Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-17
BOMBARDMENT LASTS
API'RO ATIII.Y ONE IInI.t

The bombardmcnt lasted approNi-
matcly one hour, beginning at S O'Clock
In all. 1870 shells landed i'm Hartlcpool
and West Hartlepool. Immediately
there began Il mad rush TO escape in
land Scenes comparable TO those of
Belgium were enac ted all day for miles
along every road between here and
Darlington, twenty-five miles to the
west.
Two shells struck the railway track
Only one train, which left amidst Il
downpour Of shells. got away. All the
available automobiles were comman-
deered for women and children, but n
great majority had TO walk.
Tonight the streets are throngcd
with crowds viewing the ruins There
are very few women TO be seen. The
damage Is much more serious than at
first thought. 1t will probably exceed
100000.
Shells penetrated three gas rescr
roirs. and the escaping gas burst into
names. Before AN alarm could be
Ifurned In, the fire-engine house was
struck by shell and the apparatus
demolished
me engine works of the Richard
son, WestSarth Company were entire
ly wiped out. Seven men were killed
irvine Middleton's shipyard was badly
damaged and set aiire. Two men were
Killed there. Three new steamships
lying at the shipyard were struck bv a
she'll, which passed through the hold
of one, killing man who was climb
ing ladder to get out. Hardly one
OF the many ships in the yard cscaped
serious damage.
The big public schoolhouse was hit
but as the pupils were not there none
was injured The local newspaper Of
nee was shelled; the composing room
ruined. 1t is getting out single sheet
extras" at hourly intervals
throughout the town the attention
'of the rescuers is being devoted to the
removal Of the wounded to hoApitals.
On the beach are many tremendous
holes in the sand. Twenty feet of re-
inforced concrete in the cmbankmcnt
was blown away.
SHELLS CAUSE DAMAGE
FIVE MILES INLAND
The shells caused damage five miles
inland, one shell crashing through the
roof OF blacksmith shop at Seaton
Carew. n she'll which had failed to
explode. was found in n field, where il
had fallen after taking off the roof of
Il shed.
The railway company repaired the
track this afternoon, and the exodus to
York. Leeds and Hull has been con-
tinuous ever since.
The West Hartlepool dock area was
damaged seriously, forty-seven woun.i-
ed are reported there. The shells
directly over a bed wherein the wom-
AN occupant was asleep. In another
house nearby a shell struck Thomas
Abbott, an official OF the gas COM
pany, who was sitting at the table
eating his breakfast. Ii wounded him
in the thigh. Eight men were wound
ed at the gas works.
In one street q whole row of houses
was demolished. a man, :, woman and
two children in one family were killed,
only one little girl of the family re-
naming alive. y shell, which killed
q woman and her child in the street.
burst, into three pieces. one of which
struck a man. fatally injuring him.
Another shell tore out the side of a
house near the station, killing three
OF the occupants. Out of a group of
fourteen men at the Hough battery,
not one escaped injury from the she'll
which exploded there. Five were killed
outright and two died tonight.
Fishermen who were at sea this
morning had thrilling escapes. They
say the German ships came within
two miles of the shore. All agree that
there were four ships altogether.
Additional reports of persons killed
are coming in tonight from the resi-
dental district of West Hartlepool,
where. 1t is estimated, that Mt least
30 private houses were entirely de-
molished by shells. Many of these
were very costly residences