Gustave Dore's idea of the infernal regions.

CITY ALMOST DESERTED

"The city by this time was almost deserted, and no attempt was made to
extinguish the fires that had broken out all over the southern district.
Indeed there were no means of dealing with them. For ten days the water
supply from the reservoir ten miles outside the city had been cut off,
and this was the city's main source of supply. The reservoir was just
behind Fort Waelthen, and a German shell had struck it, doing great
mischief. It left Antwerp without any regular inflow of water and the
inhabitants had to do their best with the artesian wells. Great efforts
were made by the Belgians from time to time to repair the reservoir, but
it was always thwarted by the German shell fire.

KILLED BEFORE HIS WIFE'S EYES

"After leaving the cathedral, I made my way to the southern section of
the city, where shells were bursting at the rate of five a minute. With
great difficulty, and not without risk, I got as far as Rue Lamoiere.
There I met a terror-stricken Belgian woman, the only other person in
the streets besides myself. In hysterical gasps she told me that the
Bank Nationale and Palais de Justice had been struck and were in flames,
and that her husband had been killed just five minutes before I came
upon the scene. His mangled remains were lying not one hundred yards
away from where we were standing.

"Except for the lurid glare of burning buildings, which lit up the
streets, the city was in absolute darkness, and near the quay I lost my
way trying to get to the Hotel Wagner. For the second time that day I
narrowly escaped death by shell. One burst with terrific force about
twenty-five yards from me. I heard its warning whirr and rushed into a
neighboring porch. Whether it was from the concussion of the shell or in
my anxiety to escape I caromed against the door and tumbled down, and
as I lay on the ground a house on the opposite side crashed in ruins. I
remained still for several minutes, feeling quite sick and unable to get
up. Then I pulled myself together and ran at full speed until I came to
a street which I recognized.

TAKE REFUGE IN CELLARS

"How many of the inhabitants of Antwerp remained in the city that night
it is impossible to say, but they were all in the cellars of their
houses or shops. The Burgomaster, M. De Vos, had in one of his several
proclamations made many suggestions for safety during the bombardment,
for the benefit of those