The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-05
THE NIGHTS WORK
In THE BIG
t
BOMBING MACHINE
How the Airman Steals
Upon His Prey
RAILWAY JUNCTION
GOES UP IN SMOKE
And Then the Aviator
Slowly Went Home

British Airforce Headquarters in
France, Sept. 21.-(Correspondence
of the Associated Press.)-The OBJ
server settled himself beside the pilot
in the big bombing machine. On
either side the engines roared. The
signal was given, and the machine
moved forward, tunred into the wind,
and rushed across the grass into the
night.
i 1t climbed swiftly in wide circles.
Below could be seen the dim country
side where a few scattered lights
twinkled. Far to the right lay the
winding river, showing the course for
the first stages of the two hundred
mile journey to the German town
which formed the nights objective.
In front of the two airmen in the
cockpit glowed the phosphorescent
dials of the recording instruments.
Soon they registered "a sufficient
height for the machine to turn
toward the fighting line, up and down
which great white star shells were
rising, to hang suspended for a few
moments before fading out into the
darkness.
The wing lights were switched off,
the lines were crossed, and friendly
territory was left behind. Far ahead
the glare of many blast furnaces
oh
long white fingers of German search
lights swept restlessly to and fro.
The machine flew on steadily, how
ever, unscathed by the fierce barrage
of shells which burst thickly far be-
low it. Soon the first barrier OF
defense was passed, and for a long
time the airmen flew over mile upon
mile of enemy territory over dimly-
lit towns and sleeping fields and vii
lagos. They had been flying over
German territory for more than two
hours when they saw ahead of them
on the river the lights of another big
city. This was their objective, anc
at once the machine swept rouno
towards il.
The observer, lying face down
opened the sliding door in the fiool
of the machine The pilot steered the
machine around by the observers dl
rections so that it might follow the
railway, and so find surely the great
railway junction that was to be thu
target for his bombs. Two search
lights had now sprung up, and here
and there in the sky burst a few ran
dom shells. The big city twinkline
with hundreds of carefully shaded
lights lay spread now below the OBJ
servers peep-hole. The fore-and-aft
bar of the bomh-sight drew near't thu
station, and touched it. The OBJ
servers hand reached out to the
bomb-release lever at his side. HI
pashed the lever hand over, drew i
back, and pushed it over again ant
again. Below he could see for {
moment the fat cylinders spinning
down towards the railway junction.
He climbed up beside the pilot, ant
told him 10 turn. The searchlight
erratically swept to and fro, with ev
cry suggestion of panic, fear, OF lacl
of skill. The airmen, sweeping round
started on the long homeward jour
ney.
The observer was looking down in
tently to the black triangular mas
of the railway junction, with it
crowded sidings. A great squirt O
red fame leapt up at its edge, as th
first bomb exploded. Then anothe
followed il, right in the junction
Then another, and yet another. TIL
fifth caused a tremendous explosion
followed by binding white flame
acres of it, Clearly an ammunitio
train had been hit.
Then the others burst, one afte
another, leaving the railway junctio
shrouded in moonlit smoke throug
which the red light of growing fir
glared duly.