Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-21
PASSENGERS ARRIVING At new
YORK ON STR 0RDUNA NARRATE
STORY OF AIR RAID ON LONDON
Zeppelin Spotted by Glare of earchghs and Sheed from
and British Acknowledgements Tactics Destruction
Brings British Wrath and Not Fear-Result to Swell List of
British Recruits

New York, Sept. pa handful Of
persons from the millions who saw
the first Zeppelin raid over the heart
of London, on the night of Sept, s.
reached New York today aboard the
steamship Orduna. with thrilling
stories of the fight in the sky between
the invaders and British aircraft. and
other details of the damage inflicted
which had hitherto been suppressed
by the censor.
Devastation Caused
There were said to be three Zeppe-
Inns in the fleet, although those who
told the story today had seen but one.
They circled over the theater and ho-
tel district of London, dropping ex-
| plosive and incendiary bombs One
of the latter, it was said, caused the
destruction of an entire block of
warehouses within five minutes walk
of St Paul's church. An explosive
bomb ripped through a six-story tene-
nent house in the center of the city
shattering the building from top to
bottom, and killing a dozen or more
mer. women and children as they
slept
Several bombs. according to the eye
witness, fell near three hospitals in a
cluster, the central one of which was
the Ophthalmic hospital full of wound
ed soldiers. All three buildings were
rocked to their foundations and not a
pane of glass was left intact
| Pieced together from accounts Civ
| en- by the Ordunas passengers, the
story of the air raid was as follows:
| Seepers Awakened
The raid occurred between 10.45 and
Ills o'clock on the night of Sept. s.
Persons asleep in the Metropole, the
Victoria and other hotels in the cen
| ter of the city, were awakened by the
whirr of aeroplane engines as the
| British air fleet took wing to repel the
invaders. Just as the Zeppelns APP
peared over the Strand most of the
theaters were pouring their crowds
! into the street. There, according to
I, some passengers, panic impended.
With the first word of the approaching
air craft the lights were turned off.
and there was A hurrying for vehicles
to take the people to their homes.
| Located oy SearchlightS
Suddenly from every section Of Lon
/ don the sky was swept by long, white
beams from scores of searchlights. 1t
was not long before two lights rested
upon a Zeppelin. while the others con-
tinued to search the sky for more air
craft Aeroplanes could be seen fire.
quently as they crossed the search
light beams, circling upward The
roar of guns from the city was pune
tured at intervals by the explosions Of
bombs which fell in Newgate street,
not far from ST. Paul's Cathedral in
Holborn, in Cheapside, in Bloomfield
street and near the Thames water
front.
"A Great Fat Sausage"
The Zeppelin seemed to float lazily
above US" said Miss \. E. Tathem of
Sidney, Australia, who was staying at
the Victoria Hotel near Charing
Cross. 1T reminded me of nothing so
much as greet, fat sausage"
My wife and I watched the Zeppe-
lin from a balcony of our hotel the
Metropole" (Which is near the Ma
tional Gallery and the Strand) said
Alexander McNab of Bridgeport, CT