The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-08
GERMAN ACCOUNT
 OF ZEPPELIN RAID Damage Ammunition Fac
 tory in British Town RETURNED SAFELY
After First Attack Town Suddenly Became Dark, Baffling Raiders. Ascertaining Position in Zep-
 pelin Is by No Means Easy

pelin Is by No Means Easy Berlin, July ao.-(correspondence of the Associated Press.)-A writer in the Cologne Gazette gives a description of a | raid by a Zeppelin on the British coast. | He says:
 Tt was barely growing dusk when Lieutenant Commander K, in command of L. Q. stands for Luftschiff, airshp), received an order to cruise on the morrow In northwesterly direction in the latl- tude of Terschelling. He gave the neces- sary orders, and next morning, early. en- tered the hangar. The crew of two deck officers and F noncommissioned officers. was already at work with a group of men under the orders of the officer of the guard.
 E "The lieutenant looked to see that every thing was in order. Sailors in the gon- golas tested the motors, their looks be- traying their love for the engines under their care. One of the officers satisfied himself that the supply of petrol was com plete, while the other superintended the carriage of bombs and incendiary missiles Into the gondalas.
 "The skipper climbed in, and after a brief inspection expressed his satisfaction with nod, and then descended to the ground.
 There was silence in the great hull The men who hold down the vessel were in their places. The crew were at their sta ticns.
 The officer in charge reported all in order to the skipper, who called out in- structions to discharge the water ballast There was a rush of water, and the yes sel gradually rose above her props and foated.
 "The captain paced her whole length. scanning her with careful eye. Then he climbed into the front gondola and or dered her to be taken out. The lieutenant repeated the order 'airship forward and the men with the mooring ropes lowed her into the open. A gust of wind outside caused her to sway. She tugged at her mooring ropes lilte an impatient steed champing at its bit.
 "A cry of attention a long shrill blast from the boatswain's whistle, the last ropes were dropped and almost simul- taneously the engine room telegraph sig naled motors full speed ahead
 The Start
 with noise like thunder the propel- lers sprang into life, the vessel shot for ward and upwards
 The forward gondola resembled nothing so much as the bridge of warshp, and as ir the chart house of cruiser. the skipper now bent over his maps.
 eThe ship in its ascent soon cleaved her way through banks of clouds. The sun shining through them upon the sea facili- tated steering. With his eyes upon the shadows of the vessel and a piece of wood hanging loose at the end of string the skipper able to reckon his speed and the strength of the wind If the weather is dull and the airship Is above open water, only practice and seamanlike instinct can help the commander to a kpo al of Ia al recokon not only with the prevailing wind but with threatening changes. A strong current from the direction of home might make his return very difficult.
 This time, however, the vessel ad- vanced in a straight line to the north west A number of fishing vessels could be seen at sea, all flying the Dutch flag, but the skipper thought his own thoughts. He knows that British fishermen even close under their own coasts now seldom fly anything but the Dutch colors.
 By p. m. his mission was at an end. He had received orders to be back at the hangar before dusk, but the weather be- ing so favorable, he Geographically asked permission to act on his own initiative and profit by the favorable opportunity. Agreed was the reply.
 continuing his flight to the northwest he determined to deliver blow against the English coast. It was yet twilight when he approached England and as- c to keep out of sight of the watchful eyes on board England's guardships Through rift in the clouds a destroyer could be seen making the round Of guardships. There was nothing yet to be seen of the ' land, but blackish mistiness on the dis tant horizon was recognized by trained eyes as smoke from the chimneys of an industrial district. The skipper now knew that he had steered true course, and that his destination-a harbor with enemy hofn i'm
 Building Exploded
 He remained above the clouds until dark, then pushing on to the coast, he detected in the dying daylight the two moles marking the mouth Of the river which he was seeking. Almost simultan- eously came flashes of artillery fire from t1 below. The rudder swung round and steering past the attacking fortress, the airship was over the yards, arsenals and intuition factories The airship's gunner lay on his face by the sighting apparatus and fired at the targets over which he was being steered. There were now flashes beneath us which did not proceed from the enemy artillery. The dlspiace- ment of air, due to tremendous explo- sion, was felt in the gondola, Below us Q large factory was seen to collapse upon 1 itself The windows of the other work shops suddenly became dark
 ",rhe men in the gondolas were under the impression that they could see po- 1cemen hurrying through the streets With cries of warning, because house after house was suddenly swallowed in dark ness. until the town and suburbs were in complete obscurity.
 .Rut the work was done. After mak- | ing observations for half an hour the re- turn journey was begun, The weather was clearer, but bitterly cold The skip per sank to an altitude of only 100 meters above Helgoland, and was helped by the moonlight along the German coast. Above Norderney the maps were again requis- ,.t,o oferht a