Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-03
HORRORS Of war As
TOLD BY MRS. norton
MRS. NORTON TELLS OF EXPERT
ENCES IN LONDON WHEN GER.
MANS ATTACK CITY.
U.BOAT ATTACKS OCEAN LINER
Torpedo Misses Boat BY Few Yards.
Swerving OF Boat Saves Ship
and Passengers.

Last week The Democrat told it's
readers that as soon as Mrs. Ralph
Norton reached Manchester she would
prepare an article for us telling of her
experiences in the great city Of Lon
don and of the more thrilling ex-
periences on board the ocean liner
which was attacked in mid-ocean by
a German submarine. Mrs Norton
arrived in Manchester last week, and
has kindly furnished us an article
which gives a vivid description of the
night attacks the Germans made on
London, and the attack by a submar-
inc on the high seas.
Mrs. Norton relates her experiences
in the following article:
Living in London these days is
like being at the front; indeed it Is
the front, for many officers have told
us that the German aeroplanes never
dare to cross the lines at the front as
they come boldly over the heart of
London day or night. The Zeppelin
raids became too costly, so not many
months ago the Germans commenced
their raids in full day light; crossing
with seeming impunity and meeting
with very little resistance, they at
tackled the heart of London.
II can we'll remember the raid in
early July when some rs or 80 Gothas
flew over London dropping bombs in
full midday. They few in perfect
formation over the city, thus render
ing it very hard to attack them and
they did considerable damage.
"Just this September they began
raids on moonlight nights with these
Gotha machines. The moonlight gave
them sufficient light by which to steer
their course and to give them great
er advantage in dropping their bombs,
for the light was not strong enough
to make it possible to effectively at
tack them with anti-aircraft guns.
For two nights in early September
they visited England and at Chatham
only 80 miles from. London, one bomb
fell in a barracks killing 107 naval
men. The next night, another moon
light night with a slight haze OBJ
scuring the face of the sky, We felt
confident they would endeavor to at
tack London. This was the night
of the 5th of Septmber. About II 80
We heard the first bomb fall in the
distance Our little flat, located in
the heart of London right near the
Thames river was only too convenient
ly located; especially as the hotel Ce.
Gil nearby is now the seat of the air
board, and we knew the Germans were
eager to lombard that.
"The aeroplanes flew very swiftly
and after hearing the first bombs fall
in the distance, we had not time to get
out of the bed and dress until they
were over our heads, flying very low
and sounding like giant bees as they
lowered over us. AS we had no time
to descend to the basement or even
to the first floor we did the next best
thing, which was to back up as close
as possible against the stout inner
0f tc g
to adequately describe the sensation
at such a time. Soldiers have told us
that they do not mind nearly so much
being bombarded at the front, as they
do having aeroplane bombs dropped on
them from the sky. While we wait
ed with quaking bodies it seemed as
if on every side of us, buildings were
crashing down, and our own building
shook to its very foundation. We had
the feeling that the next bomb would
surely send our roof tumbling in on
us, but no, at last the crashes became
fainter and we knew that unless the
raiders came back again that for the
moment the danger was past. Dress
ing and descending to the street just
after midnight we saw ambulances
and fire engines dashing in every
direction. Within $50 yards of us
right on the embankment we saw one
large excavation right in the pavement
big enough to bury several men. AL
ready policemen were guarding this
spot. In the center of the street
where street car had been blown to
bits and people killed and injured,
there were gruesome relics to be seen.
This was on the 5th of September,
and fortunately for us the following
two nights were stormy, so keeping
September, we set sail for America.
We were not blind to the dangers
that must be encountered at sea, but
it would be impossible to describe just
what are the terrors of the deep these
days. l must not speak of the mill
tary precaution taken on ship-board,
but their very thoroughness was ter
rifyiEg Prize crews of gunners on
guard every moment of the day and
night, beside the watch kept from the
bridge and the crows nest and from
every life-boat slung out ready for
service all through the voyage. All