Semi-weekly herald., 1915-03-15
TELLS OF GERMAN AIR
CRAFT RAID ON DUNKIRK
(By VIM. P. Simms.)

10y WIN. Z. OlIlinS.J
DUNKIRK, FcL. 11.--(By Mail to
New York. Mrs. Mary Roberts
Rhinehart, American writer of mys-
terry stories, humorous sketches, mag
azine articles and books, landed here
one afternoon this week in search of
war adventures. A few hours later,
before the feeling of the ships motion
had worn off, Ia German aeroplanes
circled over her hotel and dropped
eighty bombs about her. Here is her
story:
Il had just landed and settled my
self comfortably at the hotel when the
fun started. was finishing dinner,
about 8 o'clock l should say, when
the fog siren in the lighthouse began
blowing and the alarm bell in the old
tower around the corner from the ho-
tel told of the presence of the Ger
man aircraft. Whether aeroplanes or
Zeppelins We did not know from the
alarm. Then the first bomb fell.
Shortly afterwards l discovered that
of the civilians 1 was practically alone
in the dining room. And l didn't
remain there long.
"a Belgian officer recommended
that l sit in the second floor lobby.
This part of. the hotel had the virtue
of being situated several floors from
the roof and at least one room re-
moved from the street. So l got in
corner. Then the lights went out,
leaving the place in darkness thick
| enough to smother. A candle was
placed ON little round table in front
of me but the light it gave only en-
phasized the gloom. And all the time,
at intervals of from one to two min
utes, came the terrific crash of Ger
man bomb or the thunder of an anti
aircraft gun on the beach. l was
not at all happy. This was my in
itiation to being under fire. l like
adventure but would rather be eased
into it. Plunges like this are always
upsetting.
There was but handful of people
where was. l don't know and never
have discovered where the others dis
appeared to. do hear, though, that
the hotel cellar is u large one.
| Il remember one man, a civilian.
He came up, holding a candle in both
hands. Approaching an officer he in
quired in a shaky voice if there was
much danger and where had he bet
ter go. The candle flame trembled
so that the light on his face remind
ed me of motion picture flickers.
'The firing continued about two
hours and we finally had coffee serv-
ed. The dombs dropped all about
the hotel, but none upon it. After
it was all over we discovered we had
chosen the worst place in the whole
hotel to hide from bombs. Had a
shell fallen above the stirway, after
piercing the roof it would have drop
ped right down to where we sat and
probably exploded on our coffee ta-
BILE.
81 decided to retire. left the COM
pany | had been in during the bonn
bardment with much misgiving for
clearly the officers regarded the visit
of the German Taubes as the har-
bingers of Zeppelins which would in
all probability arrive between mid
night and 3 or o'clock.
"Still l needed the rest and off 1
went.
"Once in my room, opened a win
dow looking upon the big square. The
night was superb. There was not a
light to be seen anywhere, but the
moon made things almost as bright
as day. The statue of Jean Bart in
the middle of the square cast a shad-
ow sharp as If by the sun. Not al
soul was to be seen but ambulances
were dashing about as though of their
own accord, picking up the dead and
wounded. shivered and went to bed
by candle light.
II don't know how long lay there