Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-12-03
German Doctor Gives Vivid De.
scription Of Air Raid.
One Feels Just as Dcfenseiess Against
an Attack by Aeroplanes as Against
the Power of Thun. ,.
derStorn9.

Berliu.-The Vossische Zeitung con
tains q vivid account Of an air raid
by French squadron Of aeroplanes
from the pen OF . German doctor. who
says:
Il was at work In my room lin the
top door of . hotel) when suddenly
heard the sound of firing. which grad
ually came nearer and nearer. Ha!
Ha! That's an, enemy aviator some
where near. and he's getting a greet
Ing from our antiaircruft guns. but
the short, sharp shots became more
and more frequent and followed more
/. closely e.npon the other. And now
ttack-tAck7tsck. the machine guns
Join in. Whatever is up?
y go to the window which, being on
the top story. gives me view Of a
good stretch Of sky. True enough
there's the beggar already in sight
He hovers at . great height. amid u
regular collection of white shrapnel
clouds. But what's this now? Here
comes q second, and q third. Yes. and
. fourth and q fifth. More, come w
from the side, more and more
There's a whole squadron over the
town. count. fourteen, sixteen
tventy-in serried column they
come flying UP with regular Intervals
between the machines, with an ad'
vance guard and flank guards. Is II
! to be a regular attack! Come down
below. blares q trumpet. It's the sig
nal for everybody to clear out OF the
streets and take aviation cover
Thastrumpet signalebecomes more
imperative. In = twinkling the streets
are clear. and It Is high time, for al
ready there is a rafting on roofs and
pavements Shrapnel bullets are com.
ing down. And now-and l shall new
or forget ia fearful, horrible crash.
or rather roar, like the roar OF an anil
NAL Those fellows in the air have
dropped their first bomb. begin to
think that my room Immediately un-
der the roof is not altogether q suita'
Bile place in such circumstances. On
the stairs I meet others Of the same
opinion. They are officers who had
come nrom the front and had just lain
down for long, unaccustomed but
Well-earned. aleep. and were cursing
freely. At this inconsiderate disturb
ance. As We 60 down the stairs the
beast rOarS q second time. The next
bomb had fallen. Then we hear, In
the voice of command: Take avia-
ton cover The group breaks up.
stand for . moment irrecolute. don't
know the ground. Then young cap.
tain laushingly takes my arm. saying:
Come with me, doctor; it's no bravery
to wait till q thing like that falls on
your head
And so we go down narrow stair.
case. leading into little corner OF the
cellars under the house which, as
now ind, Is built on very ancient
foundation of extensive vaults. Under
q massive stone arch we have com.
Portable room. the captain who took
my arm, . first lieutenant, star sur.
geon. two landsturm men. q college
professor and myself. There is even
an electric light.
The racket and din outside gets
worse and worse. Clearly we can, per.
.oeive that the hideous row comes
nearer and nearer. And now 1t 10
quite close. Then a fearful bang and
roar. There must have been an ex.
plosion quite close to me: The house
and even the massive cellar arches
tremble. It Is Just as in a wild thun.
derstorm, when the thunder follows
close at the lightning's heels one feels
certain that struck something quite
close. and one feels just as defense.
less against such an aviation attack
% one il against the power of q thun.
derstorm :.
Bang! This time still wilder and
nearer. Through the cranntes Of the
cellar there drifts in from the street
1omething misty. At first one can't
tell whether 1t is smoke or dust. II
! It q smoke from q confagration close
at hand, the position is not exactly q
pleasant one. The problem becomes
the more predetermined owing to the
electric light going ou'. The wire
must have been hit. But 20 We
49,. +