The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-11-14

limited Press Correspondent
SOMEWHERE ON THE BRITISH
sorTHEAST COAST, Oct. 9.-(By
m l-"B-rroo-m-m!" A distant roar
nat echoes fainter and fainter.
sBoo-m!" A sharp, distinct. explo-
Gon.
aB.rroo-m- nj" Another roar that
radually dies and blends into the
sbispering of the surf. "B-r-roo-m-m"
iyaInter this time and longer drawn.
N is not a battle on the English
mast, but it's battle, bloody and de-
Tructive, within earshot of where the
North sea waves wash in on a yellow
andy beach upon women in startling
nepiece bathing suits, splashing
bout in the fast chilling autumn wat
m; where children are building
ssstles in the sand and babies In
barge of nurses are out for their
korning sea-air bath.
Ask one of these sea bathers about
he noises in the far distance and
you'll learn that British warships are
iombarding Ostend. And the teller
vill be extremely bored while telling
because she'll think you ought to
snow that. Everybody knows it along
ibis coast. Forty miles away over
he blue water there Is war. Every
boom means death.
II you hear a sharp, distinct explo-
don, Just off the, coast, and see huge
gyser of white shoot into the air,
lou may ask what about that. Oh.
hats simply another mine being de-
troyed by the trawlers, patrol boats
|nd destroyers that guard the main
saamship channel to- London. These
daft catch from one to FIVE mines a
DAY and promptly blow them up. No
one seems to worry; no one comments
un it It's an every day occurrence.
these British southeast coasters are
iccustomed to such scenes. Newcom-
Hs are impressed, for a couple of
hys.
Then the newcomer drifts into the
shse attitude of the towns folk. For
weeks, while the wind has carried
outh toward England, these summer
resort folk have heard their windows
unity rattle to the dull, distant roar
artillery in Flanders.
zeppelins often pass in the night.
aeroplanes hostile and friendly. drone
nay somewhere above after daylight
pes So long as no bombs are drop
% these sounds are comm onplace,
%. To the visitor it's thrilling.
One night a Zeppelin and one of
he British aeroplanes had an argu-
nent just over the center of one of
nese sleepy coast towns. Machine
sms reared far above and the ma
yves went out to have a look. The
htle was brief and the Zeppelin es-
nped. But the battle was the talk
q the town. for day or two-no
hger.
The purr of motors high in the
efkness will have no meaning again
sntll another air battle sends down
ne rattle of machine gun fire. Then
neyll look and remember-for q day
n two.
one morning in this town the odor
gasolene was in the air. Inquiry
melted: Another oil ship torpedoed
aanng the night" That ended the
naversation. Oil ships have been
. .nk on this coast before. The towns.
sk are accustomed to the smell. ANY
.a'ld can tell you what the smell
y, soldiers guard the tall white chalk
.,As along the coast There are barb
y wire entanglem to resist Ger
nan invasion.
Az each end OF the main bathing
.aen stands soldier with fixed bayo.
between him and his comrade
aI.. fashionable one-piece bathing
s a,s irisk in the surf. the children
wv sand castles: the nurses tend
s,s babies and the men continue to
a.he or bask.
~, ~ Ior the soldiers. the barbed
ma an. ana the distant sounds OF guns
a,rcraft. there is no sign Of war.
wv ne'r philosophy on the coast Is: