New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-18
Hartlepool Dead Alone 100;
Americans Narrow Escape

Hartlepool, Dec. 17.-Although at a
late hour tonight the official estimate
of the casualties was eighty-two per-
sons killed and about $50 injured, many
of the wrecked houses have not been
explored, and it is believed the list Of
dead eventually will reach one hun
dred. Eight soldiers, two of them gun
ners in the coast defence, and two sail
ors are among the killed.
Throughout to-day rumors were cur
rent that German and English fleets
were firing Off the Scotch coast. No
sounds of gun fire were heard here,
but the rumors excited the crowds,
which we're willing to believe predic-
tions that the Germans would shortly
shell this coast again.
Army officers who examined the ruins
caused by the bombardment estimate
that the Germans fired 200 shells,
chiefly of the 9-inch and 12-inch kind.
Several 12-inch shells which had not
exploded were found to-day in the soft
earth.
An inquest began here to-day
over the bodies of seventy-nine Of
the victims of the German bonn
bardment, killed in Hartlepool and
West Hartlepool. In opening the court
the Coroner said that never before IN
English history had an inquest been
held under similar circumstances, and
that he hoped the occasion woulc never
occur again. The Smelling of the Har-
tlepools, he added, afforded FAINT idea
of what Belgium and France had SUI
fered through the German invasion.
The evidence, though mostly OF n
formal character, brought TO light some
olA n
picking up coal dropped from cars on
the railway embankment when she was
killed by shell. An old man and his
two daughters were just starting break
fast in the kitchen when a she'll burst
in the room, killing all three of them.
A young woman went to the house Of
her aged mother, intending to con-
duct her to a place of safety. Enter
ing the passageway she stumbled across
her mothers body. a shell had pierced
the roof and killed her. An elderly
man, who thought the gun firing was
that Of British ships at practice, sat
down unconcernedly TO breakfast. A
shell carried away the corner of his
house, killing his two little grand
children.
The verdict rendered by the Coro-
ner's jury was that the deaths of the
seventy-nine persons were due to bonn
| bardment of the twin boroughs "by an
enemy who, under cover of dense fog,
/ fired shot and shell into the towns,
killing many unarmed civilians"
The Hsrtlepools were raked from
/ three angles by the enemy. Lying off
/ the peninsula, which the Germans APP
/ preached from the south, both towns
were shelled by the forward guns as
the cruisers advanced. Abreast Of the
peninsula the Germans poured q
broadside fire over the entire length of
the sister towns. As the cruisers
made their escape to the northeast
they poured fire from their guns on
the north side of the peninsula.
Many destroyers were visible beyond
the Germans during the bombardment
At first these were believed to belong
TO the hostile squadron, but competent
observers say the Germans fired botf
seward and toward the shore, which
seems TO indicate that the German!
slipped between the English fOtilla anC
the coast in the heavy fog that pre-
vailed jus. before the bombaIdment
Two large German cruisers and on,
small cruiser did the Smelling here.
Nelson, the American Consular Agent
narrowly escaped death during the at
tack, the houses adjoining his beinl
crushed, together with their occupants
"The most remarkable feature of tn,
bombardment was the calmness Of tn,
public while the shells were falling.
said Mr.. Nelson. AT first we thought
IL was a naval battle, but when the
people realized il was a bombardmen
/ there was no panic. Many persons
stood outside their homes watching.
saw the postman continuing his duties
and a dairyman delivered our milk as
usual during the Smelling. Our cook
unmoved by the destruction all about
continued the breakfast preparations
and announced that the meal was ready
lust before the bombardment stopped
After the shells quit singing the
nerves Of the people went 20 pieces and
the hysterical ones took 10 the coun-
try"
The shore guns acquitted themsely =
creditabiy and were not injured by the
German fire. Persons who witnessed
the lighting between the shore guns
and the cruisers say the smokestack OF
one Of the cruisers was smashed and
that many shots landed on another
while 10 was standing broadside to the
short batteries.
II is estimated that the cruisers were
about 1000 feet of shore during tie
heaviest part Of the Smelling.
Ship Won Moltke One Raider;
Uaooala Tlau British ENSIGN