Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-12
THE WORLDS WAR
Through Woman'S Eyes
By ELLEN ADAlE
BiRRAGE AND BABIES
London Raid Stories
By ELLEN ADAIR

London, March 10.
7 HAPPENED to be walking along a
l. quiet road in the uburbs Of London
at 10 o'clock the other evening when
suddenly the crash Of guns broke out
and the pink maroon lights, which lcrN q
as u warning that enemy aircraft iI ap-
proaching, were shot into the sky.
There was a most uucarthly scream
ing Of sirens and hootcrs-u really deaf
enins noise!
And then the bombs began 70 tail.
Tho whole thing happened immcdi-
ately, before We even had time to run.
Behind US roarcd a certain wcll-bnown
"Archie"--Londou anti-aircraft quit.
and the pattcr.pattor from it's ghrapucl
as it fell OF the pavement was tar from
pleasant and rendered walking in the
open streets even more dangerous than
did Fritzs bombs!
But We have grown hardened these
days, and though wo hurried a little
faster than usual, We did not feel serl-
ously alarmed, nor Gid We get the Wind
up" as the soldiers say
TcrrOrs of Air Raids
Stories have been told me by SOM uf
the poorer LondOners concerning the
raids that run from grave to gay.
Churches, crypts cellars and tubes are
filled with the poor East tuders when
ever the raids begin. Their own miscr-
able dwellings AFFORD but little prUtcC-
ton, aud-judging from the way they
flock together into so-called "rerugeg
they evidently believe that there S
safety in numbers.
There are those among them, however,
who will not leave their ricllety homes.
I'D sooner die among me pots and
pans" declared one old lady OF eighty
four Who cIung tenaciously to her little
house, although she had "secu the front
door go past me up the front staircase"
Another old London woman, who is
too terrified to go to bed for fear Of
night raids, was saying What she would
90 when peace comes.
Il shall take INC stockin's off" she
remarked airily. II haven't had 'eiu off
for two years"
Heroic Little Girls
The hcroism Of the children in these
air raids is remarkable. Listen to the
story Of Il little ten-year-Uld girl, who,
along with her small brother, was ren-
dered homeless, her mother missing
After the relief committee had sent
them to a shelter, the little girl remem-
bercd that the lady upstairs" had 4
baby which was asleep at the time of
the explosion!
So she and her little seNen-ycar-old
brother sailed forth into the night to
find the baby
The boys courage failed him in the
darkened. bombarded streets and he ran
back into safety. But the little girl
went on, and IN the Garll she gropcd
about among the ruins and debris of
the tenement where once she lived, and
which was now reduced to atoms, until
She found the baby
1t was then too dark to venture back,
so the little girl sat nursing the baby in
the ruins alone all might and arrived
triumphantly at the relief depot the next
morning with tho baby in her small
arms!
A London tram COnductrcss told me
that her five little children, the Oldest
seVen-y year-old girl, were all alone at
home when the raid began.
As soon as she was off duty she hur-
ried home through the bonbardment,
creeping along in shelter Of walls and
houses and frightened for the safety Of
her babies.
The little ones are timid," she said.
They might have gone mad with fright
and rushed out into the Streets
But when she got home she found
that the eldest little girl-only seven
/ years-had got her four little brothers
and sisters out of bed the moment the
/ raid had started, had dressed them all
/ brought them downstairs, gathered them