The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-01

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the northern Karelian district as
Finland cedes in the south, on the
present Finnish border near
LeningradD.
1t was understood that v. A. Tan
ner, finance minister In the old cab
met, a member of the mission that
negotiated unSuccessfully three
times in Moscow on Russia's original
demands, and a friend Of Josef Sta
lin of his early revolutionary days,
was heading the new cabinet.
Firms Fight Back
The Firms had fought back yes
terday to the best of their feeble
ability. Two Russian planes were
shot down here, two or three else
where, and eight Russian tanks were
captured or destroyed. The Finnish
artillery also deueled the Russians
and a Finnish communique at the
end Of yesterdays hostilities said
that Russian troops who crossed
the border in several places were all
repulsed."
There seemed no possibility, how
ever, OF the Firms holding out for
long. The people here were stunned
by the first air bombings and fed
headlong to the countryside to avoid
new ones.
Three times yesterday, at 9.25 a.
m, 1925 p. m. and 2:45 p. H., Rus
sian planes bombed the city. CAST
alties were estimated at 200 in
Helsingfors alone. Some Of the city's
proudest buildings were ruined, in
Guiding Polytechnic College and the
German school.
The official count Of dead at mid
night was 30, but unofflcial esti-
mates were much higher. The city
was without electricity, the hydro
electric plant at Imatra having been
bombed, but the flare from burning
buildings kept the city lighted all
night.
Fleeing From Capital
In this Pickering light, the exo-
dus from Helsingfors got into full
swing at midnight. Those lucky
enough to have automobiles and
gasoline for them, were first out.
Other thousands trudged silently
through the snow to the dark coun-
tryside carrying blankets and bun
dies.
Before the undeclared war had
struck the city, 100000 Of the 300,.
900 residents had fed and today,
less than 10000 were left. Most Of
the evacuees did not 60 far. They
bivouacked on the outskirts of the
city, sleeping beside the roads or In
barns.
The city itself was deathly silent.
Rescuers worked all night fighting
fires and hunting dead and wounded
1t was estimated that so had been
killed IN one apartment building hit
by an incendiary bomb. saw 4
bomb hit bus. Several corpses were
spewed into the street.
Finnish Composer Killed?
Rumors had spread in Scandina-
via that the famous Finnish COM
poser, Jean Sibelius, had been killed
but that was doubted here. 1t was
believed his name had been con-
fused with that Of an engineer Axel
Sal.tander, who was consul general
IN New York from 1919 to 1922 and
who was severely wounded In the
bombing.
There was considerable panic, es-
pecially among school children, and
many episodes such as that OF the
man who seized an aluminium kit.
chen pot, stuffed paper into 1t and
damned 1t onto his head, inspired
by air raid workers he had seen
wearing steel helmets.
There were II planes In the at
lacking squadrons. They came In
triangular formation, paced by two
leaders. They approached from great
heights but dived low to dump their
bombs.
Among the buildings hit directly
was that of the Great Northern
Telegraph Company. None was In.
jured there.
The official summary Of yester-
days events was:
THE Russians crossed the border
at several places and were repulsed
Immediately at some points. All A.da-
slams were halted In the afternoon
The Russians bombed the towns of
Kota, Kemjaervi, Kittikai, Petsamo,
Uttis. Kaipiaia. The Russian fleet
shelled the Island Of Seitskaer ano
several points on the coast. The to-
tai number of dead and wounded Is
unknown"
Later unofficial reports described
fighting elsewhere and it also was
reported in Copenhagen that the
Finnish fieet-two coastal defense
boats of $500 tons, each carrying 4
10-inch guns: four obsolete gunboats
with three and four inch guns and
five small submarineS--had gone
forth from Helsingfors to battle the
Russian fleet concentrated near