American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-06-19
AMERICAN TELLS THRILLING
TALE OF AIR ATTACK
The Rev. Burris A. jenkins OF Kansas
CITY in FOlkstOne During Bombing
Of City.

Among those who experienced the
horrors of the recent German air raid
on FOlkstOne. in which many per
sons we're killed and injured. was the
Rev Burris A. Jenkins of Kansas City.
In statement given the Associated
Press. Mr.. jenkins graphically describ-
ed this record-breaking attack, and
told of his sensations during the rain
Of destruction from the sky.
1T was our first time under fire,
and it reminded me of a Missouri
cyclone" he said. The only draw
back to this comparison is that the
sun was shining in a clear blue sky
over a placid sea.
AS the shells were crashing around
us and houses were caving in. before
l knew it l was humming a lOng-for-
gotten tune, doubtless subconsciOusly
associated with those old days. Two
other men in our party independently
testified that they also began singing
softly.
Perhaps this tendency to sing
or whistle is a manifestation of nerves,
and explains why troops always do so
when we see them embarking for
France; they know that next day they
will be in the trenches-maybe over
the parapet. At all events, we all
confessed to nerves and fear.
Most people took to the cellars
Had known there was cellar handy
or that it is considered good form in
the circumstances. l should have fol
lowed: for soon l found myself alone
on the leas overlooking the sea, where
| had gone at the first cry of Zepps
When l rushed out of our house
by the seaside l found crowds gaz
ing upward in the direction Of the
sun l could see nothing for th'
glare: neither apparently could others
suddenly two little girls cried
There they are. Then l saw them
two airplanes. not Zepplins emerg
ing from the disc of the sun almos
overhead Then four more, or five, il
line. and others and others, all lik
bright silver insects. lowering agalns
the blue OF the sky. The heaven
seemed full of them. There wer
about a score in all, and we wer
= charmed with the beauty of the sigh
p l am sure few Of us thought seriOusl
. of danger
Then the air was split by tn
B. whistle and rush of the first bomt
which sounded like the shrill siren c
r. car This was followed at once b
detonation that shook the earth.
heard nobody shrek, weep or or
e aloud The people We're marvelousl
r controlled.
r Il glanced in the direction the She
: burst. a hundred yards away, and th
= debris was still going up like a co
T umn of smoke. Then came two MOI
Il strokes. apparently in the same spu
Then three other bombs fell. l afte
e ward found the missiles wrecked II
e O-hotel and wounded our motor dri
er
Then another bomb demolished Il
L Manor house by the sea. Two othe
n fell in the water behind me, and grav
and mud and water spouted up in
q geyser to the top of the cliffs whe
= l stood. Later l learned that one
'e these shots tore off the legs of lit
le boy playing with his sister. III
- mother lay in a faint and the lit
~ sister. driven mad, rushed blindly IN
the water. She was rescued by
wounded soldier.
=. Other shots fell, but could cou
81 no further. They came thick and fa
like cracking, rolling blasts or o
western lightning and thunder. n
a body has reported the number of she
ut so far as l know. But there were
or more casualties, nearly hundr