The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1918-01-04
AIR RAIDS TOLD ABOUT

ne very ttiN VI tUt ali
raids he has witnessed, and which
have prpoven very disastrous to his
adopted home across the sea:
81 Coram Street, Russell Square,
London, w. C. |. Dec. 9th.
Dear Mama After about five
weeks freedom from aeroplane at
lacks, they came again this morn
ing during the darkness. The moon
was shining brightly, although it had
waned to about one-third full moon.
There were in all about 20 aero
planes. They attempted to get over
London from four different direc-
tions, but only six succeeded in get
ting over London. Two of these
were brought down by gun fire and
the crews taken alive. There were
three men in each aeroplane, all
Germans. Although they had killed
three people in London by dropping
bombs, the captured crews were ac-
corded all of the rights of prisoners
of war and given a good breakfast of
bacon and eggs, which they no doubt
looked upon as Injuries. According
to the official reports the aeroplanes
attacked the east coast ~ 80 A.
NJ, but were driven off. We received
no warning of this in London, but
slept through it. Another attack was
made at 8 A. NJ, on the river
Thames, about half way between
London and the coast. They were
driven off by the guns. While no
warning was given in my neighbor-
hood, we could hear it in distant parts
of the city and the people running in
the street soon convinced me that
something was pending. rose and
dressed, put on my overcoat and
went out l passed the Red Cross
ambulance station nearby and just
then two large Red Cross ambulances
drove up as they always do during
raid However, some policeman
came up and said that they had been
driven off and told all to go home.
On my way back | passed the rail-
way station, where about 1000 peo-
pie had collected in the street. The
police told the crowd to go home that
there was no warning. At this the
people all went away. AS soon as
returned to the hotel at 3 80 A. M,
again went to bed. When | had just
about decided to go to sleep again /
heard some one use door knocker
across the street. Brass door knock
ers always look so clumsy, but this
one made almost as much noise as
small bomb. Arose and looking out
of my window, heard a man tell his
friend, whom he had aroused by his
knocking, that there was another
warning. The warning had not reach
ed our neighborhood, but we could
hear the faint sounds of a warning
being given in other parts of the
city. In about five minutes the real
warning came which consisted of au-
tomobile hooters, police on bicycles,
blowing shrill whistles and shooting
take cover. l then dressed and after
waking four people in the hotel, some
of whom had not heard the warning,
l went into the street. / could hear
the guns roaring in the distance and
knew then that the attack was in
earnest. 1t was then 5 A. M. While
do not like to go down in the un-
derground railway tube because l
can not hear the guns so well, l saw
many people going down and went in
for little while. While passing down
the spiral stairway which leads more
than hundred feet below the ground,
| saw all kinds of people, old men,
women and children and many wom-
ed carrying babies in their arms. The
special constables had lined up the
people along the corridors deep down
in the ground and it was interesting
to see what people in their haste
had brought along with them. Many
were carrying small dogs. | saw two
little girls carrying large dolls. How
the bombs could have hurt the dolls,
do not know. Many brought food
and drink. While the underground
railway is well ventilated and per-
fectly safe place during an air raid, |
always prefer going somewhere else.
SO | went out about 5 80 A. NJ,
and found that the guns were still
going with a greater violence and /
could see some fires which lncendl-
airy bombs had started. | took shell
ter under some buildings and listen
ed to the waxing and waning of the
gun fire which indicated that they
were very near the neighborhood or
were far away. Many people stood
out in the street even when the
aeroplanes were very close and drop
ping bombs. During the quiet inter-
walls | walked about in the darkness.
When at 7 o'clock the automobiles
came by ar~o' 1cing, all clear, one
could see t.'n nds of people pour
ing out of ne underground railway
stations, WI they had gone for
refuge. Ha' Ng been deprived of
four hours si,ep, went home to get
my breakfas' rot feeling very much
worse for n" experience.
On several former occasions the
aeroplanes l." come directly over
the place whe2" was. When this hap
pens the guns follow them, throwing
bursting shell l around them. One
can then hear ne noise of the aero
rlane engines. he bursting of bombs,
the bursting shrapnel and what
alarms one T. # is the continuous
screeching OF . shells shot from
the guns. AS they rip the air with
whiz one alwovs thinks that they
may drop on m when they are
passing overhead from many guns at
the same time - much faster than
one can coUr During one raid
night as MANY s twenty thousand
shells are fred up in the air at the
oeroplanes which fly from one to
four miles above the earth.
Some months ago when there was
o number of MOONLIGHT raids in sue
cession, l went to within 500 feet of
battery of guns located in a large
open space. The moon was full and
lust after dark about 1880 p. M,
heard the faint noise of the guns in
L 4. -. IAx.