The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-14
a. ARE KILLED;
INJURED
IN AERIAL RAID
Fifteen Areoplanes Shower
Bombs on London
TEN PUPILS ARE KILLED
British Airmen Battle German Raid
ders as London Watches From
House Tops.
TEN PUPILS ARE KILLED

London, June 14.-.n the greatest
air raid yet made over England by
German aircraft ninetyseven persons
were killed yesterday and 437 were
injured. Many of the dead are
children.
The midday bombing raid was con-
Quoted by twelve to fifteen German
aeroplanes, particularly oyer the east
end where live the poorer classes OF
the population. Ten of those killed
and fifty of the wounded were chill
dren in a school on which bombs fell.
Among the raid victims were many
women No military damage was
done.
British aviators rose and attacked
the invaders and the sound of the anti
aircraft guns was everywhere heard
in London, but whether the Germans
suffered any losses has not yet been
established. They were flying at a
height estimated at two miles when
they approached from Essex and flew
over London
The most striking thing about the
raid--the sixth in six weeks-was the
absolute coolness with which London
received the visitors. There was eX-
element but it was the excitement Of
curiosity rather than CT fear or panic.
AS a dread to the inhabitants, airplane
raids proved once more to have even
less effect than the cumbersome, spec
tacular "Zeps."
Throughout London the now famil-
lar police alarm was sounded after
the first bomb crashed into the east
end. Since the first raid, early in
the war, it has been drummed into the
100000 inhabitants of London to
make a quick dash to the cellar at
) the sound of this alarm. Today, as
each previous time, the great majority
ran to the roofs. In the area actually
raided the alarm was needed, of
course, but there crash followed
crash in such quick succession and
with such staggering effect that
scores were struck down by hot
metal or buried beneath debris before
they could form thought of refuge.
But the rest of London watched the
raid as intently, as unconcernedly as
if 1t were some celestial phenomenon.
The sky was athrob with shooting,
swooping, sputtering aircraft. For tif-
teen minutes the fifteen German ma
chimes kept up their bombardment.
They skirted the east end at height
of two miles. But they were not alone.
Scores of machines of the royal flying
corps and royal naval air service as
cended Immediately upon the Ger
mans appearance. From the defense
batteries of the east end, steady
streams of fire from the anti.aircraft
guns shot skyward. One Teuton raid
er was bagged and many spectacular
duels of the air were fought. n"
Meanwhile, below, in the densely
populated section which houses thous
sands of Londons poorest residents,
whole tenements crumbled like chaff,
burying the dwellers. AS the mis-
siles exploded they scattered destruc-
tion all around
Exploding, the missiles spurted fire
in all directions. Several warehouses
were set afire
One of the first bombs hit an in
coming train killing seven and wound
ing seventeen passengers.
Among Americans in London great
excitement was caused by the rumor
that Vice Admiral Sims, commander
of the American naval forces in
European waters, had been killed or
injured. 1t later proved false, and
had been started by the news that
the admirars car happened to be in
the district raided. 1t was not hit,
however. The chauffeur was the only
occupant.
King George, accompanied by Lord
Derby. visited the raided area and
consoled the wounded and relatives of
the dead.
First news of the destructive char
acter of the attack was given in par
lament. Lord Derby reported it in
the house of lords and Bonar Law in
the commons. The war minister add
ed to his brief statement he feared
the casualty figures would be exceed
ed when full details had been learned
Aside from raiding operations by
the British troops in France and in
termittent artillery duels between the
Germans and the French in Belgium
and the region of Craonne there has
been little activity along the French
front
Minor operations continue in the
Austro-Italian theatre and in Mace
donia
General Pershing and the members
of his staff were greeted with great
enthusiasm when they landed yester-
day at Boulogne. Later the Ameri-
can commander and his party proceed