A thirty-months’ Siege.
From September 1914 to March 1917, while the Germans remained at the gates of the city, the latter was veritably besieged. Notwithstanding the increasing destruction caused by the shells, the civil population continued bravely to “carry on”. Part of the population refused to leave the city, while here and there, on the walls that were left standing, printed notices announced the fact that the house was still occupied. Then followed the names of the courageous inmates. During the bombardments, the people took shelter in the cellars, only to resume their ordinary daily occupations as soon as the firing ceased. The public services continued to work normally. Many shops were kept open, and an hotel was available for the travellers who arrived by the night omnibus that linked up the city with Vierzy, the nearest point on the railway.
In parts of the city, it was only possible to get about by making use of the communication trenches which ran along the side of the roads. One such trench ran the whole length of the Boulevard Jeanne-d’Arc (photo above), while others crossed the Town-Hall gardens (See p. [40]) and the streets near the Aisne.
Moreover, getting about was restricted to certain quarters of the city as, just beyond the centre, the defensive works (barricades, trenches, etc.) began.
These works are described in the second Itinerary (p. [52–64]) which takes the tourist from the centre of the town to the first line trenches of the 1915–1917 front (Vauxrot, Saint-Paul and Saint-Médard), via the Mail, Saint-Waast suburb, etc.
THE OLD FIRST FRENCH LINE.
The Distillery see p. 56.
SOISSONS
POPULATION · 14,458 inhabitants.
ALTITUDE 180 feet.
SCALE
0 50 100 200 300 400
HOTELS:
a Hôtel de la Croix d’Or
b Hôtel du Lion Rouge
:::::::::: Streets and roads impracticable for motor-cars.
ITINERARY IN THE CITY (pp. [15–51]).
Starting from the Cathedral follow the streets indicated, by continuous
lines, in the direction of the arrows.
The numbers indicate the pages where the corresponding photographs
will be found.
SOISSONS IN 1914, seen from the Northern Tower of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes Abbey.
The German bombardments made countless ruins throughout the town. Everywhere one sees shattered walls, hanging roofs, and heaps of rubbish and stones that once were houses.
The ruins are gradually being cleared away, to make room for the new life which is springing up, but signs of the destruction will long remain.
SOISSONS IN NOVEMBER 1918.
Note the separation of the Cathedral Tower from the Nave (pp. [19–24]).