The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-08
Husband Describes Tragedy
Resulting From Raid on
British Coast.
WERE ALREADY IN BED
Carpenter Rushes Upstairs
as House Is Hit to Find
Wife Under Debris.

BrOadStalrS, Eng.-(By Mail)-An
example Of what happens when a Ger
man squadron appears off the English
coast and drops a few shells into a
sleeping community is wildly told by
Horace Morgan, one of the sufferers
whose wife and child were killed by II
German shell! in the recent raid of the
German destroyer fleet upon the placid
summer resort town of Broadstairs.
Just before midnight the destroyers
appeared off the beach promenade.
They sent up a few starshclls to light
up the slumbering town, sent a broad
side or two in the general direction of
the bath houses, and We're gone.
Three of the shells, going wide Of
their mark, hit a workman's cottage
back from the beach. Morgan, Il car
penter. and owner of the cottage, thus
described the tragedy that cnsued in
his home
Il was preparing for bed when |
heard a number of explosions. The sky
was lit up with star shells. decided
to walk down towards the waterfront
and see what was going on.
II had my hand on the door knob
when two shells burst almost stimuli
taneously against the house. | went
back into the kitchen, while a cloud of
dust and plaster began to fill the
room. AS I walked over to the stair
case part of the framework of the
stairs fell down into the room.
II heard the children crying upstairs
and called to my wife. She didn't
answer. The eldest boy, eight years
old. came tumbling down the broken
staircase asking. Where's mother?
The whole room was now filled with
brick and rubbish. | pushed the boy
out of the door and told him to run
over to his grandmothcr's as fast as he
could and ask for help
Then l ran upstairs. | caught hold
of another boy. He didn't seem in
jurcd, although he is now in the hos
pital. l told him also to go to his
grandmother's. Then | found my lit
tie girl lying half conscious at the top
of the stairs. her forehead terribly
bruised. She revived as picked her
up and sent her. too. to grand
mother.
another girl, Doris, who has since
died. got out of bed herself but could
not reach the stairs. called to her
to come to me, but she cried and said:
Il can't daddy. I'm hurt
Il went in, brought her downstairs.
handing her to one of the boys who
was still lingering near the door. He
carried her to her grandmother's.
Then at the top of the stairs found
my wife, half covered with plaster and
debris. She was dead. l raised her In
my arms. She still held the baby and
the little one groaned and seemed still
alive, although she too had gone.
took the baby up. rushed out doors and
handed her to the first man | met
Il went back to my wife, and stood
there dazed and helpless for a few
moments, until a young man came
bringing three doctors who took me
away
The house was hit broadside in the
middle OF the wall. There was hole
four feet in diameter in the wall. and
partitions throughout the upper part
OF the cottage We're shattered. Where
my wife was. she met the full force
of the shell. She was apparent)y
standing by the baby's bed, about three
fect from the wall. She had lust
picked up the baby out of it's cradle