The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-25
ZEPPELIN BROUGHT DOWN IN TERRIFIC BATTLE IN CLOUDS
Raider Takes Fire When Hit and Cargo of Incendiary
 Bombs Explodes.

Paris, Feb. 24-An eye witness of the destruction of the Zeppelin L-77 by French gunnerst on Revigney, thus describes the exploit: The Zeppelins were signalled at 1O:25 o'clock at night by an artillery officer in listening post in the first line trenches. of the Argonne. The weather was clear and moderate. The officer could not see the airships but he heard the noise of their engines and telephonedI to the battery. base whence the news was forwarded to the army corps headquarters.
 ..AII the batteries of the district were at once on the lookout and within five minutes searchlights were searching the heavens in all direc- tions.
 'sThe zeppeIins were first sighted by an officers commanding a battery of 75 millimetre guns. The nearest was then about two miles off, flying at an altitude Of about 5000 feet and rising rapidly. The second Zeppelin was some three miles behind the first The officer was unable to get the elevation necessary to hit the airship but he managed to bear upon it. From that moment until it was destroyed the first dirigibIe was never lost to view. lAs it was moving against the wind it's progress was relatively slow
 AS soon as Lh6 warning TSacneO Revigney five automobiles, with searchhghts and with special anti aircraft guns manned by naval gum ners, started in pursuit. These guns throw a shell which is expressly de- signed to explode on contact with the aluminium painted covering of the Zeppelins and to burst into flames along the road the officer tapding in the back of the car gives the range and directs the fire of the gun by the crew which work the gun lying on the flat of their backs.
 t.The guns on the moving automo- biIess opened fire as soon as they came within range. A shell burst just be- hind the Zeppelin, throwing it into strong relief and immediately the gunners seized their opportunity. An other shell passed over the dirigfbIe, but the next, of the in1an1mable type, hit the mark squarely about 25 feet from the stern There was a men as the shell appeared to go through the body of the machine and appear on the right side of the framework, which it set afire. Al few seconds later two other shells went through the rear of the car. badly damaging the. storing and ele- vating machines
 .sFor an instant nothing seemed to happen and then a thin red line crept along the side of the airship which shone with a bright ruddy glow as the flames spread and moved upwards. No explosion was heard as the Zeppelin began to fall The great mass, now blazing more and more herceIy, descended slowly, while burning fragments of the cover float 1 ed away on the wind and all the on lockers expressed surprise that the l airship took so long to come down.
 .sThe cargo of bombs, which there | is reason to believe were to have beent dropped on the inhabitants of Paris, | exploded with terrific roar as the | Zeppelin struck the ground. Frag- | ments of it's car were hurled over D. 900 feet away and the remainder of | the huge framework collapsed in a heap, the fire continuing to burn for several hours
 The second Zeppelin, which had | witnessed the disaster to it's compan- ion. turned tail and hurried back to the German lines.
 f'It is believed that the Zeppe1ins belonged to the Crown Princes army. The commanders had hoped to steal across the French lines unobserved, all lights having been, extinguish ed, to the speed which is so essential | to the success of an undertaking of the kind and gave the defense time | to bring up it's guns
 The, gun crew which fired the shot that proved fatal to the Zepp peltn fill receive prizes amounting to 15.- O0Os francs, 10000 francs being awarded by g. leading Paris newspa- per and 5000 by Marquis Ornano. Cheeks for these sums have already been sent to the minister of war for distribution.