The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-01-03
Most English People ignore the
German Attacks on
London.
REMAIN CALMLY IN HOMES
eoches Succeed Only In Terrifying
Foreign Population, Including
Their Own Kindred Still
In England.
BY JOHN LLOYD BALDERsToN.

London. 80 At certain periods the
greatest city in the world has endured
almost nightly attacks from squadrons
Of gigantic airplanes with their accom-
paniment of SCATTERING bombs and
aerial torpedoes, dazzling pyrotechnics
and appalling noise, as the hundreds or
cannon in and about the metropolis
have belched Into the sky more than
twenty projectiles per gun per minute.
The reporter who tries to write
descriptive story Of these raids and
their effect is faced by the disturbing
fact that 100000 Londoners behave,
under fire, in half million different
ways. Tragedy and buffoonery, tears
and laughter; Joyous excitement and
terror, revelry and prayer, have seen
each score of times repeated, in a
score of groups, while the Gothas
were buzzing overhead. Perhaps the
best way to convey scme impression
of the Kaleidoscope happenings that
go 70 make up night raid in these
days Of protective barrages, when
people sigh for the good old quiet Zep-
pelin nights, will be to detail some of
the things have seen and heard my
self, wandering about London while
the city was under fire.
Before the war, all tourists will re-
member, a familiar and maddening
sound in London was the inceSSant
blowing of whistles to summon taxis.
Today hospitals are everywhere, and,
out of regard for the patients, whis-
thing for cabs is not allowed. In the
evening the streets fill with traffic, the
alter and restaurant crowds thrOng the
pavement, glancing up now and then
at the round and sinister moon, betray-
ing no other sign that VIC uld serve to
make the scene unlike that to be wit
messed on Piccadilly any moonlight
night In peace time.
When the Alarm Sounds.
A whistle blows. 1t sounds like
taxi whistle. Perhaps once it was one.
Instantly the throngs of people on the
sidewalk melt away. Every doorway
receives its little group, the doors are
quickly opened, the cellars placed at
to disposal of whoever cares to make
use Of them. Throngs crowd about
the tube entrances, of which more
later. Street traffic for the moment
seems demoralized, confused. Taxis
and buses dash wildly about, SEEM
ingly helter-skeiter. But each caSman
and bus driver knows where he is go
ing. The busses are drawn up in lines
in the side streets, and their passen-
gers and crew take cover. The taxis
scuIry under bridges and sheds, where
they are safe from small fragments
dropping from the clouds.
Five minutes have passed from the
first whistle. During the interval, pc-
Iicemen have REINFORCED the warning
by parading, like sandwich men, bear
ing signs, "Take cover" Motorcars
bearing similar warnings, Illuminated,
footing sirens to attract attention, have
dashed through the suburbs. On Pic
cadilly special policemen, the citizen
guard called up in case of emergency,
are appearing in the steel shrapnel he'll
NETS worn by the troops in France.
City Holds Its Breath.
There is silence; the city seems to
hold its breath, as it waits. The
streets are empty; the police, their
work done, stand In doorways. The
occasional noise of a belated omnibus
rumbIing along at top speed, or per-
haps Of an ambulance hurrying to its
station, seems unbearable. To me.
these ten or twenty minutes of silence
hor fhn fhon
bOmbardment. / think most people
feel the same; the noise of the first
bomb, of the first gun, comes as a
positive relief.
After the warning had been given at
the time of one recent raid, went into
the middle Of one Of the great London
parks, and from there witnessed the
most determined attack, and by far the
greatest volume of gunf1re, that the
city has yet been called upon to en-
dure. The firing had not begun when
/ entered the park, through which be-
lated wayfarers were hurrying home
wards. Then ] saw StreamerS in the
sky TO the east, down the Thames,
that was the playing Of searchlights
far away, heard muffied reports, saw
the flashes Of guns, and, rarely, the
great orange glare that bears no re-
semblance to the yellowish white light
a cannon makes while firing. The or
ange glares were exploding bombs,
with which German airmen were try
ing to blow civilians, covering in
their little homes in the eastern sub
urbs, to pieces. A
! Noise of Guns Terrific.
Soon the fringe of guns around the
metropolis began firing. and the long
whine of shells crossing each others
paths and exploding in a circle around
the city showed that the cunning en-
envy pilots had. for the first time, di-
vided their forces into many groups,
ard were trying to penetrate the bar
rage simultaneously at many places.
The noise of the guns at this time was
terrific; / have heard a greater din
only during drum fire In great battle
I'm France. (Delete6 by censOr.)
The circular barrage around central
London went on for nearly ten min
utes, while the sky seemed filled with
twinkling lights that showed where the
shells were bursting. There were other
lights, too; lights that did not twinkle
and go out, but Travelled about; but
the mysteries of the defense Of Lon
don ere not to be too closely inquired