The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-17

range at once and shells fairly raiped
upon the city Of $4,000 inhabitants.
Not less than fifty shells went scream
ing into Scarborough. and IL is proha-
bly that many more were fred.
II was exactly So A NJ when the
people OF scarborough we're aware that
tho war had come to them. At that
minute a she'll fell near tho railroad
station A train was about 10 leave
for Hull. There ~Re a small CROW !
at the station. There was pane At
once People rushed to the train and
implored the engineer and guards 90
leave instantly Thr engineer refused
to be swayed and did a very plucky
thing He stepped to the telegraph
office in the station and sent message
70 his wife
shells are falling thickiv around me,
bot I am all right
Then he went back to bis engine and
waited, watch IN hand, for the exact
second the train was scheduled to leave.
when HIS watch licked out the sche-
duled tame he opened the throttle
II WAS not vet clear daylight. since
the sun does not rise along that part
~ the coast until E9I A NJ. and there
was haze out al sea. The people who
rushed from their homes, startled by
Tthe first roar of cannon and the ex-
rloSion of the shell that dropped near
the railway station. could not yet make
out the German ships. They could see
the flashes that stabbed the darkness
when the guns were fred Many per
sons unaware OF the real nature Of the
firing Tina gined for the moment that
British squadron was at target prac-
tjse of the coast Tben the shells came
thick and fast, causing widespread loss
Of tife and ruin 10 property Roofs
were smashed in houses where the peo-
pie ware hardly awake. The Baimoral
Hotel was hit and quickly took Ere
This was the first intimation that many
persons in distant parts Of tho town
had that the Germans were attacking.
The hotel IS In Marlborough, where
the destruction was very great.
Goes Through Hotel Roof
one 81 the shells that struck the
Bslmoral went through the roof An
other dropped without exploding into
the cistern. Portions az the prone
made railing were carried away. Many
co operative stores along the Victoria
Road were shattered. and along the
SfaIby Road III the direction Of the
wireless station, the damage was
. peciailr heavy, Apparently the main
purpose Of the bornbardment was 70
destroy The wireless plant ard the rail
road station, but the wireless nppara-
tus escaped injury and the station was
only partly damaged
Whole rows of cottages along the
Stalby Road were raged to the ground
The savings bank near the Grand Hotel
was demolished and the contents Of
Il adjoining house were scattered in
the street. Much damage Was done 10
twelt-kHown boarding houses on the ST
Nicholas CliT. Much damage was done
on tho south cliff, where the best res
denttaI property was located. Here
the shells demolished and set on fire
many fine houses The people took
refuge In the cellars
The shells made holes ia the ground
big enough to hold railway coaches.
Tho famous CRANE Hctel perched on
the cliff head. was partially demol-
shed iIalf q 0o2eu gaping holes show
In thu walls OF the upper stories while
the walls OF the lower stories on the
seward front. including tho large
dinine-room and restaurants, were
shattered A picture palace next door
10 tire Grand Hotel suffered heavy
damage. A portion Of the Cliff tram =
way was destroyed The gable end of
the town hail situated on the Cliff
was shot to pieces The lifeboat house
was damaged. A corner OF the Royal
Hotel "a fine buildins near the center
of the town. was Demolished,
Business Quietly Resumed.
A surpr ising fact was the rapidity
with which worku%n set about the
task of repairing damage, A shop
which was Hit during the bornoa I'd
ment kept Its doors open for business
vertneless and displayed In Il
broken window a piacard which read
business is going on as usual
-Four persons were killed oughtright
by a shell which exploded in house
whore they were living. One Of the
. first persons killed In Scarborough was
q Mrs. Marry~eathcr. She was stand
ing behind the counter OF a shop
fowned by her husband \ shell
ripped through the walls and ended
her life as she WAS talking TO her nus
band who stood ONLY fl te" yards
away. BY miracle ne escaped serl-
Gus injury. but vas buried for some
time in "a mass Of debris. I-Aldcrmau
Hali a justice of the peace. was killed
while he wac dressing. and moment
later his srandchild was hli 10y +"
piece Of shell and instantly hill4d \
posiman delivering letters was struck
) dead.
The bodies OF the dead were taken
to the mcrtuarv. white the Injured
> many Of whom were nu1t seriously,
? were hurried 40 hospitals This work
was carried On in continuous rain
! Of SheiiS SD4cia! consta btes a. great
personal risk conducted the Old ana
intirm to place of safety underground
The hospital iisNlf was struck hHt no
one was inhu ed The see bath lntrm-
airy. attached to tire hospital, was bad
l., damaged bat the patients. WIN IN
cluded a number ~ Belcian soldiers.
escaped injury.
} MANY We're StiiI .kbed.
Very fortunately. few peopie were
In The streets when the German war
ships opened fire. Many were still
ahe1 and rushed forth in scanty AZ
tire 10 learn tho meaning Of the crash
Of guns aud the shrieks and screams
they heard from ali directions. For
some time there was q very real panic
as the town was utterly helpless, and
If gae believed that the German
NvouId continue the attack until all
scarborough was battered ia pieces.
, Therefore. the surge Of tn" inha bitants
u the interior took place almost a.
2 once. Thousands rushed into the
3 country. running hreathsesslN when
. They could not And conN cyapce,
Many went to Hull spreading the
alarm and carrying the news
After the hombardment ceased ana
the Germans sped away, hundreds Of
persons came to Scarborough from
Interior cities eager and curious 10