New-York tribune., 1918-02-01
Four Enemy Squadrons
Engaged in Two-Hour
Attack
French Airmen Shoot
Down One Teuton
Berlin Explains Assault as
Reprisal Measure; Crowds
Watch in Streets

we're Killed and fifty wounded in an air
raid last night, it is announced Off
cially.
One of the German machines was
brought down. The occupants were
made prisoners.
The raid lasted about two hours The
night was mild and clear and the moon
brilliant. The streets Of the city were
soon filled with crowds Of curious per-
sons, who watched the raiders and their
French antagonists circling above and
swooping down now and then. At in
tervas bursts Of machine gun fire were
heard.
planes Garry Lights
The French airplanes carried bright
lights. so that the gunners manning the
ground defcnces could distinguish
them. The German aviators signalled
each other with rapid flashes.
Explosions of shells and bombs con-
tnucd utermittently for two hours
and then gradually died away. At 2
o'clock the sirens signalled that all was
clear
The text of the announcement fol-
lows:
First information indicates that
four enemy squadrons crossed the lines
north OF Compiegne, proceeding toward
Paris. Thanks to the extreme clcar-
ness Of the atmosphere, the machines
were able to remain at a very high alti-
tudc. They approached from the north
aud northeast ard threw projectiles
over several Paris suburbs. Then they
flew over Paris, keeping for the most
part to the right bank of the river,
and dropped almost all their bombs in
few minutes
Bombs Fail to Go OFF
Several bombs failed to explode, but
and children. Two hospitals we're
struck. Several buildings were burned
or seriously damaged.
"Some thirty French airplanes went
to meet the enemy as soon as the alarm
was given Several combats occurred
to the north, in which one German ma
chine was downed The aviators were
made prisoner. One French machine,
in attempting to make a landing in
Paris on account Of motor trouble. fell.
The pilot and gunner were wounded"
"Threc hospitals were struck by L
bomb, fire breaking out in one of them.
under the regular conditions, the SAL
wage service worked with remarkable
rapdity. The iiremen were summoned
between l1:l0 and 1880 a. m. to thirty
different points in Paris and it's sub
urbs. Every summons was answered
simultaneously, and the fire appliances
arrived in the shortest possible time on
the scene Of the various fires.
"Some sixty of our aviators ascended,
of whom about thirty remained perma-
nently aloft. The defence cscadriles
which was cruising over Paris before
the alarm.
"The enemy. who lost one machine
after a fight above Chelles, has been
able to learn that the attack failed
to surprise the vigilance OF our aviation
service"
Fragments of proiectiles dropped by
the Germans and examined at the Mu-
ncipal Laboratory show that bombs of
three kinds were used by the invaders
according 10 "L'Intransi igeant.' They
were winged torpedoes, weighing from
100 20 200 pounds; explosive bombs and
incendiary bombs, the two latter burst
ing minute after falling. No traces
OF asphyxiating gas bombs were found
The total number of bombs dropped
is estimated at seventy.
U. S. Red Cross Helps
American Red Cross ambulance work
ers assisted in removing air raid vic
tins to hospitals. The entire ambu
lance personnel was modified, and had
their machines waiting for calls within
forty minutes after the commencement
of the raid.
The French machine which was
forced to land on account Of motor
trouble descended in the Place de la
Concorde, just to the right Of the pillar
surmounted by the stone horse from
the Marty Palace, which marks the en-
trance to the Champs dElysees.
The aviator. Lejuge, was seriously in
jured, but his companion, Sachem, was
scarcely hurt. AS soon as the machine
landed American nurses were on the
spot Offering their services.
AS the gasolene of the aircraft was
escaping from the reservoir a taXicab
driver calmly flied several empty cans
with the valuable liquid, which is very
scarce in Paris,
President Poincare, Premier Glenn
enceau and General Dubail, Military
Governor Of Paris, Joined the great
crowds of other Parisians in visiting
the localities where the bombs had
fallen. The President visited person
ally large number of the injured.
In the street crowds the conversa-
tion turned chiefly upon the amazing
not much was seen, except the spark
ling signal lights and remote flashes of
the machine guns. 1t appears that
thousands of persons mounted to the
roofs and watched the scene through
out During the attack the newspaper
Offices had difficulty in mobilizing their
printers from their points of vantage
on the roofs to go on with their work
Raid Acts-a Tonic
Representatives Of The Associated
Press heard various street discussions
as to the psychology Of the German at
tacks. The common opinion was that
they would be tonic to the fighting
spirit Of the Frenchmen rather than
depressing in their effect. A predomi-
nant feeling seemed to be that there
should be such reprisals by the French
as would convince the Germans that it
was not worth while to drop bombs
upon non-combatants.
A Paris policeman, who by reason
of his occupation was conversant with
the regulations, rushed to window
of his home and was killed by frar-
ment of bomb His wife, who stood
beside him, was not hurt. Few per-
sons took refuge in the underground
stations as compared with the people
of London.
The pictures. Gobelin tapestries and
other works Of nrt which have been in
stalled in Versailles Palace will again
be removed to place of safety as a
prccaution against air raids.