Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-11
BIG CITY EMPTIED
OYER S-FOOT BRIDGE
-Four Hundred Thousand People
Pour Out Of Antwerp on
Instant's Notice.
AWAKE TO LEARN OF DANGER
Then Mad Scramble Of Rich, Poor,
well and sick IL Made Along
one Narrow Road TO
safety.
Copyright, 1914, by Press Publishing Co
ny r.. ALEXANDER POWELL.

ny r.. ALEXANDER POWELL,
CLIENT, oct Shy Courier from Ant
werp and Special Cablegram 10 New York
word and Omaha Bee Though German
shells began falling on the outskirts Of
the city late this afternoon. owing to the
governments policy OF secrecy, II was not
untn the people OF Antwerp awoke this
morning to find that the government and
foreign legations had gone to Ostend and
the walls OF the city were covered with
proclamations signed by the military gov
ernor informirs them a bombardmont was
imminent and that they learned OF tho
terrible gravity of the situation.
The proclamation begged them to re-
main calm. urged all to leave the city i'm
mediately and advised others to seek
refuge in cellars.
All shops Closed.
BY 10 o'clock every shop IN the city had
closed its window shutters.
At II o'clock the hotels posted notices
that. owing to lack OF servants. they
were compelled 20 close their doors. BY
noon thoroughfares which led 20 the
pontoon bridge across the soheldt were
choked for blocks with panic stricken
mob. To ser city AZ 10000 people sud
dcnfy put UP lis shutters and run away
10 an interesting sight but not a pretty
one
Escape over POntoon.
AS the Germans are to the south OF
the city. and as the Belgians have de-
stroyed ali bridges and roads between the
city and the Dutch frontier, the only
route left open to the frantic fugitives
was over an eight-foot wide bridge of
boats military engineer threw across
the .Scheldt at tho beginning OF the war,
Across this narrow and inadequate strlIc-
ture the mighty river OF humanity has
been pouring steadily since dawn.
Automobiles, cabs. dogcarts barouches
hotel omnibuses. delivery wagons. moving
vans, peddlers' carts, baby carts and
wheelbarrows roll Unfortunately past
loaded with the fleeing towpspeople and
such of their household goods as they
are able TO carry with them
No Respecter Of Persons.
| saw q man pushing his aged mother
and three children In a wheelbarrow. |
saw an old man, paralyzed and unable TO
walk, carried on hts sons brawny Shout
diets. l saw woman Of fashion, wearing
a magnificent seslskin coat and hat with
ospfey feathers, strIgglnR through the
/, crowd with suitcase on hdr shoulder.
n m clergy and wounded.
A pathetic picture was made by many
wounded soldiers, many with blood
stained bandages, Some barely able TO
stand had been turned out of hospitals TO
make room for those wounded in yester-
days fightlngT Rrlests,ln .black. cassocks
and monks In brown robes were assisting
the III and aged. whtc-faced nuns were
herding groups OF children In their care
a Rivals bridge Rush.
i The scene on the road between ANTWERP
and Sc. Nicholas this afternoon was one
of the most remarkable in my experience
the road was more crowded than the en-.
trance to Brooklyn bridge at n rush hour
or than the road to EPSON on derby day
Pushing the aged down the cobbie-pavoc
thoroughfare were people in every oceu.
patton. In every walk in life. Will,
: bitches on either side were filled with
, those who had. fallen from sheer exhaus
ton ..--,-,.
a. s., Consul Charters Tug.
The roar OF heavy artillery has beer
continued Cor more than twenty hours
The fifst OF the German shells struck, II
the southern outskirts OF the city shortly
after o'clock this afternoon. N. w
. Diederich. the American consul general
has chartered n tug on which he and
few Americans remaining In Antwerp vii
start up the river and out OF range
Il becomes impossible TO remain In tn
city.
Despite the desperate resistance of tn
Belgiana. tho Germans are steadily push
ing forward. They have crossed tn
soheldt AZ one point. At the hour of wri,
ms. O'Clock. they are attacking the sec
ond line Of Notifications south Of Ant
werp. ~