Gilpin observer., 1915-12-02
German Doctor Gives Vivid De-
soription Of Air Raid.
Ono Feels Just as pefenseiess Against
an Attack by Aeropianes as Against
the Power Of Thun-
derstorm.

Berlin.-The vossische Zeitung con-
tains a vivid account OF an air raid
by q French squadron of aeroplanes
from the pen of a Germ IN doctor. who
says:
Il was at work IN r.y room Tin the
top floor of 'ote', when suddenly
heard the sound Il firing. which grad
ually came nsarsr and nearer. Ha!
Ha! Tnat's an enemy aviator some
where near. and he's getting greet
6g from our antiaircraft guns. but
ne short. sharp shots became more
Id more frequent and followed more
closely one upon the other. And now.
tack-tack-tack. the machine guns
Join in. Whatever is up?
Il go to the window which. being on
the top story. gives me a view of
good stretch OF sky. True enough.
there's the beggar already in sight
He hovers at a great height. amid
regular collection of white shrapnel
clouds. But what's this now? Here
comes a second, and third. Yes. and
( fourth and fifth. More come up
from the side. more and more.
town. count. fourteen. sixteen
twenty-in serried column they
come flying up with regular intervals
between the machines. with an ad-
vance guard and flank guards Is II
to be regular attack? Come down
below. blares trumpet. It's the sig
nal for everybody to clear out OF the
streets and take aviation cover
The trumpet signal becomes more
imperative. In twinkling the streets
are clear, and 1t is high time. for al
ready there is a rafting on roofs and
pavements Shrapnel bullets are COM
ing down. And now-and | shall new.
er forget it-a fearful. horrible crash,
or rather roar, like the roar of an ami
NAL Those fellows in the air have
dropped their first bomb begin to
think that my room Immediately un.
der the roof is not altogether a suta.
BILE place in such circumstances. On
the stairs | meet others of the same
opinion. They are officers who had
come from the front and had Just lain
down for long, anaccustomed hut
well-earned sleep. and were cursing
freely at this inconsiderate disturb
ance. AS we go down the stairs the
beast roars a second time. The next
bomb had fallen. Then we hear, In
the voice OF command: Take avia.
ton cover. The group breaks up /
stand for moment irreoolute, | don't
know the ground. Then young cap.
tain laughingly takes my arm, saying
Come with me. doctor; it's no bravery
to wait till thing like that falls on
your head
And so we 20 down a narrow stair
case leading into little corner OF the
cellars under the house which. as |
now find. is built on a very ancient
foundation OF extensive vaults. Under
massive stone arch we have q COM
Portable room. the captain who took
my arm, first lieutenant, a stan sur
geon, two landsturm men. a college
professor and myself There is even
an electric light.
The racket and din outside gets
worse and worse. Clearly we can per.
ceive that the hdeous row comes
nearer and nearer. And now II Is
quite close. Then a fearful bang and
roar. There must have been an ex.
plosion quite close to me. The house
and ever the massive cellar arches
trembie. II is Just as in wild thun.
derstorm, when the thunder follows
close at the lightnings heels one feels
sertain that struck something quite
close. and one feels Just as defense.
less against such an aviltion attack
~ one IL against the power Of .thun.
derstOrm
Bang! This time still wilder and
nearer Through the crannies OF the
cellar there drifts In from the street
something misty, At hrst one cant
tell whether II is smoke or dust. II
II is smoke from confiagration close
at hand. the position is not exactly q
pleasant one. The problem becomes
the more problematIcal owing to the
electric light going ou. The wire
mwsf have been hit. But as We