Evening star., 1914-10-08

Government at Ostend.
Word came last night from Antwerp.
by way of Amsterdam. that the seat OF
the Belgian government, which since
the capture of Brussels has been at
Antwerp, has been transferred to Os-
tend.
A dispatch to the Exchange Tele-
graph Company from Ostend said:
Several ministers, with the personnel
of the ministries, have just arrived
here"
A woman fugitive from Antwerp. a
Reuters correspondent at Amsterdam
says, reports that all the cages Of the
geological gardens have been covered
with steel plates and that the snakes
have been killed in the fear that they
might escape
Following the dropping OF bombs on
the city, according to Reuters corre-
spondent at Amsterdam, Zeppelin air
ships, cruising above the fortifications
of Antwerp, dropped bombs on some
oil tanks at Hoboken, which caught on
fire. To prevent a general conhagra-
tion the other tanks were hastily
drained.
Picture of Desolation.
The war has presented no picture Of
greater desolation than that of the
. hosts of refugees fleeing from the last
Belgian stronghold. Great crowds of
the citizens of Antwerp, dumb with
terror as the huge German shells
hurtle over their heads with a noise
like an express train, are fleeing to-
ward England and Holland in such
countries is likely to be taxed to the
utmost. The flight of these unfortunate
refugees has been accelerated by the
appearance over the city of Zeppelin
airships dropping destruction and
death.
The only ray of hope from the allies
standpoint is found in the news that
the almost exhausted garrison Of Ant
werp has been reinforced by fresh
troops and more guns.
Up to the present time only one great
German siege gun has been brought
into play, and this piece of artillery
is fired only at infrequent intervals.
Guns half the size of the destroyers
of Liege and Namour are being used in
the work of battering the rings of forts
which surround Antwerp.
Still Baked at Scheldt.
Both sides confirm the report that the
Germans have succeeded in crossing
the River Nethe, but the trenches along
the River Scheldt are still holding out
against their determined attacks. The
German offensive movement is now ap-
preaching the inner ring of forts, and
Berlin reports the capture in the open
field of four heavy batteries, ffty-twc
field guns and as many machine guns
The Hague correspondent of the Ex-
press says that south Holland is liter
ally swamped with refugees from Ant
werp and describes terrible scenes OF
desolation and despair among the thou
sands of Belgians on the road between
Essichen and Rosendaal At the Rosen-
daal station the correspondent says
hundreds sit weeping, having lost
practically everything in the rush o1
leaving their homes, and many mad
with grief and anxiety have increased
the duties of the authorities who were
taken unawares by the extraordinary
influx of refugees, but who are doing
everything possible to alleviate suf-
fering. Thousands are already housed
at Rosendaal in public buildings anG
barracks, while at Breda and smaller
cities other thousands are being cared
for.
Terror Grips Belgian City.
ANTWERP. October Z. via London. Oc-
tober Son account Of the Zeppeins
, successful attack the large avenue leading
to the railroad station quickly became
black with struggling mass Of person.
eager to escape from the city. Seizet
with an unreasoning. terrible fear of &
bombardment or of a charge of German
cavalry the residents are Transporting in
valids. cripples and even the occupants o
lunatic asylums. It was pathetic sigh