The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-26
AMERICANS NOW IN PARIS HAVE TASTE OF REAL WARP ARE Oscar Underwood, ,]r., Writes of Appearance of
 Hostile Aer0planes RAPID FIRE GUNS
 COULD NOT HIT THEM Windows Full of Heads Curious to See German Invaders--French
 Aeroplane Fleet Now Pa
 trols the Sky
Ny OSCAR w. UNDERWOOD, JR.


 Paris, September 6.-tSpecial correspon- dence.)-The Americans who were in Paris during the past week have had q slight taste of actual hostilties on the occasion of the appearance of German aeroplanes over the city. The first one arrived on Sunday. August 30. One of the Paris papers reported the incident briefly the next morning as follows:
 "A German aeroplane flew over Paris shortly before 1 o'clock. yesterday after noon and dropped three bombs. contain ing bullets The first bomb killed wom- an the concierge of 39 Rue des vinaigriers. The second burst in the Rue des Decol- lets and the third fell on an almshouse in the Quai Valma., These did only a little damage to the buildings The three reports occurred In succession at intervals of about a minute.
 "rhe aviators also dropped German flag folded up In case weighted with sand. This was found to contain letter. In which was written: The German army is at the gates of Paris. You have only to irrender.--Lieutenan von Heidssen. - Figaro.
 The next day another attack was made on the town. The following is an excerpt from the Paris edition of the London Daily Mall
 Two German aeropIanes flew oyer Paris yesterday, again dropping bombs in the city, without serious results.
 Letters calling upon the capital to sur render were also dropped
 "rhe district chosen for yesterdays out rage was the neighborhood of Notre Dame"
 Another Hostile Aircraft
 Personally I witnessed neither of these two attacks. but the next day 1 saw the interesting spectacle repeated in full view. It was on the afternoon of September !. courtyard of the American embassy with some friends at the time Our attention was called suddenly to the machineby ono Of the embassy servants, who ran into the yard crying: .Regardez. Regardezl' at the same time pointing into the air. The aeroplane was very high in the air and was some distance away. It seemed to be hanging over the Care dc pEst. In the dying sunlight it shone yellowish white In moment we heard the sound of explosions below, and the noise of rapid-fre guns and rifle shooting. In a few minutes 1t had disappeared.
 The next morning the ministry of war made statement that a "squadrilla" of French aircraft, equipped with machine guns and armored, were to be held in read |iness to repel the Teutonic invader. So, with the full expectation of seeing battle royal in the air, I went down into the center of the town late in the afternoon and mounted the roof of a building in the Avenue de iOpera. It seems that the Hate afternoon is the time best suited for air flights, as the atmosphere at that time lis clearer and stiler than at any other Crossed the City | By the time I had gotten on the roof 1.-the German had already made his ap- |.pearanee and crossed the city, carefully l'aroiding the vicinity of the Eifel Tower |i.Dlae shots that were fired at him did not seem to disturb him in the least, so great Twas his height. The people crowded Into litha streets and hung out the windows looking at the thing with breathless in fCsntsnued - gaze Elsvsal