed, flying toward the Mechlin and
Louvain line. Firing was soon heard, but it was difficult to say from
what direction. But the inhabitants of Brussels could not leave their
city.”