Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-06-04
BOMBS MISS
HOSPITALS;
KILL BABIES
Attack By Enemy Squadron
On. Red Cross Refuge of
Wounded Americans Fails
of Its Purpose; French
Nurses Slain.
GIRLS FROM STATES
BRAVE UNDER FIRE
rBy Associated Press Staff
COrreSpOndentl

rBy Associated Press Staff
Correspondent
With the American Army in France,
Nav 3O.-Delayed,-G airmen
made a pretentious raid on the area
behind the American lines in Picardy
last night. Bombs were dropped on
oil sides of one of the largest hosp1t-
ais in a town many miles to the rear
OF the front. American and French
wounded soldiers were carried to
cellars and caves by American nurses
and members of the American Red
Cross.
Only few persons were injured by
flying glass as most OF the WINDOWS
IN the hospital had been shattered by
bombs dropped the previous night.
BABIES ARE SLAIN
Several private houses were
wrecked and a number Of civilians. in
Guiding several babies, were killed
and injured.
That the raid was planned on a
much larger scale than recent ones
over this territory, is evidenced from
reports made by many Americans in
villages over which the raiders
passed. The Germans came in wave
formation and then scattered widely.
One squadron dropped bombs few
hundred feet from an American field
hospital and at the same time one of
the long range guns shelled village
few hundred yards away.
FRENCH NURSES KILLED
The first alarm was sounded at II
o'clock. The dropping of bombs and
~ - toll 10
began almost Immediately. Later
there was a brief pause after which
the raiders returned, to remain al
most until dawn.
In some instances. the bombs fell
within thirty or forty feet of a hos
pital building but, fortunately, there
were no direct hits. A French nurse,
her mother and two little sisters wera
killed In house short distance from
q hospital. Another nurse was stand.
ing on the upper floor Of the hospital
ministering to patients when a piece
Of bomb struck her, piercing her lung.
PATIENTS ARE UNFRAMED
Five American nurses were in tho
same hospital. They we're Miss Ma.
talie Scott of New Orleans, Miss Hell.
en- Spalding of Brooklyn, Miss Mary
McCadlish Of Atlanta, Miss Blanche
Gilbert of Cleveland and Miss Con.
stance Cook of San Francisco.
While the raid was in progress they
went about cheering the patients.
Although many serious cases of sick
and wounded were aggravated be-
cause they had to be moved the
nurses had to carry them to the lower
floors and cellar.
1T was an exciting time" said Miss
Scott, but there was no panic
Some of our boys actually slept
through it all, although their beds
were showered with broken glass"
ONE AMBULANCE DEMOLISHED
Three American ambulances were
caught in the raid. Sergeant Ethan
Wells of San Francisco. who was
driving the first ambulance said:
Our three ambulances were hurry
ing to hospitals with patients when
bomb wrecked building directly in
front Of US, in narrow street. Our
ambulance was perforated by flying
missiles. We were hurled out but es-
capped with few scratches
The second car apparently received
the fun force of the explosion and was
wrecked completely.
WORSE THAN TRENCHES.
Private Roscoe Wiley of Madison
vile, Texas, was driving the third car.
Sergeant J. w. Nodler of Altoona. Pa,
and three patients were with him.
There was wreckage all around
al" said Sergeant Nodler. Injured
civilians in the shattered houses near
Oy were begging for help. We all
pitched in as soon as we had recov-
cred from the shock and assisted in
the work of rescue We had to dig
many persons from the debris, by the
light of small pocket lamps. Mean.
while enemy aircraft were buzzing
overhead. The barrage was deafen-
ing. Bomb continued to fall 1t was
worse than anything in the trenches.
would rather have been in No Mans
land