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MORE DAYS IN ANTWERP 245
mann-Hollweg, as well as His Excellency von Trcutler. We
quickly reached Malines and stopped as usual outside the
cathedral. In view of the Chancellor’s visit the interior had
been cleaned up. All blocks of stone, dust and lumber had
been removed. St. Rombaut’s fane now looked quite neat and
tidy, and it was evident that it would not cost much, either
in time or money, to restore it to its former condition. A
tombstone, crushed by blocks of stone which had fallen from
an arch between the middle and the north side-aisle, will,
however, be difficult to replace. The effect of the shell fire
was demonstrated by artillery officers, and it was made clear
that the Belgian fire directed from the north had only con-
sisted of shrapnel intended to drive the German observers
away from the tower.
From Malines we proceeded north-east to Fort St. Catherine,
one of Antwerp’s strongest forts, constructed, like the others,
by the great Engineer-General Brialmont and equipped with
nine modern armoured turrets. Most of these had been
horribly knocked about by the heaviest German artillery,
die dickc Bertha una die schwarze Marie {" fat Bertha " and
" black Maria ") as the 42-cm. mortars have been playfully
dubbed by the soldiers. One of the turrets had been struck
plumb by a shell which had Hung its 4Q-ton cupola some ten
metres to one side, where the gigantic structure had alighted
on its side and eaten itself into the earth. The cupola having
been removed in this somewhat energetic manner, we were
able to get an idea of the interior construction of the turret.
Another turret had merely been struck at a tangent by a
smaller projectile and yet the effect was such that the metal
of the cupola had been rent as the soil is torn by the plough-
share. Another shell had penetrated through a bed of con-
crete several metres thick and upon detonation it wrought the
most appalling havoc.
At Antwerp the Chancellor was received by Admiral von
Schroder, whom I shall have occasion to mention later on.
He was a powerfully built man, with white head and beard,
a thorough sea-dog. He also was renowned for his astounding
energy.
In the afternoon I drove with General Bailer, Colonel
Miiller and Major Elert round the grass-clad slopes of the
fortifications round the town, the innumerable gates of which
were now guarded by German soldiers. It was really an
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