Evening journal., 1915-07-14
SAW AIR RAID
ON CITY OF Venice
"Movie" Operator Tells of
Night Attack on His
toric Place
BOMBS DROPPED
ON THE ARSENAL


lust returned from an eight months
tour of the various war fronts in
Europe. told of his experience in the
following words
Great sirens shrieked their warn
ings from all parts of the city. I'M
mediately thereafter illuminated
bombs shot upward from the
Campenello, burst in the sky and
spread their rays in all directions ex-
cept downward. Below, where all
was darkness. hundreds of machine
guns barked in an incessant roar.
"Our gondolier made all haste along
the Grand Canal to reach the Grand
Hotel, while his passengers, including
myself, tore out the seats and held
them over our heads. During a lull
in the firing we plainly heard the hum
OF an aeroplane motor somewhere
above Then pandemonium broke
forth again. Such is a midnight air
raid on Venice.
Venice Now a Fortress.
Venice, the beautiful, the historic,
has been converted into a fortress. All
are stationed on roofs to watch for
lights with orders to fire as soon as
even the slightest twinkle is observed
The magnificent St. Marks Cathedral
in ST. Marks Square has been encasod
in steel girders and banked with
sandbags to protect it from the bombs
of aviators.
"The Doge's Palace has been treat
I'd likewise. The Campenello, tower
ng far above its surroundings has
a huge bomb-throwing machine on
its top-not explosive bombs, but
light bombs which illuminate the
skies and make easier the work Of
the men behind the snti-aircrafi guns.
"On my arrival at 81 Venice from
Rome it was my hope that / would
be permitted the free use of my mo-
ton picture camera and still cam
eras. | found the situation much
more difficult than in Rome. Venice
was spy-mad It need but the cry
Austrian spyl to endanger the life
Of anyone in the streets.
Il visited Admiral Carralli. who is
in command of the defenses of the
city, to obtain a permit He prom
ised to see me the next day. After
I had been arrested and released
several times | was given a pass
but not a permit to make pictures
That l was to see the Admiral about
on the following morning.
Sees Raid Prom GOndOla.
with an American and his wife
who were staying at the Grand Hotel
I concluded TO see Venice at nigh
from a gon6ola. The night was one
Of those typical of Venice. The cit,
was bathed in most beautiful moon
light The absence of all artificia
lights added to the effect It wal
like a city Of the dead Only patrols
we're met with.
Returning to the Grand Hote
about II o'clock we heard the frs
warning of the sirens. The Condo
lier gasped something and trebled
his efforts.
Gan Austrian air raid exclaimed
my American companion excitedly
md he commenced to tear up the seats
This l learned was done so that they
might be neld over the head as Z
protection against steel arrows drop
ped by the enemy's aviators.
''Only a few minutes after this W.
heard the whirr of an aeroplane. Th'
Austrian must have been flying dan
gerously low for us to have heard hi
motor. in view of the fact that tn
sirens were still making the night hid
eous and machine guns had begun Z
rattle in various parts of the city. w
could not see him, however. The sounl
died out in few seconds. We judgel
that he was flying toward the arsenal
for soon we heard the guns firinl
there.
Heard Bombs Dropped.
Several heavy explosions from tn
direction Of the arsenal made us be
lieve it hao been hit. We learned late
that the Austrians had dropped a par
ticularly heavy charge near it.
I'VE finally reached the hotel Mos
Of the guests we're standing trembling
In the halls and diningroom. Some o
Us stood on the steps in the hope O
catching sight of an aeroplane. We di
not see any but we soon heard one
Several bombs we're dropped in tn
Grand Canal near the Custom House
only about 100 yards from where W
stood.
"on the following morning W
learned that part of the arsenal ha
oeen DESTROYED; torpedo boat blow
up and several of her crew killed. an
four or five houses occupied by work
men employed in the arsenal destroye
with several score of deaths. In on
of the houses the only survivor was
baby, which was dug out of the debri,
One Raider Tried and Shot.
As information about the raid con,
menced to drift in we learned tina
only TWO machines had composed tn
faldlng party. One of these had ru
out oil petrol and had landed near IN
arsenal. Inc observer and the drive
were captured. The observer prove
to be former Italian army Officer
| who had once been employed in tn
| venice arsenal. He had become N
1 volved in some difficulties in Ital
some years before and had gone I
Germany When the war broke on
he had enlisted in the German, Avi
alton Corps. He was courtmartiale
and shot within "a hours.
Another interesting thing | learn
4 ed was that the Austrian aviator
are using the steel arrows originate
by the French. While we were stand
ing before the Grand Hotel during tn
air raid we had noticed what appeare
TO be rain-numerous little splashe
In the canal. Later we found som
Of the arrows about the hotel. The
had inscribed upon them Invented /
France and Used in Germany"
---------
TO INSTALL OFFICERS.
District Deputy Joseph E. Greg
will install the officers of Tallevvill