East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-02-10
PEOPLE Of DUNEIRE
WATCH AERO FIGHTS
WITH MUCH INTEREST
DESPITE WARNINGS, RESIDENT.
WILL NOT FLEE TO PLACES
OF SAFETY.
As Result, German Bombs Take Toll
OF Lives Among Inquisitive Ones
Warnings are Given In Time BJ
Officials But No One In City Pays
Any Attention TO Them.

/ DUNKIRK, France, Jan. Z5.-NB IS
Mail 10 New York. )-Dunkirk is for
bidden ground and / am under arres
in hotel, as I write this.
Ny jaiIer has orders to take ms
down to the train at noon and star
me off for Calais. His name Is Theo'
dore Hoorens and Seattle Is his home
though he came over here for the wal
and was assigned to the secret SER
vice OF the French army. At this
blessed moment his wife is In Dead
wood, South Dakota. and Hooren'
wants her TO have a copy Of this story
addressed to her, in care Of general
delivery He's glad to be a jailer for
an American In fact, think
should have spent last night in Jail
where two English newspapermen are
languishing. had not Hoorens told the
chief Of the secret service that he
would vouch for my not running
away. But friendly as he is. Hoorens
has to escort me to the train and put
me on II.
Hoorens has his own troubles, too.
I'm worried about my father" said
Hoorens. He lives in Armentieres
and he's SO years old. The room of
the old home there was blown off by
German shell and he had to get
cut. He went to live with neighbors
and their house was unroofed and
so dad moved from there. to a cellar
in the house Of another friend. but ]
can't get him TO move from the town
He says he's lived there all his life
and that no Germans can drive him
out"
Last evening before the secret SER
vice men got me had a chance TO
look over this much be-bOmbed town.
In the last three weeks three sets of
funerals have passed through its
streets. Dunkirk burying its dead vic
tins Of German aeroplanes. Only this
morning seven caskets. bearing the
corpses of children who were killed
when a flock OF twenty-fonr German
flying machines passed over Dunkirk,
were carried through the streets in
hearses Count Won Lichtervelde Of
the Belgian war office. who saw the
funeral, told me it was the saddest
thing he had seen in all the war.
Dunkirk goes about its business as
usual, until nightfall. Then it closes
its shutters and stays indoors and at
9 O'Clock out goes every light in every
house and hotel.
MY citizens reads a public letter
which the mayor has posted through
out the town. you are brave. know,
but nevertheless. sensible. II is folly
to remain in the streets when the
German aeroplanes fly over our city
and l beg you to go to your cellars
at the first sound of the warning sig
nal from the toscin. II is brave TO
risk ones life when some benefit is
to be gained. but it is folly and not
bravery to put ones life in jeopardy
out of sheer thoughtlessness or bra
vado. Therefore, go to your cellars
when the alarm is first given"
The extraordinary thing about this
warning is that no one obeys it. The
other night. Dunkirk was shelled for
a fourth time. Eighty bombs were
dropped and there were five more
funerals. and the crowded hospitals
became more crowded, for there were
fifty-two more wounded to care for.
The good folk OF Dunkirk will not
go to their cellars. The sight is too
wonderful to miss At one time they
saw four French aeroplanes chase
seven German aeroplanes through the
sky and who would stay in a cellar
while q show like that was going on
The second time six German aero
planes hovered over the town and the
rushed to the street to
watch for another sky battle. Sure
enough six French and three English
planes rushed into the skies toward
The Germans who went away from
here almost Immediately And then |
, Sunday or two ago twenty German |
machines passed over Dunkirk in a |
;reat hurry. heading across the chan
lel toward England and eleven sight
GERS were killed including seven chill
ren. Then came the fourth raid.
How to get the folks ito lose inter
st in such daring affairs and rush
o their easements is a problem too
reat either for the mayor or the mill.
ary authorities. Thirty two thous-
nd civilians live in Dunkirk and you