The Benson signal., 1916-10-14
Sees Zeppelin Fall.

/ IOCuSSeU ny several powerful ScdA
| lights. 1t appeared to be at great
height, but it seemed that it must be
hit at any moment, so splendid was
the craftsmanship of our gunners.
Presently the Zeppelin disappeared in
the low-lying clouds, and while the
searchlights continued to play on the
| spot where the Zeppelin had been
focused a glow spread over the sky
and gradually extended and increased
in it's intensity until the whole heav-
ems were Illuminated.
"In the center of this magnificent
glow was huge flame, which soon
became larger and larger. 1t was
| quickly apparent that the Zeppelin
was we'll aflame. The airship tilted
at an angle of some 80 degrees, and
in a few seconds the conf1agration ex-
! tended the full length of the airship.
Almost as suddenly the huge blaze
subsided into a dull red glow, and the
spectacle was at an end.''
| Yet another spectator saw it thus:
'"The air was full of the reports OF
anti-aircraft guns and falling bombs.
Suddenly a great blaze of light ap-
peared in the sky at an altitude of
/ many thousands of feet. A great col
umn of flame shot up, and great
cloud OF smoke could be seen rolling
above the fire. The flames shot up
hundreds of feet
"As the raider slowly fell to the
earth it's appearance suggested huge
fiery parachute. The blazing mass
gathered speed as it fell while the
flames alternately expanded and con-
tracted. By the time the airship was
within a thousand feet of the ground
all the gas had apparently left the
bag, and only the solid framework
and the gondolas containing the
wrecked engines and the scorched
and lifeless bodies of the crew reached
the ground"
Centered in Light Ball.
Another watcher on hill north Of
London thus describes the plight of
the Zeppelin before it was hit:
"When the guns opened fire the Zep-
pelin had already been centered in the
ball of light created by the myriad
arms of pale lights which shot up sud-
denly from the darkness of the city.
The Zeppelin was at a great height
so great, indeed, that it seemed just
like a bar of polished steel, about
the thickness of an engine piston rod,
and there it remained, apparently mo-
tionless and undecided which way to
go, while the guns peppered it without
cessation.
"Shells burst around it, in front and
behind it, above and below it. It
made to turn as if in the direction Of
the coast, but a shell burst OminOusly
near it's nose and caused it to swing
round in the opposite direction. Its
tail dipped and it made to ascend still
higher, when a shell burst directly
over it. Another descent was neces-
sary and three shells burst stimuli
taneously below it,
Behind it and in front of it two
shells burst at the same time. The
Zeppelin wriggled like some leviathan
in the coils. 1t seemed impossible for
it to go north, south, east or west, and
there it stood for a. second or two,
helpless to move, with the shells
bursting all around it,"
AeropIanes in Pursuit.
One who witnessed the end from
country lane on the northern outskirts
of London at distance of eight or
nine miles heard the Zeppelin pass
over first and then aeroplanes in pur-
suit He said:
eff there was no explosion from
bombs the lack Of noise from this
source was made up by the whir Of
aeroplanes in pursuit. They took up
the chase through the white fog. The
Zeppelin flew off and darkness once
more reigned.
'"Then the country became as light
as day and a glow of red Illuminated
/ everything. For a few moments the
| flame was so intense that it was easy
to read the print of newspapers, and
the objects in the thick fog were mag
nified two or three times their usual
size. 1t was a fantastic scene. A
roar followed and darkness again fell.
A moment later the whole scene was
again enacted and then the country
side was once more swallowed up in
darkness"
A flying officer said the destroyed
Zeppelin appeared to him to be larger
and longer than the usual type al
though he was not in position to say
that it was a super-Zeppelin.
The second Zeppelin, slightly dam
aged, came down near the coast. The
crew of % was take n prisoner. The
machine has been removed to an east
coast arsenal.
Reports given out by the official
press bureau stated that 80 persons
had been killed during the raid and
about 100 injured. The property DAM
age amounted to about 81 .)OO ,tD.
Hunting Crows; Hurt Himself.
| MiddletOWn. N. Y.-GeOrge Nei1I. q