The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-10-17
ACCUSTOMED TO
ZEPPELIN RAIDS
LOndoners Sleep Through
Them Unless the Big
Ships Come Close
LIGHTS ABANDONED
IN SOME SECTIONS
Many Accidents When Restrictions
First Went into Effect, but These
Have Gradually Decreased - Humor-
GUS Stories Follow Raid Nights


LONDON, Oct. 17.-Rccent successes
against Zeppelin raiders have b. no
means convinced the authorities that
Germany win abandon them in the
near future. On the contrary London
is still preparing for the long, dark
nights growing DINNER and DINNER,
while some of the suburbs, which re-
Gently have caught most of the falling
bombs, have abandoned street light
ing altogethe-- -. .
lysy,In lieu of lights the authorities. have
adopted the policy of painting all street
distractions white. This applies to the
safety isles in the city street, letter
boxes, street bins, fire alarms, ambr
lance posts, etc. In some sections
traffic is guided in the dark by white
lines painted along the curbs.
When the lighting restrictions first
went into effect there were hundreds
of street accidents, but these have
/ gradually decreased until the number
is no longer alarming. Streets of the
/ West End-Piccadillv the Strand, Ira
/ falgar Square-all are crowded nightly
/ with promenaders and theater crowds.
! /
sidewalks in the best of good hunor.
4 There is seldom any disorder and the
petty criminals of the past either have
\ been transformed into first class fight
4 ing men or ctfeetually ''put away Of
course a Tommy will sometimes take
advantage of the dark to kiss his
I sweetheart. and generally all the sol
Jiers have their arms securely about
! their best girl : waist as they stroll
along the footways. The Bishop of
1 London has denounced this promiscu-
Gus public love-making as all wrong,
but the Tommies DON appear to have
read the bishop 5 sermon and no one
else has the heart to stop him.
In that section Of London known as
| the city - the home of finance and
wholesale trade-the nights are par
ticularly dark. AMI mystic. Along to
4 ward midnight about the only moving
object is policeman. In their night
blue uniforms and black helmets the
hobbies appear almost sepulehral
They lurk in dark alcoves as a rule and
the pedestrian often is startled tC
find himself face to face with 81
lent guardian of the law whose pres
cnce was not the least suspected.
The further dimming of the city
lights since autumn began has un
doubtcdly bailled the Zeppelin pilots
On the raid of September %, they were
successful, however, in following Ger
tain thoroughfares in the outlying dis
tricts upon which trolley ears wer,
running. These ears were darkened, OF
course. but the suggestion has beel
| ba flo l.
served as a guide.
"Raid nights always are followed
by many humorous stories. 4 COCO
old-fashioned American poker game
was in progress in q West End clul
during the last raid. One of the clul
attendants came into the card room
and announced that the "Zepps hav,
come, gentlemen.
Il thought l heard the guns going
, five minutes or 50 ago, y remarked ont
of the English players.
"'Why didn YOU say something
about it?' asked a somewhat excited
American.
Gwen, why should T." retorted tn,
Englishman, 81 We been winning RICH
along, haven t I?' p
'Fhe story is recalled of sone of thu
carrier raids when q ditle Tnessenge1
boy on a bicycle was pedalling along
toward the cable Office when he looked
around and saw big Zeppelin APP
parently right behind him. The pluck,
little fellow put on more steam, bu
when he looked around the second
time the Zepp was still there and i
anything was gaining on him. II,
spurted forward then with all tn,
might in his slim little legs, but tn,
hum of the airship' S motors grew loud
er and louder in his ears.
Then a great thought struck TIN
boy. He hoped off his wheel, blew on
the light, and at the very first turnin:
darted down darkened side street r,
his great relief the Zepp gave up it
terrifying personal pursuit and KEEP
straight to its course over the mail
highway. Triumphantly the messenge
delivered his dispatches and his hair
raising story Of escape at the cabl
station.
L The raids This Autumn ara who'll