The Washington herald., 1916-04-16
CITY ATTACKED
WITH BOMBS BY
ENEMY AERO
300 Missiles Dropped on
Capitol, White House and
Residences.
SHOWS EASE OF RAID
Searchlights From Barracks,
Make Vain Efforts to Lo-
cate Airman.
Washington was attacked BY an

Washington was attacked by an
aerial raid last night.
Creeping almost silently up from the
mist which overspread the river an
enemy airship SCARED over the city
and dropped 500 dynamite" hiled
bombs on the Capitol. white House
and in the residential sections of
washington
As the throngs OF people stresmed
over the streets and avenues to the
playhouses. motion picture houses and
parks of Washington about 8 o'clock
they heard the drone Of the rapidly
revolving sirship propeller,
Not a sign of a moving object could
be seen. Suddenly an explosion was
heard Another and another followed.
The people stood still, startled. puz-
zled and seeing visions of a German
raid like those which recently have
cost the lives Of hundreds OF peopls
in London.
Explosion after explosion occurred
hrst in one part OF the city and then
IN another in rapid succession
Aviator Battles searchlishts.
Operators of the big searchlights at
the washington Barracks made des-
perats efforts to locate the mysterious
bomb" thrower, but travelling at q
speed of eighty miles an hour the air
craft was far away before the light
following the explosion Of the bomb
could pick up the traih
Suddenly a flame of light like the
tail Of a giant skyrocket shot from
the tips OF wings OF the flying ma
chine, and then the course of the
attacking aviator" was plainly seen
He began .1ooplng-the-loop" over the
washington Monument Grounds and
the crowds made a rush for the white
Lot. Hardly had the big biplans
touched the ground when It was sur
rounded by a mob of the curious. Ths
pilot. De Lloyd Thompson. an aviator.
who recently broke the worlds pas
sengsr-carrying altitude record when
he mounted $4,000 feet into the air at
Los Angeles, explained the attack In
the following statement:
MY purpose in making tonight's raid"
was to accelerate sentiment for aerial
preparedness among members OF Con-
gress and Senate and the high officials
OF the country.
Until turned on the magnesium flares
prior to Iooplng-the-loop there was no
person who knew I was IN the sky. The
"bombs" were Of the kind used in fire.
works exhibitions. Had used real ex-
plosives OF the deadly order could have
blown the White House and Capitol on
the map.
Drops 800 ssExpIosIve'' Bombs.
IT dropped about 800 excelslor-filled
warning bombs over the residential and
business section of the city. confined the
explosives 10 the area over the water
next to the polo field so there was no
danger in case one or two failed to ex-
pIode in the sky. I few for twenty min
Ids and the only manner in which my
movements COULD be guessed was during
the time the fireworks was on and the
bombs dropping.
Aerial attack Is the only danger we
openly invite by total unpreparedness-
Not a single anti-aircraft gun Is in the
entire country. I am going to raid
twenty big cities in the United States
within the next eight weeks"
DeLIoyd Thompson made the attack"
on washington as demonstration to the
National Security League OF his ability
to successfully carry out tactics Of this
nature. The National Security officials
now are negotistiong with the aviator
to make similar attacks under con-
tract on twenty OF the most prominent
cities in the United States.