The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-06

along and told me that all the mar
kets wree in complete darkness and
kets were in complete darkness and
neighboring cellars to keep the rats
company.
There is always a 1unatic who in
sists on looking for an enemy, aircraft.
He was in evidence as usual, Fostering
US with questions as to whether we
had spotted 'any Of the DEVILS" AS
it is a waste of time to be cross with
this kind of individual, we humored.
him and told him to listen. Very plain
ly you could hear the whirr Of the
aeroplane engines the noise very
much like that made by the Zeppe-
Inns. To anyone. / who. knew about
aeroplanes it was certain that the Ger
mans had sent over their most power
full machines.
One aeroplane, quite invisible, kept
droning over me for at least half an
hour. The sensation was not exactly
pleasant, and it was scarcely a con-
ISOLATION to reflect that If bomb was
dropped the wind would be sure to.
carry it some distance away. could
not understand what the pilots idea
was, because, SO far as could tell,
he-kept perambulating in q small area.
Perhaps he was exploring for par
ticular building.
But other aeroplanes were busy for
from time to time came the crashes.
The explosions were not so terrifying
as in the "Zepp" raids and obviously
the bombs were not nearly as large.
Also the bombs appeared to be of the
high explosive and not the incendiary
order, for they were not followed by
fire.
Odd soldiers now made their ap-
pearance. They were fed up with be-
ing under cover and remarked that
this was child's play compared to the
front. AS the bombs crashed they
puffed away nonchalantly at their Gig
arettes. One ta1kative Tommy re-
marked that he could sleep better
when the guns were going than when
they were quiet, and he addressed
himself to a comrade in confirmation
of his statement. A more facetious
khaki hero came along and innocently
inquired what the excitement was all
about and it was true that war had
broken out.
Hereabouts heard that bomb had
Just missed 49, Hospital and that
two patients had been killed going in
4 AC 1I1OO1A lIOW nav
ing temporarily rid itself of the para
sitica1 clouds, and we could see an
heroplane plainly passing it. Some Of
my colleagues swore that it was a
German machine but did not think
that any German pilot would be SO
foolish as to offer such a splendid
target to the guns concluded, there
fore. it was one Of our own machines
.z fso1 erfr ofrt1 ov-- ~
| thenSan alteration with an excitable
elderly patriot who wantde to know
why in heavens name we were not
bombing Cologne. II tell you. man. p
he shouted, 81 could stick this kind OF
thing every night If knew we were
giving the Germans the same kind of
treatment" apologized for not be-
! ing able to interfere in the matter and
| referred him to General Sir David
Henderson, the first name to comeNto
my lips.
| So the minutes passed. Some time
after offe o'clock friend came along
to tell me that, air raid or no air raid,
they were passing eligibles for smili-
tary service at a particular depot. He
said that one joyous shriker informed
him that at the very moment a bomb
dropped he was medically rejected
and that his heart did not know what
to do, either to sink with momentary
fright or to rise with joy.
| Al whisper went round that the
| frightfulness had not been attended
with very serious casualties and that
there had been some remarkable es-
capes. A bomb had dropped .on, an
empty diapers shop; a man had Aes-
capped with the loss of a. thumb; an
aerial torpedo had driven its way
through 2 #. 6 in. of concrete pave
ment and exhausted itself in the mud
twenty feet below; windows that were
/ open had gone unscathed; others had
been blown to snithereens.
\ To while away the time there has
been a conversation on window des-
!! truction in air raids, and exchanging
4 our experiences, we found thta in ev-
cry case the windows lad been blown
out, never in-sucll 4 is the peculiar
law of air suction. I have. known
glass near to the scene Of an explosion
escape without scratch while win.
dows 40 yards away have beer
smashed. Presumably the passage o1
air had not been inpeded.
| The crowd impulse is still greater
thar the instinct Of self preservation
We saw this by the i:1lne5iata rusf
there wss to the spit wn"re the bcJnt
had cropped. 1t was hare work tt
, keep the people back. First on, maj
) reshe d. then anoth 1r. and before yol
, could turn round there was yorr In
evitable crowd. And, mind you, thu
aeropianes were still about. Whe1
! the guns doomed again, however
There was quick exit to shelter.
1t was four o'clock before I. go
home. Had it been a cold night Their,
would have been coffee for us, Blu
I did not feel like it and I even re
fused the friendly offer of a cup o
: tea made by a householder to whom
/, gave the first news OF the sal
clear"
Il The taxicabs had all disappeared
: Official excuse was "shortness of pc
troll" There was another explanation
still. would not care to do such
! fine body of men an injustice I ha,
! a long trudge home. On the way
! answered innumerable questions as t.
' whether it was all over. Poor PEG
pie responded with fervent 'Thanl
r you. and God bless you, sir" Tn
i burgeoisie way was, 81 am mucl
: obliged"
/. Going along, met Special VIII
r had been on duty in the vicinity o