New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-08
Killed, 141 Hurt
InLondon Air Raid

of these missiles, mingled with the
crackle of machine guns.
Most people had now taken shelter.
but those who remained could see
thirty-two planes, British and Ger
man, darting about within a circle
whose diameter was less than 1000
yards.
Suddenly the enemy aircraft began
to move eastward. Turning, twisting.
diving, mounting. the German airmen
began to extricate themselves from the
aerial cockpit where they had been
lighting. Their trend was always
toward the east in a desperate en-
deavor to rejoin the main formation.
Desperate Fight in Sky
A great shout went up from the
streets as one Of the hostile fiers slid
downward of sudden several hundred
feet. Then three more dived out of
the melee and, recovering themselves,
scared TO greater heights, followed by
British airmen, who were firing as rap
idly as possible. Still dropping
bombs, despite the continued fire of
their pursuers, the Germans increased
their speed and made off to the east.
By 11:l5 other sections of the feet
which had been engaged with other
parts of London had Joined the main
body, and the whole outfit was half
way back to the sea.
But reinforcements TO the British air
feet arrived, and there was another
pitched battle before the raiders got
clear. One observer declares that at
NJ tar cd n hn
dred aeroplanes participating in the
conflict. Order and formation were
lost. Friend and foe were almost in
distinguishable in the haze Of the ma
chine guns.
Duels and small encounters merged
into greater conflicts and then sud
denly dwindled as the German machines
began to break away. Every German
fiier was striving for the sea and every
opponent sought to stop him. In a
cloud of smoke and a maze of dipping,
soaring planes the throbbing aircraft
drifted out to sea still fighting.
The bombs fell spasmodically in
widely separated parts of the city.
Nevertheless, the subways continued to
operate trains as though nothing were
happening and motor buses and taxi
cabs pursued their errands unhurried,
while in the Soho district a barrel
organ played merrily in the centre of
the street throughout the attack.
One curious incident occurred when
a notice on a street where number
Of the missiles had dropped was dis
covered to be covered with a mysteri-
Gus yellow powder. The police
warned every one against touching IL
because after the last raid many were
committed to London hospitals suffer-
ing from a variety of skin diseases
as we'll as swollen hands and feet.
The powder apparently acts as an
intense irritant causing great pain
The Official Account
The following official account of the
raid was given out at noon:
Lord French reports that at about
$3.50 o'clock this morning hostile air
craft in considerable numbers, prob
ably in two parties, appeared over the
Isle Of Thanet and the east coast of
Essex. After dropping some bombs in
Thanet the raiders proceeded in the
direction of London. Moving roughly
parallel TO the north bank of the
I Thames, they approached London from
the northeast. Then, changing their
course, they proceeded north and west
and crossed London from the north
west to the southeast. Bombs were
dropped in various places in the metro
poltan area.
"The number of raiding airplanes is
at present uncertain, but probably was
about twenty. They were attacked by
artillery and by large numbers of our
own airplanes. but reports as to the
results of the engagements ana as 10
Il ar.~
been received"
In a report issued late this after
noon Lord French said the total casual
ties reported by the police were:
ed-Metropolitan area, men, Y;
women, 4; children. 3; total. 81; Isle
of Thanet, men, L; women, 2; total, 81;
total killed, 81.
Injured metropolitan area. men,
"a; women. %; children, SO; total, lSS;
/ Isle of Thanet, women, /; children, i
total. 2; total injured. 14l."