NEW ZEALANDERS STORY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13540, 18 November 1914, Page 4

NEW ZEALANDERS STORY.

EVERYTHING LEFT BEHIND; , Mr Alexander Barr, of Christchuicli, with Mrs Barr and their Uyo cluldre^i, succeeded m escaping from Antwerp after many exciting,, adventures. ..tMr Ban* was bom m Oainavu,, but resided for several years m Dunedin., He; was until recently^ chief officer of thesteiUßier lilaori, but wont' to' England-early tins year on leave, . m order tb i-eturu next spring with the new. liner which is being built at Glasgow for, the Union- Steam < Ship :Comj)auy's' , mail service from,, Va- | couverl' Mrs Barr, who is an English lady, was brought up m Antwerp, where '> her r parents have .resided for mAny y eats. ' Mr' Barr states' that ,up;to Octqbcr: 3 life in' Antwerp' 'had: been -'quite ' normal. Food* was cheap and the, towii was full of provisions. The end came with dramatic suddenness, and Antwerp j .fell . m eight - days. v The bombardment ?" tafted at.' midnight' on Wjidbesday, )ctoboir 7. - Mr BaiT said tliat>thc two children were^in bed ahd ; w^re sleeping soundly, shaving, become 'quite , '.. acqiis-. tomed: to 'the noisb bf"tlie :r guhs. Tlo and:hisiwifoJ- were lying^doN^nj.islfeep 'being, quite impossible^for tb,eni.f Sud-denly-they' > l heard ■'» 'peculiar- "screaming noise, followed by"a; terrific -explosion. v ; Mr Barr ran oiitside-, and saw ether, shells- falling. -Instantly^ licniade tip , his mirid to leavev and to walk 25 mHes ; to the J)utchi_ontier.'?.Th6 ; itwo child^ ' r^n were roused and dressed, and ■ the' > family was a^oimpanied; m Its night Dy a, young French woman, ; who .had been married to a French soldier two weeks before the war begany and whom they ihad befriended. .Every 'thing* had; ?to be: left behjnd... All they : could* take .wer.e two eiderdown quilts, a. parrot, and a dog in^ii basket.,. .The .house, was left as it: £<!iobd> r :. furniture.., and kit • "*V?hat<:.l.most, regretted.! leaving for ;.. the ,;Geruians,"...fiaid Mr. Bair,. * r w'as the supply, of Avine m the cellar.. We-lhad^KJO-bottles stored .there. I.had-a great o^ sire to:- smash :eyer^-i^ot-QU^^;fcut..--tne're, ; was no time" fbir.ithai.; AlsQ(iniy '#ii& spent . a,, good part ofvthe M evehiiig making, some .. special ' tbmatoi soup.^liisi too,; had.tolbe left. It waAriori -the^-il-atr. cheii range when we came "away-rralL ready for the ; enemy. , All.. w0 could take away was a loal of bread, a tin of salmon; and! some: butter m «;glass dish;' Just i enough' Xo sustain > us) till. we could reach the Dutch "borderv'^ •'*<-• •* « '..■■'•'< ' On the outskirts .of Antwerp they;liad to cross-tlie railway line, and BOino officials' near by.' told -them' tKalt if : they ( cared to wait -a little -while . a train .would " bo: passing/ ' 'Thby decided.^ ; to • .avail ' themselves of , this' unexpected 'offer, arid presently ; a queprly-mado-ujf traiii pl*s> m .an : appeararice,sa soit of goods traiii' made iip ; by - ■ tlie. 'i-hihyny 'people for- their bSvn' uscX The party qf "'five byeiitually Vgbt into a •■carriage, dnd tliei-o they remained for- ' two'' hours before a move -\Vas niadei';""THiß wipt-;" \ Mr -Barr 'Said; "was the' worst, expevieiiye of all. - DWring Uio Avhqlc^of those ; <two hours .shells were going ; rignt bv<;r , the, train, and -though it was a w-eiidly .magnificent ■ sight to see- them 7 bursting ', m tho; south portion "of ' the- town, -yet ,'tho irain; -was too' near the -shells , .to be pleasant. ' : T'' was -in agony lest one sHonlbV fall- sboi?fc^bf' its -destination "and alight-'oir-'our engiiie, 'or .that- it : might fall ' on the railway' bridge ; that s'fyans . the> river, making it impossible* for ;°the ' train to get anvay at. a11.,: At 'whatever part " one leaves- Antwerp: . .thero-'v is a ! bridge to-. crbssi •Finally, to- our intense relief, we ' got * away * at- 3 -a.m; On -Thursday.. Looking, back," the. -bursting, shells over the (city- made w magnificent - pic-; turci brit. »• terrible t>ne." _ ... ■"- ••'• ' ■ '•■ ' ' ' '.' ' ;'■-,.■