New-York tribune., 1917-10-22

PARIS. Oct. 2l.--Although AZ frst u
WAS believed that the visit OF the Yep
pelin feet to France yesterday was an
independent raid and the first step tow
ard carrying out tho threat made IN
German wireless message, which said IL
had been decided TO destroy Paris IN
rcprisal for French air raids on Ger
man towns. it now is generally be-
lieved that these eight Zeppelins, four
Of which we're destroyed or captured,
were returning from England and had
lost their bearings owing TO fog ana
nrobsbly had lost touch with their
wireless communications. II is possible
that one group Of dirigibles crossed the
Alsatian border to lombard Lyons and
other points in Central France.
The log book Of the Zeppelin which
landed intact shows that she had been
In England, and prisoners from three
other airships confirm this. One OF the
men captured said it was the want OF
rasolene that forced his Zeppelin TO
descend.
The raid is widely proclaimed by
French observers as being dehnlte
proof of the superiority OF the airplane
over the Zeppelin. The day OF the Yep.
pelin for bombardment, one expert
says, is over.
New Type Of Dirigiblc
IT.. e,dden resumption OF the use
of the German dirigibles is exp,alneo
by the theory that the raiding Zeppc-
lin, belonged to q new type, which /
lately had been reported TO be In the
course OF construction at Lake Con-
stance. No reports have yet been re-
ceiyed that any damage was done oy
thc Zeppelins or that bombs were
dropped anywhere in France.
or the four Zeppelins lost, two were
DESTROYED and two were forced 10 ue
ecand The two disabled airships, un-
der attacks by aviators and antl,air de-
fsnce posts. descended in the Saonne
Valley and were forced TO land IN the
neiohborhood OF Sisteron, IN BASES
AInes. The crews, after setting hre 10
The airships. attempted TO hee, Dut were
taken prisoner. ,-,., -, .
o,c1oct In the afternoon. It was pur.-
.ued by a battle plane and dlsappeareo
over the Mediterranean. When lasI
e.en the Zeppelin appeared to be heIp
lsss and is supposed 20 have been iost
at sea. ,5 r
The Zeppelin which landed near near
1en0res. but took the air again WIN
four members OF the crew, has not
been heard from since, and Is sup
nos.d 10 have been lost somewhere IN
ibs Aims. Two more airships we're seen
Nyino over Gap late in the afternoon
ond snother in the evening IN the re-
gion OF Lons-le-Saunier. ..u,
The first Zeppelin brought down feii
AZ Saint Clement, seven ana one-halI
nils south of Luneville, and not 81
as was earlier reported:
'rhe Zennelin was first seen at 6:2O
a m. travelling with two other ar
sb;no AGAINST q wind blowing ten or
eierAn miles an hour. An anti-air-
cyaft most fred a v5ley and the Yep,
nsl;n rose with bound. A second
yollev pierced the envelope, and the
airship. bursting into flames, took a
vertical position and crashed down az
G:4o 8. m.
Five Bodies in Wreck
Five mangled corpses were iounc 4
aronnd the wreckage. The bodies OF
tho other members Of the crew remain
buried IN the smoking mass. NO pomos
were heard to explode: 10
About 2:20 D. m. the Zeppelin b-'y
,y.s forced by chaser planes 70 iand
near Bourbonne-les-B -Bains intact y
naval lieutenant and his second ohcef
and a crew of fwenty-seven men were
made prisoners. The capture WAS made
nossible by a pursuit squadron OF uVe
planes. The machine is absolutely IN
tact. A.
Somewhat later a third Zeppelin, the
I-5O. landed near Dammartin, not 1ar
from Montigny-le -Roi, and two onicers
and fourteen men. including TWO
sligh,ly wounded. debarked. The crew
detached one car and destroyed II. Inc
nirship. thus lightened. then departed,
with four men aboard. one OF 1he
prisoners said this Zeppelin, had ieit
Oldenburg. on the North sea, AZ
o'clock Friday afternoon, bound loi
London. 1t lost itself IN a fog and
being unable TO reach ITS opJee'iVe'
started 70 return.
Artillery Sinks Zeppelin
An official note issued by the War
Orice gives the following summary OF
the Zeppelin raid:
"The first Zeppelin was brought
down by artillery at Saint Clement.
"The second was forced by an ayia-
tor 10 land near Bourbonne-les- -Bain..
"The third was forced down az
Laragne, near Slsteron. The crew of
four officers and fifteen men were
taken prisoner after they had burned
the a!rship.
"The fourth Zeppelin was brought
down in the same region about
"The fifth and sixth airships were