The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-16
How German Airplane Attack
ed Harvard Unit Described
by Red Gross Inspector
EMERGENCY. PLUCKILY
MET BY AMERICANS
Physicians Promptly Treated
lnjuredsoldiers and Citizens.
Wounded Nurse Remained
at Tack Through Night

wasstnrton. 0ep& lsr-Hcw Ger"
man airpAnas STACKED thu Harvard
university hospital unit in france
aronpsd bombs among the wounded
nnd nok man. 10 tod In message
r.c.,vad TODAY BY tbs Red Cross wa
co,notI from Major 0rayson M r.
Murphy, Red Cross commissioner an
EUROPE. The message was mace p"p
Tic By Henry r. Dawson omar maj LIE, es
tha Red Gross war council. ana sAFes
go dsts,,rA story OF the German at
tack. .nx,ac.
tcr who mas lust returned to mead
quarters in Paris" says Major Mur-
Dhy's cabiagram. has brought from
The Z. 6. army hospital unit OF mar
ward university detailed naFfatiNe
,f the bombing of that hospitai on
ssa nivh, OF September 4, and OF the
rra-acteristtc pluck and promptness
WITH which the emergency was met
Five bombs were thrown The e1-
r,,s,nnx instantly killed Lieutenant
William T. Fitxsimmons. OF the neai-
rai officers reserve CORPS. u. >. "a.
and three army privates, ana woln go
Lieutenant Clarence a McSTuiI -
Thsddeus D, Smith and Eea ". "hln-
xen. several prtyates. a woman hurSe
snd TWENTY-FIVE S, patients from the
gr;t,sh lines who were under treat
ment there for wounds already re-
reived =,
.sTh. aeroplans attacked AT II
O'Clock at night Just at thar time
fortunately no convey OF wounded was
being received or the list OF eaFusl-
res would hate been far greater, 49,
one of the bombs fell into the center
nf the large reception tent 70 ~hich
The wounded were irst borne Tor eS-
animation. Ten seconds sufftc~d for
the dropping of the herahs from the
first flying plane and within less 'hsn
a minute afterward the surgeons or
the hospital. were at the task OF cor
lectinS and attending TO those VINO
aaa been struck down.
The hospital which Is on the
French coast. has $500 beds under
canvas TN a quadrangle &as 1est
SONAR. n is in 3 district in which
there are many similar institutions
and IL unmistskahle as hospltat'
Al the time the German aviator few
over II most OF the surgical stan was
engaged In making the rounds of the
wards Lieutenant Fitzsim mons, how
ever. was standing at the door nap
Of his tent There had been brief
warning OF the presence OF the oomo-
Ing airpiane in the neigheorhooh De
cause d quarter of minute before,
tho sound OF exploding bombs was
heard from point 200 yards from
the hospital This warning suffic~d
10 cause all lights In the tents to be
rxtinguished Immediately. and those
who had been under Are threw them
selves face down upon the ground
Then came Ave explosions. in rapid
succession In the hospital itself
The first two were directly In front
of Lieutenant Fitzsimmons' tent. He
= L. nat ~ 81 4
to him. as his body was torn TO shreds.
The next two fell 100 feet beyond
in A ward In which there were many
patients ard the last struck tire re-
ception tent. Overhead there was no
sound The German aviator few too
high to be heard. but he left his
identity behind him not only in the
bombs he dropped. but in the derisive
handful OF pfennigs he scattered upon
the hospital as he whirled away. A
number Of these we're found when
IirYt came. Lieutenant Mcclure, who
was IN a tent adjoining that OF Lieu
tenant Fitzsirn m rs. was struck by|
three bomb grnsnts, hut was not
seriously wounded His escape was
narrow, ~ there were more than 100
holes cut in his tent, Lieutenant
Emith was struck in the knee and
Lieutenant waidden in the on est while /.
IN their tents IN the officers section !
Of the quadrangle The private SOL |
diers injured were on duty as order !
lies In the reception tent and the bomb !
fell almost upon them. So severely !
was Private Aubrey 81 Mcleod In /
sured that Il was necessary to ampu- |
tate both his legs that night Al |
though the exploding bombs created !
horror IN the hospital. there was not I
the slightest sign Of panic and the |
work OF discovering the wounded and |
collecting them was begun irnm edl- /
ateiy. MANY OF the injured had been /
blown from their cots. some even out I
side their tents. where they were !
found tangled IN in the tent ropes |
The American nurse. although struck !
in the face by fragment Of the
bomb. refused to be relieved and re-
manned at her task. In the operating
room CAPTAINS Horace Rtnney and Ell
lott with their assistants, worked all
night long
Major Murphy reported that all Of
the injured were reported to be do
ing well
49,