lectric
power. One of the most astonishing and picturesque uses to which these
aerial wireways were put was the movement downward of men wounded at the
advanced posts with which the teleferrica communicate.

To see wounded men going down these wireways, mere dots, each
representing a suspended stretcher upon which a suffering human being is
strapped securely, was described as one of the most amazing spectacles
of the whole war. The experience, to some wounded men, swinging
sickeningly, dizzyingly alone in midair, was probably more terrifying
than actual fighting, although there were few, if any, accidents
connected with the wireways.

Not infrequently these wireways were within direct range of the enemy
fire, and that complicated matters. So far as is known, there has been
no instance of a cable cut by gunfire, but in several districts it was
necessary that the men, going to their duty and the wounded going
backward, having done theirs, must needs be protected in armored
baskets, somewhat like those which often are swung beneath observation
balloons on the various fronts.

PROBLEMS OF TRANSPORTATION.

The problems of transportation, great as they are, are by no means the
only unique difficulties presented to these brave mountain fighters. In
this extraordinary warfare mining by means of high explosives was
carried on upon a hitherto unequaled scale. Such work with high
explosives was not only continually necessary in the construction of
roads and fortifications in a region of solid rock, but sometimes proved
the only effective means of attack upon the enemy.

The mine was used as an offensive weapon by both sides, and often with
very terrible results.

Perhaps the most extraordinary of the campaign was the mine laid by the
Italians after infinitely difficult and very extensive tunneling in
solid rock at the Cima del Col di Lana.

This immense effort with explosives blew off the whole top of a
mountain--and that mountaintop was thickly occupied by Austrians at the
time of the explosion of the mine. None on the Italian side knows
exactly what the Austrian casualties were, but it is certain that
through this one explosion more than an entire company--that is, more
than 400--of the enemy's soldiers were destroyed.

An interesting detail of this operation is the fact that while the
Italians were tunneling for this great mine they were perfectly aware
that the Austrians also were at work upon a similar effort. It