Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-06-10
20 MEN KILLED
Entire Crew of Airship Perishes,
AS Well AS Several Occupants
of Orphanage upon Which
Blazing Ruins of Big Airship
Fell.

London, June For the first time on
record a Zeppelin in the air has been de-
stroyed by an aviator in an aeroplane.
Reginald A. J. Warneford q young Can
adian sub-lieutenant in the royal navy,
who mastered aeroplaning only this sum-
mer has performed the feat. and to-
night is somewhere within the British
lines, while the Zeppelin lies in ruins
sprawed on the roof and ground of an
orphanage near Client.
Falling there blazing mass. after
being struck by the young aviators
bombs. it's crew of IS men were killed.
as were also several occupants of the
orphanage buildings.
The theory is advanced that this Yep
pelin was the craft which raided the
east coast of England last night, for the
fact that it was in the air over Belgium,
between Client and Brussels. at three
o clock in the morning leads to the be-
lief that it was returning from an ex-
petition. not starting. Dawn breaks early
these days and the Zeppelin could be
sighted far off and it is presumed that
the craft was headed for her home hangar
when Warneford came winging swiftly
under the gray skies.
! The Zeppelin, flying comparatively low,
began to mount at once, but the British
airship was speedier and climbed Into the
mir in long spirals reaching a position at
length over the Germans vast bulk. From
this point of vantage Warneford pierced
the Zeppeln's shell repeatedly with his
incendiary bombs.
MORE THAN A MILE UP.
Without parallel in this war or in any
other is the story which the young aviator
will have to relate, for details Of the
| tight have not yet been told. First came
the long pursuit. for, according to the adj
miralty report, the aeroplane was 6,op
feet up. To reach this altitude would re-
quire nearly 20 minutes and the Zeppelin
meantime. could drive forward approx
matey 70 miles
Then followed the manoeuvring for po-
stion, and finally the dropping Of the
bombs. from which the dlrgible tried
vainly to escape Minor explosions oc-
cured, and. at last, one of terrific force
and the Zeppelin burst into flames.
At that moment Warneford must have
been at close range over the dirigible,
for almost simultaneously with the out
burst his machine turned completely over,
and for a moment he hung head down
with his monoplane. all control of which
had been lost, pitching and tossing in the
swift currents of air which rushed up
to fill the vacuum created.
ALIGHTED UNHURT.
! Then. by a desperate effort. Warne
ford righted his machine far above the
earth and planed to landing behind
the German lines. He aighted unhurt
get his propeller going again and flew
off to the west
Whether the Zeppen's machine gun:
ar rifles We're turned on the aviator Is
not disclosed, but in order to attain sucf
an advantageous position the British
lieutenant must have handled his ma
chine skillfully. for this is an extremely
difficult feat Although the target thu
Zeppelin presents is extensive II can b'
lifted by its own buoyancy to a grea
height. while the pursuing aeroplane ha
to rise in spirals by the power of it.
engine alone,
AS the fight in mid air occurred owe
that part of Belgium held by thu
Germans. hopes are raised in Londor
that the Gc"mans will he forced t,
, move their Zeppelin bases eastward
thus making raids on England NOR,
hazardous
Some of the reports say that tn
non comhatant victims We're tw
nuns and two orphans, and that othe
persons were injured. A Reuter- des
patch received tonight says TIVE
nurses and two children were kille'
and many others injured. All Yer
sions agree that the Zeppelin crev
persisted. and this seems certain as tn
great craft was struck while NOR
, than a mile in the air and must hav
been roaring torch before it strucl
the earth