The Washington times., 1926-07-12
FLED 8 MILES
IN TERROR

Il & 81 :
The miraculous escape Of Mrs. Dora
Dowling, wife Of Capt. Otto q.
Dowlfng, connmandant pf the shat.
tered Lake Denmark arsenal. is q
| story OF, experiences rivaling those
Of fleeing refugees In war-stricken
France.
Wounded BY Explosion
Mrs. Dowling told the story Of
the night Of horror an she sat in
the home Of Mrs. Harold II. VIII
liams.
1 She stiH wore the gingham dress
given her after her eight-mile run
Through the woods, during which
her lace dinner frock was torn to
shreds.
Her arms were covered with
scratches and bruises, q livid mark
showed en- her face where she was
knocked to the ground by the force
of the explosions.
| Nearby sat Mrs. Robert Proctor,
her niece. who with her husband,
had rushed to her aunt's side from
her home In Lynnbrook when news
Of the disaster was broadcast by
radio.
clasping her niece's hand. Mrs.
Dowling said:
1--WE all went through hell. That
lfg the only word that adequately
describes 1t. It viii be many years
before can begin to forget the
horrible experience.
II was sitting with Captain DowIs
ing in the sun parlor Of our home
watching the storm. Suddenly q
liiyfd streak of lightning flashed
zig-zag down the sky. He said to
me:
"eWasn't that q wicked one?'
Warned BY Orderly
"a few minutes later the phone
rang. I answered II and an orderly
said there was fire at the West
Gate.
"When I told him, he cried, oh,
i was off down the hill in his auto
mobile in q flash.
s'I went to the back window when
| the first explosion came. 1t broke
leyery back window in the house,
shook the plaster from the walls
knocked everythipg over. and threw
me to the floor.
"I staggered downstairs, intending
i to go after Otto.
"Then the second explosion came.
and as I went through the front
4 door the roof came crashing in.
sThe doors were torn from their
hinges and I narrowly escaped be-
/ ing crushed beneath them.
i "There is a high fence around our
| home, with very heavy iron gates
There was no guard there to let
me out, as usual. and I was dazedly
making my way. to them. wonder
ing how would get through.
Gates Toppled Down
'Then came the third explosion.
and fell three times on the way
to the gates. AS reached them they
toppled over before me.
"I rushed into the road. and as
II turned in the direction Of the
magazine, saw what looked like q
mountain Of fire rolling toward me.
l then turned into the direction OF
Denmark. and there. too. was a
horrible Ieaping mountain of flames.
There were deafeninE reports. and
became frantic.
Behind our house Is heavy
wood, and / decided to 20 in there.
save me from being burned Flive.
I saw others dashing through the
woods and Joined them.
with his Up torn half Off and
bleeding over his entire face. a
young pharmacist named Bernard
Shackman took me by the arm ana
helped me to run. Without him ]
could never have made it.
PrOjectiles Whizzed By
eve ran along the railroad tracks
In fhn afrnnffnn nf Groon pOnA
81 do not know how many were
fleeing with me. but there were
about eight marines in the group.
AS we ran along the tracks. every
few minutes some would call down
everybody"
"Then we would lie flat upon the
ground, while shrapnel and fiery
masses whizzed over our heads. We
kept this UP for eight miles until
we reached a cabin beyond the
firing area.
"It was occupied by a family
named Guerian, from Newark. who
live there during the summer. They
took us in and gave US all clothes,
for we were ragged
Then we were all taken by auto
mobile to the Morristown General
Hospital.
~ had grown frantic with worry
over my husband, and the nurses
undertook to, obtain news Of him.
When learned that he was at the
Dover General Hospital, / went
there immediately
"The superintendent said Captain
Bowling had been treated for
burned eyes and a badly lacerated
face, but had gone, insisting CT re-.
turning to the arsenal when he
learned / was safe.
by rigging up an emergency wire
my husband called me soon after
that at the hospital. think II was
the happiest moment Of my life
awhen ! heard his voice.