New Britain herald., 1916-02-16
LONDON WAS READY FOR ZEPPELIN RAID
Prepared on Night Of Attack on
 English Counties
of The Associated PressJ

Correspondence of The Associated PressI
 London, Feb. 3-The night of the great Zeppelin raid on the midland counties found London ready and waiting as never before. Every one knew Zeppelins were expected This time 1t was no more rumor. Shortly after dark, the street car and bus service in the outlying districts of the eastern part of the city was sus- pended, and incoming trains were held up on certain lines. People in the coast towns telephoned to friends that the raiders had been seen.
 In London itself precautions as 10 the darkening of streets and buiId- ings were strictly enforced Motor trucks bearing anti-aircraft guns clat- tered through the streets with the unm1stakaple I racket of their type. The result was the theaters opened to smaller audiences, and people stood in the streets with their eyes open for the flash of lights and ears tuned fop the boom of guns or the sharper note of bombs
 Searchlights Sweep Sky
 Before the first great raid on the city searchlights were used to sweep the sky on the lookout but it wits decided that these shafts of light. touch1ngs up the distant clouds, acted as guide posts to the raiders. So now the searchlghts are not employed until it is known the zeppelins are at hand.
 There were two reasons for ex- pect1ng raid. In the first place the weather had been what is known To- cally as 'Zep Weather.''
 Both lower and upper air currents were nearly still with a drift from the northeast. The usual mist of fog and smoke collected in the Thames Valley, which grew rather thick for a day the time preceding the raid. Second the bombing of Paris, followed by an attempt the succeeding night made authorities and populace feel that London would not escape
 Sound of Guns Heard.
 On the evening of the great raid the sound of guns was heard distinct 1y in London from coastward This went to support the story that the invaders had been beaten off. The mass of London believed the raid had resulted in a fiasco until they read a brief statement in the morn ing papers about certain eastern and northern countries being visited by six or seven Zeppelins, without any considerable damage. From then on until six o'clock that evening they
 oo3e nI further communication. Then the names of the countries visited and the totals of killed and wounded were announced without any waste of words. With this report the papers had to content themselves for an other 24 hours.
 While waiting for the casualty statement the newspapers of the more sensational kind grew sarcastic. One afternoon paper following the English method of announcing the feature of each edition with placard in circus-bill type printed the word "OfficiaT' with a blank space under meath. Most of the papers attacked the reticence of the war office, while a great many distonted rumors were passed about among thefpeople. Btu these rumors soon cleared up.
 Germany Guessed Widely.
 People in the raided towns tele- graphed to friends and relatives such messages as Safe, don't worry,' and the like, which afforded clews. News also was received from travellers from the northern counties When the official German report was received every one drew the conclusion that the Germans had guessed widely. It is said that a low land fog prevented direct reckoning. As an airship, un- like sea craft, has nothing stable like water to measure it's progress against being unable to estimate the air currents while running, it would be easy to mistake one town for an- | other one a considerable distance away. It was because of the belief that exact data would be of use in case of another immediate raid that the war office confined it's account of the movements of the hostile fleet to counties.
 The recent Zeppelin raid on Paris, ] shortly preceding the attack on Lon don, shook public confidence, as the inop1unitV of be ENrnpob nita1