New-York tribune., 1915-02-22
Several Missiles Hit the
Ground Close to Col
chester, Essex.
ABOUT FIFTY MILES
FROM THE CAPITAL
Houses Damaged, but No One
Hurt-Ceiling Falls Where
Babe Is Sleeping.
lBy Gable 10 The Tribune. J

London. Feb. 22.--An aircraft. pre-
sumably German, dropped two bombs
last night near Braintree, in Essex.
One fell in field TO the southwest of
the town and the other on the oppo-
site side of the town. There were no eX-
plosfons, and an examination of the
bombs led to the conclusion that they
we're incendiary machines. The only
damage they did was to make holes
about foot deep where they fell.
One story of the fight was told by
a man who, though unable to see the
craft in the darkness, was close enough
to hear the noise Of the engine. He
said:
at was Just about $40 when heard
the whirring Of a motor engine above
me. was at some little distance from
the outskirts of the town. Recogniz-
ing the noise as that of an aerial en-
gine. looked up in the direction from
which the noise reached me. The
night. however, was so dark that, al
though the craft was flying low and
must have been near me, ] could not
distinguish anything.
when the air vessel passed above
me, it appeared as though the pilot
were steering right across the town.
Il was learned that the airship came
from the direction of London, and, af-
ter passing over Braintree, went IN the
direction of Colchester.
There is no doubt that the objective
was the artillery barracks, which was
only about 200 or 300 yards away from
the spot where one of the missiles
landed.
The working Of the motor was first
heard at $3.50 about half mile out
of town. Later in the evening searcn
was made for the bombs, and when
they were found they were seen TO De
about eighteen inches in length, WIN
Il diameter OF eight inches at one end
and thin at the other. A thin tube ran
through the whole mechanism IN each
case.
A dispatch from Clacton-on-Sea says
that about 9 y. m. an aeroplane passed
over the coastgusrd station, coming
from the direction Of the land. IL
made out 10 sea. Il was not seen. but
/. was heard. No bombs were dropped.
CBy The Associated Press.l
London, Feb. ga Braintree dis
match TO the Press Association says
that at about $3.50 o'clock p. m. hos
tile aeroplane dropped missiles, sup
posed to be incendisry bombs, IN the
feIds close TO Braintree, Essex. They
did no damage.
At $40 an aeroplane passed over
Colchester. which lies about nifty miles
northeast of London. IL dropped
bomb. which buried itself IN q gar
den. where il exploded, doing damage
10 the rear Of house and smashing
the windows of other houses. NO one
was hurt.
The aeroplane, said 10 be German
also dropped bombs at Marks ley, SIX
and a half miles west OF Colchester,
and near Coggeshsll, but no serious
damage resulted. The machine was
Lost renorted as making off 10 sea.
bombs dropped by the aeroplsne tore
holes in the ground several feet IN
diameter. The occupants Of house
40 Colchester had a narrow escape from
iniury. Quartermaster Sergeant Rao-
iobn of the Hussars, who occupied
house on the Butts Road, said ne was
sittinc with his wife at dinner when
a loud explosion was heard. and shrap-
mel and bullets few in the sitting room,
striking pictures and furniture.
Neither he nor his wife was hit.
Thev rushed upstairs, where their baby
a,as sleeping. and found the child in
;,s crib uniniured. although part OF
,ba bedroom ceiling had fallen as a
sasuIt of the concussion. The contents
~ the kitcnen in the Rabjohn house
were wrecked and the outbuildings
smashed. The windows in adjoining
houses were broken.