New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-21
LONDON CALM IN
STORM OF BOMBS

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never been so borne home TO them.
Londoners. they declared, witnessed the
destruction Of parts Of their city with
the animation they might display over
a pyrotechnic display Of Guy Fawkes
Day.
MIR. Palmer was authority for the
statement that one Of the Zeppehns
which raided tie centre OF the city on
the night of the Ssh was brought 10
earth by d shell and the crew taken
prisoners.
AN American newspaper man who
could not get his story past the censor
told me that" he declared. lie said
that two aeroplanes overlook the ma
chine. fred sufficient shots through the
aluminium bag to cripple 1t and forced
il TO descend
Eastern Depot BOmbarded.
Part of the line of the Great Eastern
Railway was damaged, and for two
days sections of u were tied up. Bombs
fell perilously close 10 the Bank OF
England, with its vaulted millions. and
the Lord Mayors residence.
Alfred Turner, theatrical manager,
who came on the Philadelphia, told
graphic story Of the raid.
81 was in the Ambassador Theatre
about 10:45 o'clock when the first bomb
fell" he said. The chorus stopped ir
the middle of song, the musicians IN
the orchestra pit dropped their lnstru-
ments and stage people and audience
alike listened. When another eX-
plosion came the tableau was dispersed
in a panic.
81 made my way to the street, where
a surging mass Of humanity gazed en-
thralled at the sight above their heads.
Close together were two enormous
sausage-shaped Zeppelin dirigibles,
dropping bombs in a calm, unhurried
manner.
"One after another the bombs fell
within 500 yards of where / stood. he
continued. with every reverberation
the air was filled with debris. AS II
executing preconceived movement,
both Zeppelins wheeled and moved on
in the direction of the Great Eastern
depot. They lowered above that for
fifteen minutes, dropping enough pmbs
to almost entirely destroy the struct-
ure. 1t was a fiery hell while 1t lasted.
Then against the illumination OF
/ the great battery Of searchhght5 that
p
British aeroplanes appeared The
/ shouts from the populace drowned out
/ the roaring of the Intellectual fire from
/ the defence guns. Higher and higher
the machines went until they got out
of the lighted area. do not know
what became of them.
Fires Follow Bombs.
Fires were breaking out all over the
city. Here and there flames could be
seen leaping high above the roofs, but
most of the conhagrations were eXtin-
guished by the Fire Department as fast
as they started.
witnessing three Zeppelin raids was
enough to send Mrs. Martin Hedinger,
the wife Of an English automobile
agent who is in this country, here TO
remain until the war ends.
81 was in the theatre when the last
visit was paid US by the Germans" she
said. 81 inquired the part of the city
they were over and found that il was
that in which | lived. / was frantic,
for my three year-old son was at home
with only the servants. ] got a taxi
cab, made the driver risk his life and
mine, and reached my home just after
a bomb fell in our garden, blowing the
place clear Of shrubbeTy and plants
and digging hole large enough to bury
locomotive. The house was un-
harmed"
II. Gordon Selfridge, formerly of
Chicago, who is head of large depart
ment store in London, said there was
little excitement. He came on the Phil
adelphis.
AN almost perceptible wave OF
hatred swept over the great crowd" he
ht,t FRI oil
News that the Zeppelins had been
sighted as they swept in from the sea
reached London in advance Of the raid
ers. As they few over the city limits
two searchlights picked them up. Other
shafts of light swept the sky for other
raiders. Almost at once the batteries
began firing There was scarcely an
interval Of FIVE seconds, witnesses said,
in which the balloons were above the
city that shrapnel shells did not burst
below them, lighting the darkness like
meteors and raining bits of steel upon
the roofs below.
One Zeppelin Hit.
Above the staccato Of the smaller
arms came the deafening reports of the
falling bombs from the Zeppelins
Thousands Of men and women, many
Of whom at first fed to the cellars,
allied the streets in all sorts Of attire,
gazing upward.
After circling the Holborn section of
the city twice, the raiders withdrew.
Some returning travellers were certain
one Of the .seroplanes disabled the air
craft. Others attributed il 10 a she'll
that burst directly under the bow Of
one airship.
The craft was seen to reel, and for a
moment il appeared as If II were about
20 plunge, nose foremost. to earth. For
few moments IL lowered that way.
then righted itself, directed its course
upward and sailed away out Of sight.
On the night Of September three
Zeppelns appeared, Jut did not pene-
trate the city further than the suburbs
Some bombs were dropped and sid
cradle damage was done. Isaac Z. Mar