The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-08
BRILLIANT AIR FEAT.
How Young Canadian Aviator Destroyed
A Zeppelin Ia Told.

zeppelin Ia Told.
London, June s.--For the first time OF
record Zeppelin in the air has been de
stroyed by an aviator in an aeroplane
Reginald A. j. Warneford, young Can
adam sub-lieutenant in the royal navy
who Mastered aeroplaning only this sum
mer, has performed the feat, and is some
where within the British lines, while tn,
Zeppelin lies in ruins sprawled on tho
roof and ground of an orphanage neal
Client.
Falling there blazing mass, after
being struck by the young aviator's
bombs, its crew of 20 men We're killed
as was also several occupants of the or
phanage buildings.
The theory is advanced that this Yep
pelin was the craft which raided the
east coast of England Sunday night, for
the fact that it was in the air over Bel
lgium, between Client and Brussels, at
three o'clock in the morning leads to the
belief that it was returning from an
expedition, not starting. Dawn breaks
early these days and the Zeppelin could
be sight far off and it is presumed that
the craft was headed for her home han
gar when Warneford came winging
swiftly under the gray skies.
The Zeppelin flying comparatively low,
begun to mount at once, but the British
airshipt was speeder and climbed into
the air in long spirals, reaching a posi-
ton at length over the Germans vast
bulk. From this point of vantage Warne-
ford pierced the Zeppelin's shell repeated
lly with his incendiary bombs.
Without parallel in this war or in any
other is the story which the young await
or will have to relate, for details of the
flight have not yet been told. First
came the long pursuit, for, according to
the admiralty report, the aeroplane was
5000 feet up. To reach this altitude
would require nearly 20 minutes and
the Zeppelin, meantime, could drive for
ward approximately Is miles.
Then followed the mannuvring for po-
sition, and finally the dropping of the
bombs, from which the dirigible tried |
vainly to escape. Minor explosions oc-
Cured, and, at last, one of terrific force
and the Zeppelin burst into flames.
At that moment Warneford must have
been at close range over the drigible,
for almost simultaneously, with the out
burst his machine turned completely over,
and for moment he hun head down
with his monoplane, all control of which 4
had been lost, pitching and tossing in
the swift currents of air which rushed
up to fill the vacuum created.
Then, byt desperate effort, Warne-
ford righted his machine far above the
al 81. xa 10 ,,l h.
German lines. He alighted unhurt., set
his propeller going again and few off to
the west.
Whether the Zeppelin's machine guns
or rifles were turned on the aviator is
not disclosed, but in order to attain such
an advantageous position the British
lieutenant must have handled his ma
chine skillfully, for this is an extreme
ly difficult feat. Although the target
the Zeppelin presents is extensive, it can
be lifted by its own buoyancy to a
great height, while the pursuing aero.
plane has to rise in spirals by the power
II its engine alone.
As the fight in mid-air occurred over
hat part OF Belgium held by the Ger :
mans, hopes are raised in London that
he Germans will be forced to move their
Zeppelin bases eastward, thus making
aids on England more hazardous II!
Some of the reports say that the non
ombatant victims were two nuns and II
NO orphans, and that other persons were
Injured. A Reuter- dispatch received last
iSht says two nurses and two children II
we're killed and many Others injured. All II
ersions agree that the Zeppelin crew
erished. and this seems certain as the
reat craft was struck while more than
mile in the air and must have been
roaring torch before IL struck the
arth.