Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-08-05
AMERICAN SEES
ATTACK FROM AIR
ON OLD VENICE
Eye Witness Describes Bombard-
ment Of Ancient City by
Austrian AeropIanes.
DAMAGE WAS NOT EXTENSIVE
Drop Bombs and Steel Arrows-One
of the Machines Wrecked and the
Pilots Legs sroken-officer
Captured and Shot

New York.-An American traveller
who has Just returned to New York
and who CHANGED to be in Venice at
the time of the declaration of war by
Italy upon Austria, tells the following
story of happenings which he wit
messed.
Some time before the actual declara-
ton Of war 1t was very evident that
the event was imminent. The authori-
ties were busy preparing in every pos
sible way to safeguard treasures Of
art. The wonderful Quadriga over the
great central door of St. Marks was
taken down and carried away to some
place Of safety on the mainland. The
whole facade of the church under
vent a great change. being entirely
covered by scaffolding, braces and
sand bags, the latter piled 80 feet high.
The Doges' palace was similarly treat
ed and in addition each of the hundred
arches which hold up the famous bal
cony received the support Of a pylon
Of brick. six feet square.
OpJcCtS OF ATT Removed.
All movable objects of art, paint
ings, sculptures and SO forth were re-
moved from the museums and
churches and taken away to some city
in the south.
On the Campanile, the highest struc-
ture in the city. on the roof Of the
Dogma, and on the tops of many of
the highest palaces. platforms were
erected on which antiaircraft guns of
the latest designs were stationed. The
Campanile, in addition to the guns,
had a specially constructed bomb.
throwing mortar. This elects huge II.
Eliminating bombs a thousand yards in.
to the air, where they burst and float
for a quarter of an hour or more,
lighting up the surroundings with a
magnesium glare of tremendous in.
tensity.
Lights we're ordered out at eight
o'clock in the evening and the streets
cleared Of every living soul at nine.
Warning OF the approach of hostile air.
craft was to be given by the screech.
ing Of the huge siren at the govern.
ment arsenal.
Foreigners Required to Report.
Immediately on the declaration OF
war, all foreigners residing in Venice
as In all other cities Of Italy-were
required to report to the police. II
their passports were in order they re.
ceived formal permission to remain.
/ was warned to be careful on the
streets, for the populace was obsessed
with the spy craze and several limo.
cent foreigners had been attacked and
beaten. Stories Of spies caught giving
poisoned candy to children on the
streets and Of German and Austrian
women who had remained in the city
ready to signal the hostile aircraft had
added to the excitement and the once
peaceful Venetians had completely
lost their heads.
Scarcely had war begun before Il
was my fortune to witness a truly
thrilling night attack by Austrian aero
planes. l was out on the Grand canal
in a gondola with some American
friends when we noticed a sudden &C.
tivity in the watch towers. Men were
shouting from one to another. We
suspected something unusual was
about to occur and Immediately head
ed back for our hotel.
Arsenal Siren sereeehed.
Scarcely had we arrived there when
the unearthly screech of the arsenal
siren verified our suspicious. An all
attack was about to take place. AS
the shrek of the siren gradually died
away thu buzz of an a%eroplane engine