The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-03

"uGlc Julius 1Sll tllS udICA1d1 0oA4
age was relatively slight. In fact,
the material damage caused in Lon
don by this raid was much less than
was caused by the raid Of September,
when the fire in Wood Street, which
burned down Ryland's storehouse
and several other establishments
chiefly given over to manufacture and
storage of dry goods, made a heavy
total of pecuniary damage.
Several of the outskirts like Croy-
don, to the south, and Guildord, to
the west, were bombed. Six lives lost
and about twenty injured was the toll
of the Zeppelin raid on Croydon. A
great deal of damage was done to
property, but in every case 1t was
private house and no building which
was in any way connected with the
national or local government was
touched. In the. majority of cases
also the sufferers belonged to the
working classes.
Hitherto Croydon has been consid-
cred by it's inhabitants to be on the
verge only OF the district threatened
by aircraft, and the first appearance
Of Zeppelin just after 9 o'clock
caused the greatest surprise and SEN
sation in the town.
"The reports of distant anti-alr-
craft guns was the first notification
received Of the wact that raid was
taking place, and not m0ny minutes
after Zeppelin was seen flying from
the direction Of London. 1t was fly
ing at a very great altitude, and, af-
ter passing over Selhurst railway sta
ton, returned in the neighborhood of
Croydon, but as it disappeared in the
distance the flash of falling projec-
tiles was clearly seen.
"Soon after II O'Clock all was
quiet, and the people who thronged
| the streets were beginning to dis
perse, in the belief that the incident
was over, when second Zeppelin ap-
peared with startling suddenness
from the south only a few minutes
after the authorities had been mott
fed that one was. expected 1t came
in sight, steering along the London
and Brighton railway, and its pres
ence was first made known to the
general public by the dropping OF
bombs. Obviously the railway was
it's objective.
"The sky was cloudless, but so
high was the aircraft that only the
keenest eyes could discern it, unaid-
ed as they were by any searchlights.
There were, in fact, no searchlights
or anti-aircraft guns In the district.
E.The engines Of the machine were,
however, distinctly heard.
"The remarkable feature Of the at
-. x- -
great speed of the Zeppelin, was the
extraordinary rapidity with which
the bombs were dropped over an area
which extended well over mile. The
first report was heard at 11.20 p. M,
and it was we'll under minute that
the eighth and last, bomb was drop
ped. They were dropped in almost a
straight line, and the sound was as OF
a battery of heavy guns fired off IL
regularly. Less than sixty seconds
served for an attack which spread
death and disaster over continuous
line which crossed the railway dag
onally, to form as it were the second
line OF the letter. The speed of the
Zeppesins was roughly estimated at
\ fifty or sixty miles an hour.
'The first bomb wrecked two
houses in Eldridge Road and the next
practically demolished another in
| Beechurst Road. Several people were
;. injured in Eldridge Road, and in the
house in Beechurst Road two children
were killed. Beechurst Road is close
to. the railway, and considerable
amount of debris was hurled on to
the line, although no obstruction was
caused.
Three bombs we're then. dropped
in the Oval Road district, where a
tremendous amount Of damage was
! done. The worst sufferers were a
row of small houses, which received
a double shattering in the sense that
they were first devastated by bomb
which fell in the street and then by
! another which fell Immediately in the
rear of the road. AS the result a
dozen houses have been rendered ab'
solutely uninhabitable. The bomb
which fell in the street wrecked the
gas main, and huge sheets of flame
lighted up the whole neighborhood
The brickwork cracked from ground
to roof-every window and door
blown out. Furniture was smashed,
) ceilings were brought down, and
every roof was stripped Of states and
> tiling.
MANY of the occupants were pin
ned down by debris and were rescued
with difficulty, but only two were
killed, an elderly lady, who was kill
ed outright, and young man, who
subsequently died in the hospital. A
lad had his arm severed at the
shoulder, but is progressing satisfac-
torily. One man who was in the act
of opening his door as the explosion
occurred was carried through the
house on the shattered door and
landed half way up the stairs. He is
badly bruised, but is recovering IN
the hospital.
"The next bomb dropped in the
playground of the Oval Road Council
4 school and caused so much damage to
the school that it had to be closed.
Another fell in the vicinity Of the
Leslet Arms public house in lower
Addiscombe Road and wrecked the
house of Dr. Thompson and the front
of the public house. A house was
damaged severely in Lesley Park
Road, and the final bomb demolished
two houses in Stretton Road, where
two persons were killed.
"a curious fact is that quite re-
Gently the Board of Guardians refus-
ed by vote of two to one to insure
their property against such events.
It was stated that very few private
people we're insuring, and one mem
Der delivered a speech which attract
ed some notice, in which he declared
that he did not think the Germans
we're so bad IS to come to Croydon
and iniure paupers.
"One Zeppelin evidently took a
shot at Woolwich Arsenal, in the
neighborlood Of which three bombs
were dropped. 1t is believed. how
ever, b. those who have studied the
route indicated by the various places
at which bombs fell that the German
aeronaGt had no clear idea as to
where he was, and that the bombs
which fell near Woolwich were mere
" Part CT a plan of indiscriminate
boinb-dropping. 1t is argued that had
he been aware of ths fact that he was
1at Nff