The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-25
HOW LONDON BEHAVED AS BOMBS
OF GERMANS RAINED ON HOUSES
and STREETS OF GREAT CAPITAL
Aerial Drama AS Witnessed From Bus-Queen Mary
Solicitors For Victims AS Women and Children Are
Stricken by Murderous Attack From Air

Joining together in one long stream
that flowed eastward like a rapid.
Special constables marched quickly
about theiE. business. Fire engines
came from nowhere, as it seemed
Where but a little while ago, there
had been stiffness in the streets and
great noises in the air there was now
quiet above and queer noises and
movements below.
People gathered together in groups,
exchanging stories of their expert
ences. Men and women rushed to
telephone boxes, and taxis were hail
ed all over with orders to find the
raided streets"
They say there are hundreds kill
ed" someone whispered in a shaken
voice.
"oh. no." replied a man who over
heard, 81 think very little damage
has been done."'
IT saw six Zeppe1ins,' cried one
woman whose nerves were over
wrought. 'tAnd saw one of the Tau
bess brought down." retorted her
neighbor.
And SO they stood, telling little
stories of what they had seen, and of
what they imagined they had seen,
finally making their way, many of
them to spots where little tongues of
smoke told how fremen were fight
ing destruction in those places which
had suffered from the aerial play of
little silver gemsa
It had all happened In a quarter of
an hour All these things had been
done in Is minutes that seemed like
60. When the time had come and
gone people went back to their shops
and their offices and their homes to
They looked at their watches and
thought they had stopped. When the
regular lunch hour arrived they pour
cd out into the streets once more,
following the track Of the raiders.
Good sanaritans
But 1t was not In q safe-free spirit
OF adventure. They went to see what
war had done, and they went quietly
and In order. Their hearts sorrowed
for those to whom suffering had
come. They wanted to help. ELS there
anything can do ?'' That was the
spirit Of the Londoner. He wanted
to help rather than to see, to SYM
pathize and encourage rather than to
obtain vicariously q new sensation.
This attack on the city that he loves
in all the deep places OF his heart
sent out his sympathies in bound1ess
measure to the sorrowing: it brought
q re-created discrimination Of will to
live SO that our fighting men shall
have the help of all civilians In their
fight against the perils of the air, In
their battle for the safety of women
and children in the heart of the be-
loved land.
Bravery OF the Women
And the women? know that
Through these Is minutes that seemed
80 timeless they carried on quite sim
ply, wieh perfectly transformations
bravery. The girls who conduct our
buses the women who drive horse
vans and motors. rousered lasses
busy at window cleaning. ticket col
lectors at stations. little uniformed
messenger children going about their
| business they were all quiet and he
roic
There was q homely, rough. poker
char-woman whom I shall remember.
She was anxious about her little ones
living some miles eastwards. There
were tears In her eyes: she was rath-
| er badly shaken. But she was proud.
IT cant go home" she said to me,
TT looks like 9. coward to do that
when everyone else Is staying at
work" She intended to wait till her
4 AOux Ok 1G1Sd<56. ! 4TlI 4C1y 4ASJ a.
her work once more.
It was between half-past eleven
and quarter to twelve that the enc
my raiders were detected by the de-
fences In cloudless sky, and be-
meath a blazing sun, they were flying
at an attitude estimated at $4,000
feet. and looked mere specks of flash
L ing silver.
immediately guns. both Of heavy
and light calibre. opened fire: but,
undisturbed,A the raiders, keeping to-
tgether, pursued a direct course to-
wards East London. Apparently they
kept together while on the south side
of the river but parted company as
soon as they crossed the Thames,
each visiting particular district. One
took a sweep westwards without
dropping bombs; another lowered
over the center OF the city, a third
devoted its ssfrightfulness'' to the
eastern boundary Of the city; and a
| fourth swept into the heart Of the
East 7nd-an dealing death and des-
truction. Several British aeroplanes
were observed to go up in pursuit
4 and later balloons. with observation
cars attached. went up.
j Gunfire In the Heavens
Never for q moment did the enemy
drop below 1900 feet or 1900 feet
and their route was pcattered the
4 whole time with shrapnel. which
burst in little clouds. The gunners'
aim was apparently remarkably good
for again and again shells seemed to
Iexplode around the aeroplanes New
erthelass they did not allow them
selves to be deferred from their PR
pose. They flew in a kind of ziszas
formation. working course east
wards.
4 Soon the work of murder began. A
bomb dropped within few yards OF
a large school a few minutes before
the children would have been dis
missed, and another set fire to tim.
Der merchants yard, taking the fire
brigade a couple Of hours 10 extin-
guish Il.
An incendiary bomb was dropped
on the premises of q firm Of printers
and stationers. The two top floors
Immediately burst into flame, and
despite the efforts of the fire bri
gade, the building was soon burnt
out.
I'VE heard bomb at a distance
: said the principal of an adjoining
: business house, followed by others
each one nearer than the last. Their
came one which shook the premise.
t and swept several of our people of
their feet. ran upstairs to see i.