The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1914-10-15
GERMANS WITHIN few MILES
AeropIane Flies over City and Causes
Panic Both on Shore and on Ship
ping in the Harbor-Beach Crowded
With Refugees.

Ostend, Oct. ii, via London, Oct. IS
-12:1O a. m.-Ostend's fate hangs in
the balance. The government has
left. King Albert and the main mill.
tary headquarters went Tuesday and
10000 pan,c-stricken people await ac-
tion by the Germans. who are known
to have large force within 20 miles
of the city.
The inhabitants are fleeing as fast
as ships can be provided to carry
them to England Hospitals were
emptied today and the docks were
lined with injured soldiers. Hundreds
were carried on litters, while those
less severely wounded hobbled on
canes and crutches supported by Fed
Cross nurses, doctors. nuns and
priests.
The wounded were given preference
on the transports provided for the be
leaguered city, while 25,000 struggling
people were massed upon the docks
and terminals attempting TO find
Iplaces on the refugee ships A Ger.
man Taube flow over the harbor and
struck terror to those below many
of whom had come here from Ant.
werp and who feared the aeroplane
might drop bombs on the docks and
the great glass shed which covers the
joint terminals of the railroads and
steamers.
The Belgian soldiers guarding tn>
docks opened fire on the aeroplane
and the fusillade lasted ten minutes
This created still greater consterna-
| tion among the thousands of women
and children, many of whom had sat
for three days on the cement floor OF
the great terminal sheds, their nerves
at the breaking point.
| Escape is cut off from all sides by
land, and thousands were still gath
cred miserably on the docks when the
last relief ship left late today. No
steamers leave Ostend at night be-
cause of the danger from mines. Still
! the crowds remained on the piers
awaiting the dawn and more ships.
Even the refugees who managed to
find deck space ou the crowded trans.
ports were not relieved of the terrible
strain under which they have been
laboring, for the watchful Tauble flew
over the steamers, observing their
movements as they sailed out of the
| harbor.
The aeroplane did not drop bombs,
however, as one had on previous days
when civil and military hospitals
were SO narrowly missed by exploding
shells.
| Last night was a nightmare to resi-
dents of Ostend and the thousands Of
refugees fleeing before the German
invasion. Wounded soldiers were
brought here by the score from
Client. 1t is reported that they were
engaged Monday near Ghent in a seri-
GUS battle. The allies are said to
have been obliged to withdraw toward
the west Consequently there is vir.
tually no obstacle to the German ad-
vance on Ostend.
| Most of the business houses in Os-
tend closed yesterday and profes-
sional men, merchants and hotel
keepers joined the throng that dared
not leave the water front for fear Of
| losing places in the evergrowing line
, of men, women and children clamor-
! ing for a chance to escape.
| All taxicabs and cab horses in Os
tend were taken by the army long ago
so there was little mans of transpor-
tation. The tram cars were comman-
dered by the hospitals and civilians
had little chance to ride. The hotels
near the quay, which remained open
were crowded with refugees who had
money and who begged for the oppor-
tunity to rent even a chair.
/ Thursday night brought insistent
reports that the Germans would enter
Ostend Wednesday at dawn, with the
result that few slept. AT daybreak
every street in Ostend was alive with
Belgians making their way to the
water front. Hundreds of fishermen
took their families and friends away
in their small boats, which sailed oat
OF the shipping basin in a steady
stream loaded down with frightened
women and children carrying Their
personal effects wrapped in table
lcloths and blankets.
Failure of the Germans to arrive al
ldaybreak afforded only slight reliei
Ito the anxious crowds. Rumors wer,