The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-04
ZEPPELIN BOMB SINKS VESSEL;
 IA ARE KILLED
British Collier First Ship to Be Destroyed By Aerial
 Attack. DISABLED ZEPPELIN
 IS SIGHTED IN SEA Crew CIinging to Sides of Air craft Are Rufused
 ASSiStance.

London, Feb 4.-For the first time in the history of warfare, a steam ship has been sunk from the air. It has been definitely ascertained that the British collier Franziska Fischer of 1.4t4 tons gross register was sent to the bottom of the North Sea on Tuesday night by a bomb dropped from Zeppelin, and 1 3 of her crew of 16 killed.
 That the aerial warfare has not been altogether, one-sfded, however, is shown by despatches from Grirns- by indicating that at least one Zep- pelin has been lost: TraWlers ar irving there report sighting Zeppe- lin half subm erged in tho icy seas, with the crew clinging to her sides, far out from shore. They did not dare to go to her assistance. because but came in and reported to the na- val authorities.
 Sank Former German Ship
 The Franzisla Fischer, small Ger man craft built in 1900, captured at the beginning of the war and taken into the British service, left Hartle- pool Monday afternoon. According to the statement of Charles Hillier, seanan,-one of the three survivors of her crew she anch ored offshore, prob ably because of the fog. on Tueday at nightfa1l.
 The little steamer was riding conn fortaD1y and unsuspiciously, with her anchor lights showing, when, about 11:30 the man on watch heard a strange wI1irrings sdroning noise over head. The noise becameeso loud that the men below were awakened, and came running on deck to find out what it was Presently they made out the huge, dim gray shape of Zeppelin, manoeuvring deliberately overhead.
 As. they stood about the decks, star ing upward at the sinister apparition, a huge bomb struck the steamer just over the engine room hatch, with tremendous explosion, almost tearing the ship in two.
 All Go Down With Vessel.
 'tShe remained af1oat no more than two minutes said E1illier. s"There was no time to launch 1ifeboats. We all went under with the ship. When I came up again caught hold of a nfe-belt which was floating near by. After swimming about for some time, I came across Chief Engineer Buch and the steward, Taylor, who also had got hold of Iifelbelts.
 'sIt was pitifu1 to hear the cries of our shipmates in the water around us but we could not see any of them. nor give them any assistance, being too busy trying to keep our own heads above water Little by little their cries ceased.
 we managed to keep afloat for lbout an hour, and when almost ex- hausted, were picked up by a Belgian steamer, which turned us over to a mine-sweepers and she brought us ashore.''
 Regarding the fate of what is be- Heved to be the raiders of Monday night, despatches from Grin1sby give the fstory of William Martin, master of the trawler King Stephen, which arrived at that port today.
 Early Wednesday morning, Martin states, he and his men sighted the Zeppelin L-19-the name plainly showing on her sfde-adrift in the North Sea- Several of her conpart- nents were punctured, her gondolas and part of the balloon itself were su bn1 erged, and perhaps a score of buIging sides of the portion which was still above water.
 Beg for Assistance
 One of the officers who spoke Eng fish called to the trawIer and begged for assistance, but as the Germans plainly outnumb bered the crew of the King Stephen Martin did not dare run alongside fer fear that he and his men would at once be overpowered and taken prisoners. He turned and made straight for him to inform the naval authorities.
 A despatch from Hull eorroborates this story, as the master of 8 French vessel arriving there today reports Zeppelin in the North Sea yesterday morning.
 GN CROSS LECTURES