The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-25

ng but a seething mass of fire there. |
lust by it is a school, and it's a mer-
" that the bomb did not hit that, as
all the children were at lessons"
Hardly a Window Left
Four bombs fell almost simultan. |
eously with in an area of 80 yards in |
the East End. The first failed to ex-
plode, and the second fell just off the
roadway out side a fire station shat
tertng windows in every direction.
The plateglass windows of a bank
were wrecked and the walls pock-
marked. Outside these premises a
dray was destroyed as it stood, the
horse being killed and the driver seri-
ously injured. The third bomb set
alight warehouse in well-known
thoroughfare, and a large detachment
of the London Fire Brigade with es-
capes was engaged in subduing an OBJ
stinate outbreak of fire This road
hardly possesses a whole window and
the upheaval of the roadway conse-
quent on the explosion caused the
traffic to be held up and diverted The
fourth bomb fell in some model dwell
ings, but a small fire which broke
out was soon .quelled.
How An Ex-Soldder Saved Himself
IT was standing opposite the fire
station" said an ex-soldier, when I
happened to look up. I saw three Cor
possibly four) aircraft, looking exact
ly like silver butterflies. As T watch
ed heard just behind me q loud
crash. It was a bomb, but 1t didn't
explode and before could look again
the thing was removed by a police
man. AS turned my head I saw
something drop out Of nowhere right
in front Of me. I dropped like a log
There were splinters of shrapnel and
glass flying, and screams and cries,
but nobody was hurt in the street.
When raised myself up I saw dead
horse lying in an overturned dray,
and the driver hanging over the SIDE
I got him off to the hospital in a fire
engine. The bomb was a. contact one!
It didn't explode till it hit the kerb
which 1t smashed. Here's the fuse; it
was red hot when picked it up
tsUnluclxy Corner"
One busy corner, which suffered In
q previous raid, was again unlucky. A
huge window was once more shatter-
ed. On a previous occasion the top
part o1 Iao HOuS0 was COIup40I0ly
wrecked and the bottom part suffered
comparatively little damage. This
time the part that was damaged be-
fore escaped injury and the part that
escaped before was now wrecked
The windows Of a teashop In q main
street were completely blown out.
Mattresses carrying plates had them
blown from their hands, and mingled
with the fragments from the VIM
dows were the remains Of cake stands.
No one was severely injured although
the early luncheon rush had commen-
ced.
One Of the biggest centres OF de-
struction was block Of flats five
stories high at the corner Of a main
thoroughfare. The lower part of the
buildings Is occupied as shops. The
upper part was completely demo1ish-
ed. The remains OF q staircase were
hanging amid the wreckage, most OF
. the walls were blown out and the
building looked like nothing but a
confusion of lath and plaster.
Three Miles of Falling Bombs
The loss OF life at this spot is be-
1ieved to have been considerable. One
man vouched for the statement that
at least six dead bodies had been re-
covered.
On the opposite side of the street
another bomb fell through the roof
of another block OF buildings. but
most of the damage was confined to
the top floors.
The damage in the East End is prac-
tically confined to small property. Nj
merous bombs were dropped at regu-
lar intervals almost in a straight row
for about three miles along small
streets.
Three bombs were dropped within
100 YARDS in a crowded Industrial dis
trict In the city. Two were apparent
ly incendiary and the other was Of the
ordinary explosive kind. The first fell
on a five-storied building.
In a narrow street occupied by
warehouses, adjoining one Of the mosi
freauented thoroughfares in the city
high building in which a firm OF
printers was situated was struck
Bombs fell through the roof and the
upper stories ware immediately In
flames. 81
Imperturbahde Law
Next to the, building is a Roman
Catholic school. IN which. the childrer
at the time OF the road were at theil
lessons. Although the schoolroom /:
in the closest contiguity to the print.
ing house, it remained untouched
At one London County Court ths
judge was giving q decision when the
! first sounds Of the raid were heard
The booming grew IN intensity, unit
eventually 1t sounded as If one mus
have dropped In the preeincts-of the
court. The judge never hesitated. and
in a steady and clear voice went on
''In this contract plaintiffs have un.
dertaken certain cations boom)
they contend have beef carried ont
/ Coon Defendants have set up wha'
I think is a bona-fide defence
| (Boom.)
The explosions were too much FOL
several women, who screamed II
court. His Honor remained quite calm
| and remarked: II hope people Will b
quiet. II they cannot they had bet,
| ter leave the court" Another boom
louder than ever. followed. and the
women shrieked again, hut His Honor
went on and finished his Judgment.
| Pitiful Scenes at Bombed School
| 1t is greatly TO be feared that ons
lof the worst death rolls of the raid
| will be that recorded at one of oul
| County Council schools in East Bon
| don's community of toilers.
At present it is difficult to FIX the
actual numbers of little ones killed b.
| II t~~x