Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-07
Il KILLED. g HURT
IN AIR ATTACK ON
LONDON DISTRICT
Three German Raids Made on
England in Three Days. Re-
suIting in Total of ii9 Killed
and l54 Injured

OF DAYS caused the Qe2ll o. nine Pe- SSiiS
and the injuring OF forty-nine in the
London district. Lord French. COM
mander OF home defense forces, an
nounced today. he said one OF last
nights raids was brought down over
Sheerness. presumably as it ned toward
Germany.
The announcement brings the total
number OF deaths BY German raiders
since sunday W 20 Is killed and l04
injured.
The raid ever London last night was
BIZ a fleet OF about twenty enemy ma
chimes. Lord French stated They few
in small groups and dropped about 40
bombs
The air raid OF Monday over Chat
ham and Sheerness were the most de-
structive, in the toll Of human Hfe'
that Englaud has experienced since the
SyrezS day attack on London, June IL,
when ISL were killed and iS2 injured
The erst moonlight air raid over the
London district occurred about mid
night last night and resulted in the
dropping Of bombs. but the full extent
CT the damage X unknown and no cas-
uaities have ben reported
AAE EQAnU zen Just OAASAAG q AAOS k@N1A
another smashed through a theater and
still another hit a retail store in
which = number OF girls were sleeping
Notwithstanding the moonlight, moth
ing could be seen OF the raiders, al
though their engines could be heard
That they were invisible was perhaps
due 70 q slight haze which, however
IVES insufficient 10 obscure the moon
The raiders were constantly shelled by
anti-aircraft guns and several British
machines took the air TO attack the
invaders.
The streets were practically deserted
at the time, it being long after Jheater
hours The few late street cars that
were running either put out their
lights or stopped. A message from a
southeastern district says that appar-
emily the invaders crossed the North
sea in three successive groups and
that all were severely shelled both ar
irving and returning,
NAVAL BARRACKS RAIDED.
The Chatham district for the first
time experienced an air attack Monday
night when one or more bombs fell on
a section Of the Royal naval barracks
killing 107 bluejackets outright and
wounding Sc others. Four bombs in
all fell about the barracks, but two
were harmless and in fact, apart from
those which took such a heavy toll of
lives the damage in the whole area
was Insignificant
The barracks was fitted with sleep
ing hammocks and 4 majority of the
men were asleep at the time of the
attack
The first indication of the presence of
air raiders was the sound OF engines
overhead The presence OF high DOW
cred machines did not cause much
alarm because notices had beeen pub
lished early in the evening that anti
aircraft practice would be carried out
that night and when the guns began
firing il was assumed that the practice
was In full swing. Then came the IN
expected
Loud explosions then ceased, but after
a Few minutes they were heard again
and. judging by the sounds. IL seemed
that the air raiders had circIed the
town. In all about seventeen bombs
were dropped and the raiders are
thought TO have been over the district
nearly an hour. Searchlights sought
out the raiders but they failed to To-
cate them. the visibility being low
owing to a slight haze notwithstand-
ing the moonlight
Immediately following the explosions
sanized and the wounded were removed
70 hospitals, one OF which came very
near 10 being a target for a bomb
Discipline prevailed completely over
any natural tendency at alarm in the
barracks All survivors were instantly
at their quarters and the greatest cool
ness was shown A naval man, who
was in the barracks al the time, gave
the following account of the raid:
sfMnqr ~ tra -
mocks in the dormitory. which was in
the large drill hall. We had no warn
ing OF any kind. Two clocks. which
were blown into the adjoining parade
ground stopped al 1I:12 o'clock show
ing the hour OF the explosions l have
been in some scraps. but did not
dream that anything so sudden could
happen Before We knew what was hap
pening, the roof was lifted off the shop.
blown into the air and fell in a thou
sand pieces among the men.
HURT BY FLYING GLASS.
1T was flying glass. which was so
thick and heavy. that did the damage.
We were dashed out or our hammocks
90 the floor and all mixed up in broken
glass The men on either side of me
were both killed. Officers were on the
scene In a moment and. worked with
US the whole night getting the wounded
10 hospitals and the bodies to the gym
Another man, sleeping in a different
session Of the dOrmitory, said he did not
wait 10 put on his shoes and did not
know that he was walking on broken
g4ass until long afterwards when he
found that his feet were bleeding Still
another man with a piece of glass in
his head did not know IL, the shock of
the explosion being so great and, a man
who was blown across the parade ground
and who alighted on his feet. declared
he did not feel any the worse for his
experience. Some OF the injured died
during the night and the survivors com
plain bitterly about their companions
being killed without an opportunity to
srtike back
If we have to die We want to die
fighting" one blUejacket said Most of
US have been fighting and We want
another go at the Huns"
A remarkable feature Of the raid was
that comparatively few people in the
bombed area were aware that there had
been an attack until they arose the fol-
lowing morning. One bomb struck a
small cottage, one Of a row. The ten
ant and his daughter. who went into the
garden TO see what was happening. es-.
capped injury, but his wife remained in
the house and was killed