Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-09-05

RAIDISMADE
BY GERMANS
Eleven Persons Killed and
So Injured in Moonlight
Attack On London.

London. Sept. Eleven persons
were killed and s. injured i'm last
nights aerial raid. One raider is
reported to have been brought
down of Sbeerness, it is an
nounced officially.
The official announcement follows:
Enemy airplanes in considerable
numbers crossed the southeast coast
over a wide area between 1880 p IA.
and . a. n. last night. The raiders
seemed 10 have Travelled singly or in
groups of from two to three machines,
for which reason it is difficult TO esti-
mate their numbers with accuracy,
but it is possible that as many as 20
machines took part in the raid.
BY 1920 D. m, it became evident
that enemy airpIanes were approach
ing London and at 11:45, the first
bombs were dropped IN the London
district From this time until approx
imately a. IA 80 bombs were
dropped,
The total casualties reported UP
to this time are: Killed, II: injured.
So The material damage is not eX-
tensige.
One enemy machine is reported to
have been brought down in the sea
oil SGeGF1eSSs
The first moonlight air raid over the
London district occurred about mid
night last night and resulted in the
dropping Of bombs, but the full extent
Of the damage is yet unknown.
One bomb fell just outside hospi-
tai another smashed through the
atre and still another hit a retail
store in which a number Of girls were
sleeping. notwithstanding the moon
light nothing could be seen Of the raid
ers. although their engines could be
heard overhead. That they were in
visible was perhaps due TO q slight
haze which, however, was insufficient
10 obscure the moon. The raiders were
constantly sheIIed by anti-aircraft
guns and several British machines
took the air TO attack the invaders.
Streets Deserted.
The streets were practically de-
serted at the time Of the raid, l. being
long after theatre hours. The few late
street cars that were running either
put out their lights or stopped. a mes
sage from a southeastern district says
that apparently the invaders crossed
the North sea in three successive
groups and that all were severely
shelled both arriving md returning.
First Raid on Chatham.
The Chatham district for the first
time experienced an air attack on
Monday night when one or more
bombs fell on a section of the Royal
Naval barracks. killing 101 blueJack-
cts outright and w0unding SIS others.
Four bombs in all ELL about the bar
racks. but two were harmless and IN
fact apart from those which took such
a heavy toll Of lives the damage in the
H.s
rack was filed with sleeping ham
mocks and a majority OF the men were
asleep at the time OF the attack
Engines Heard First.
The first Indication OF the presence
of air raiders was the sound Of en-
gines overhead. The presence Of high
powered machines overhead did not
cause much alarm because notice had
been published earlier in the evening
that ant-aircraft practice would he
carried out that night and when the
guns began firing It was assumed that
the practice was in full swing. Then
came the unexpected.
Raiders Circle Town.
Loud explosions were heard in one
part of the district and then IN an
other The explosions ceased but after
q few minutes they were heard again,
ana luuSlu8 04 thS sD4HOS IL Se6Lied
that the air raiders had circled the
town IN all about seventeen bombs
were dropped and the raiders are
thought TO have been ovz- the district
nearly an hour Searchligbts sought
out the raiders but they failed TO To-
cate them. the visibility being low
owing to slight haze nOtwjtEs1and-
ing the moonlight.
Immediately following the expIos-
ions in the barracks rescue parties
we're organized and the wounded were
removed 20 hospitals. one of which
came yery. near being a target for
bomb.