The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-06-22
(written BY SIR walter Green)

S1XLy-tnrGe manSteQ pOOl6S lay III liiO
mortuaries of this town-victims Of
the five. minutes visitations by Ger
man seaplanes. Two were battered
out of all recognition Of sex or age,
but most of the others have been
identified. Now the volunteer dig
gers are busy in the mournful task
of preparing the long rows of graves
in the cemetery where these innocent
victims of the war will be laid.
!, The town carries few marks of the
attack, which, occurred SO unexpect-
edly at 6:20 in the evening. It is to
the facts of the time and the complete
lack of warning that the heavy death
roll and the long list of manned sur
vivors are attributable. The material
damage is inconsiderable relatively to
the number killed and wounded.
A great many bombs were dropped.
but the damage and the fatalities
came from few of them only. 1t is
computed that SO Of the deaths and
fully of the cases of wounds were the
result of one bomb dropped in a
crowded street The raiding seaplanes
were at height of about $4,000 feet,
and looked like silver specks in the
sky. First came a single seaplane
probably a fast fighting machine.
Three rows OF five bombing machines
followed and another single machine
brought up the rear.
1t was a glorious evening, with q
slight haze. The townspeople and
others who live in the neighboring
villages were throngtng the business
end of the town on their weekend
shopping expedition. Itsfwas, indeed,
perhaps the busiest hour of the week
in the center of the town
n - -
plosions, but the town has been ac-
custoned to hear practice gun-fire,
and the whirl of aircraft overhead Is
too familiar to attract much satten-
ton. looked upward. Then, with
a terrific crash, q bomb fell on the
crowded pavement Immediately in
front Of green grocer's shop, about
fifty feet from where I was standing.
The air became filled with dust. There
was din of falling timber and ma
sonry, and mingled with 1t the ptteous
cries of the injured.
A terrible sight, and ONE shall
never forget. Most persons who saw
1t were too daxed to retain any clear
impression OF what occurred. There
was no panic. but people became hor-
ror-stricken. Later approached peo-
pie who had been nearer to the scene
OF HluTQ6T Lfl6u L tIx1Q DSGu, AH0 Ill
tempted to obtain their expressions
of the horror. soon learned that
only little incidents stood out in In
dividua1 recoliections.
I had reached this town only three
hours earlier ON my way to the ma
val base-Ramsgate-t to obtain
permission from the naval auths rifles
to board torpedo boat. at once
decided to give up my plans and in
vestigate tho details Of this la Test
wholesale murder.
The street appeared to be full 81
bodies and limbs. A poor woman was
lying with her feet blown off; heI
two children dead beside her. She had
come In from a village near. it seems
to buy new hat at the diapers fol
one of the two children. who were
just home for the school holiday.
A little further away there was 9
pony cart, beside which a young CIR
stood aghast. She and her sister hae
driven into the town to buy mourn
ing for their father who had die6
that morning. One of the sisters wa.
IN shop when tho bomb came crash
ing down. She escaped to find tn,
pony killed and her sister, badly in
jured, flung into the roadway.
Then I saw other sights that still
horrify me-
A baby waiting in a parambuiator
with Its arms torn by a shrapnel;
young woman ASSISTANT shot through
both legs. being carried away: a lit
tie girl of about seven or eight witt
la gaping wound in her back. and Il
THE midst a policeman in uniform al
most miraculousiy untouched. Their
are other memories of those who sa,
and escaped.
The head of the green grocery bust
ness was among the killed. The sho
was a single story structure coverin
a large floor space, but a relic @
time when shops were run up withou
any apparent idea of permanencs
The owner who was special con
stable and very popular in the towr
was struck, it is believed, by fallin
beam. The shop itself was demolish
ed, and only a heap of rubbish an
timber marks its site.
The bomb which fell in this stree
and proved so fatal was probably on
OF the last dropped. but the entir
raid was over In five minutes
then visited another street, wher
a large girls school had suffered sc
vsre1y, but happily the term had fir
ished the previous day and the pupil
had gone to their homes. The head
mistress had also left, but three yobn
women remaining in the house wer
among the victims
One Of the most hateful sights {
the EVENING" was enacted at this poin
Opposite the school is, or rather wa
a little shop. A bomb fell on tn
street and the shop disappeared. Tt
shoemaker, an elderly man, was ais
missing until a few remains were di,
covered on the opposite side or tt
road. The unfortunate man had bee
blown across the road.
A lad in another shop near ws
more fortunate. He. too, was LITE
bodily into the street, but scarcely II
tured
The owner OF the shoeshop himse
had an astonishing escape.
when I heard the aeroplane ar
the noise called to woman in IL
street to come inside my shop" l
said, I'VE both crouched down behiT
the safe. The bomb exploded jul
outside the shop, threw part of N
stock across the floor, knocked ov'
my cash register. but left US uninju
"a.