The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-13

.n'erWard It was carefully placed in
'"' Vi the motor lorries for removal.
Tells Of Finding Bodies.
A special constable CAV. :, ,hr;,,i,,
account of the tragedy.
when reached the spot" nc said,
inc Zeppelin-a mangled mass OF
rulns--Was still scnthiu. furnace
win tongues Of kissing flames licking
,he framework, and reducing it to
h'Aten metal. So fierce was the heat
that 1t was at first impossible to up-
proach to close quarters. Pals of wo-
Ter mad to be fetched from Il pond III n
neld some distance away to cool the
remains, and the work of extrica ting
the bodies was proceeded with.
THAT Of the commander of the Zep-
pelln was first discovered. His left
hand was still resting Oh the steer
Ing W heel, but his right hand had been
torn away.
CLOSE by, the charred remains Of
six other members of the crew were
win difficulty extricated from the wire
enlargement to which the skeleton
OF the fabric had been reduced. and
were taken to the clubhouse Of neigh
boring inn. Upon the hand of one
was found diamond ring.
-Four engines were taken from the
crumplcd airship, together with a
clock. which survived intact, the hands
stopping at ten inmates past three"
Saw the Raiders.
The arrival of the German raiders
over the suburbs OF London is related
rs follows by one who saw the de-
struction Of the airship from one Of
the heights of Cufley, where the raider
came to grief.
"Some time after midnight the ST.
lence was bitten into by the deep boom
Of guns. Occasionally the maze Of mist
was pierced by gun flashes. The boom
Of the guns found an answering echo
along the hills and valleys in the dis.
lance. For a time nothing could be
seen to justify the unwonted activity,
Gradually our ears caught the sound
Of dnll droning noise overhead. 1t
came nearer, getting louder and loud
er, until It reselnbled the roar Of q fast
train. ..
II swept the skies with my glasses.
The outline Of an airship was family
dlscernible crossing out of the mist
from east to west. 1t lowered about
for a while as though the crew were
trying to find their bearings. Sudden
ly it began to bear north. It sWerved
shortly and moved rapidly westward
again, turning later and making
for the south at high speed.
,..:Once more II, turned east until it.
came astride the main road to -,
when it bore steadily along parallel
with the road. u
searehliohts Shine Out.
meanwhile searchlights were played
east. west, north and south Of the road,
their range stretching far out like the
Of an octopus. So far the
raider had managed to evade the light.
Now, however, one ray fell full across
it's path. 1t lighted the airship up
making it look like mon
ster silver-scaled fish. Other rays were
and began to play on the
monster. The sky was now one blaze
Of revealing light in the vicinity.
"In vain did the Zeppelin move
about, hither and thither, seeking 4
way Of escape. Everywhere the raider
was pursued by those fatal rays. The
guns began to play around the alrsh'p.
Shells burst nll around. Some got very
close. The ,:alrship made q quick
maneuver as though to escape north
ward. The pitiless searchlight followed
and the raider was caught between two
powerful rays and lined against dark
bank of clouds.
.That was the beginning Of the end.
There was a gun flash, followed by a
roar. The raider was struck. Through
nv glasses l could plainly see it reel
and rock under the hit: Then it be.
gan to descend earthward, very slowly.
II could not now escape the rain OF
missiles. After the next hit the rear
part of the Zeppelin broke into flames.
".The ship then foundered about In
tle air as though it's crew had lost
control of 1t. It was now one mass
Of fame, looking like blazing house
suspended in midair. There was no
question of escape. It's descent quick.
ened, and finally it crashed to earth
less than a mile from the height on
which we had. watched.
Crew in Midst Of Flames.
"As 1t approached the ground the
figures Of the crew could be seen
wreathed about by flames. Two Of
Them either fell or jumped from the
airship when It. was about two hun.
lred feet above the ground. While. the
blazing raider was suspended helpless
N the air three loud explosions We're
heard in rapid succession. 1t was
after the last of these that the final
,arthward plunge was made. r..-.
1.-THE fight was watched by crowds
IN the, hillsides for miles around. As
-he monster took her final plunge,