During a continuous bombardment of twelve hours the cathedral stood unharmed.  The southern part of Antwerp was a desolate waste of ruins.  In some streets all the homes were ablaze, the flames leaping hither and thither with the wind.  The great oil tanks burning fiercely on the opposite bank of the River Scheldt were fired upon by some well-directed shots to check the blaze, a huge black volume of thick smoke now rising from the flames.  To add to the difficulties and confusion the water supply had been cut off during the early stages of the bombardment through the destruction of the city’s waterworks which were located in one of the suburbs to the south, and the consequences threatened to become alarming.  Everywhere fires were burning.

This was the tragic scene when the German army entered the conquered city of Antwerp on October 10, 1914.  It is probable that a large part of the city would have been burned, if the Germans had not entered in time to check the conflagration.  Without loss of time, forces were put to work fighting the fires and clearing the streets, propping up unsafe buildings and making order out of chaos, with the usual Teuton efficiency.  As soon as the bombardment had ceased proclamations were pasted on walls and houses throughout the city urging everyone to surrender any arms in their possession and begging for a calm demeanor when the German troops pass through the streets.

About noon on October 10, 1914, a patrol of cyclist-mounted police escorted the burgomaster to the gate of the city to receive the German forces.  When they entered order was restored without delay.  Soldiers were immediately detached from their special command and formed into gangs under competent foremen and all put to work at once each according to his trade, fitness or adaptability.  The forts that had been dismantled were hastily patched up and new guns mounted for emergency use.

On October 11, 1914, Field Marshal van der Goltz, the Governor General of Belgium, came from Brussels and made a tour of inspection of the double girdle of forts.  Upon examination it was found that the actual damage done to the city by the bombardment was comparatively slight.

During the last days of Antwerp’s reign of terror fully 300,000 fugitives sought shelter in Bergan-op-Zoom about twenty-five miles northward across the Dutch frontier.  Most of these were in a condition almost indescribable, ragged, travel-worn, shoeless, and bespattered and hungry.  Few had money; valuables or other resources.  All they owned they carried on their backs or in bundles.  The little Dutch town of Bergen-op-Zoom with but 15,000 inhabitants was swamped; but the Hollanders did their best to meet this terrible pressure and its citizens went without bread themselves to feed the refugees.  Slowly some sort of order was organized out of the chaos and when the Dutch Government was able to establish refugee camps under military supervision the worst was over.  A majority