Evening star., 1937-08-23

SHANGHAI, Angus. 23-An esti-
mated 400 persons were killed and
perhaps 1000 wounded including
three Americans. by heavy artillery
shell that smashed into a crowded de-
partment store section Of the Inter-
national Settlement today.
Scores of Americans marvelously
escaped death when a second projec-
tile pierced the six-story United
States naval warehouse and crashed
through to the bottom, but failed to
explode.
The wounded Americans were An
thony Billingham, staff correspondent
' for the New York Times. Hallet.
Abend, chief Of staff for the New
York Times in China. and Blanche
renney. Shanghai American.
Other Americans may have been
killed or wounded.
Police said they were unable to esti-
mate accurately the toll of injured and
killed. but 200 bodies we're counted
and there must have been as many
more.
Origin Of Shell Unknown.
Origin of the department store shell
was unknown. Some military ex-
perts said 1t may have been \ l20-
pound S-inch shell which Japanese
warships of Woosung were firing
to protect landing of reinforcements.
The shell struck Marking road at
the busiest corner OF Shanghai, On
one side of the intersection, the huge
seven-story building of the Sincere
Co.. Ltd. department store was
crowded with shoppers.
Across the street the newly opened
le-story building OF the Wing On g.
Co. department store, somewhat
larger, was equally jammed. The two
stores are Chinese owned.
japanese Land $4,000 Troops.
Supported by an all night lombard
ment. japanese landed reinforcements
down the Wangpoo River, near the
Chinese Woosung forts. The Japanese
consular Office reported $4,000 fresh
troops landed in the face Of intense
Chinese artillery fire. Military observ-
ers said they expected Japanese to
launch heavy offensive tonight.
Chinese said their troops drove off,
. japanese force moving inland to
strike Chinese lines from the rear, but
japanese held the right oank of the
Wangpoo near its confluence with the
Yangt9e.
Most Of the nearly 100 Japanese
varships in Shanghai waters Joined in
the protective barrage which preceded
landing of reinforcements.
Chinese said daring raids by their
new mosquito-like sea sleds had sunk
several Japanese warships. The sui
eide" boats zip over the water to
launch torpedoes.
After the explosion on Nanking road
Chinese and Japanese troops intensi-
fed the air, land and artillery battles
on the fringes of the fiame-swept city.
Fronts Of Two Buildings Blown Away.
The shell screamed toward the
settlement and exploded in q mass
Of humanity. The fronts of the two
buildings occupied by the Wing On
h Co. were blown away. The entire
facade and one whole corner Of the
Sincere & Co.'S great department
store also were blown out.
After the explosion, bricks, timbers
and even steel girders hurled through
the air. adding to the destruction.
The crowd went crazy in its panic.
some probably were trampled to death.
Abend, wounded in the foot, fought
his way through q mob carrying
Dillingham;.
Semi mi-conscious, Billingham collapsed
In the street. There we're four shrapnel
wounds in his chest. His left arm and
hand we're mutilated. He suffered
from shell shock.
A shell also struck the crowded
Ward road prison in the northern
sector Of the settlement.
At the Sincere & Co. building the
destruction was terrible Only . few
minutes before it had been crowded
With shoppers. Hundreds Of bodies
lay In piles. It seemed as II the force
CSee CHINA Pare A.91