Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1940-12-30
Level
Noted London
Landmarks
BY CHARLES A. SMITH

Dt &nsthLFbS ~. SbIii III
Int'I News Service staff Correspondent
LONDON, Dec. 30.-Some of the
most famous and historic buildings
in London, including at least six
churches and the beautiful old
Guildhall. were bombed and blasted
in last nights mammoth air attack
on the capital. authorities revealed
today as they surveyed the
damage.
The air ministry officially
charged that the blitz attack,
which lasted slightly more than
three hours but proved the heaviest
the capital has suffered, was q
deliberate effort TO set the entire
city on fire.
In New York today RCA
Communications. Inc. reported
that at 10 a. m. its communica-
tons with London were COM
pletely disrupted. Commercial
Cable Company and Western
Union cables previously had been
cut off for four hours during the
night raids.
MILE SQUARE CITY
THE actual city of London
is the approximately mile-square
area beginning with the lower
Strand and extending eastward
TO embrace the Guildhall. the
Bank of England and Thread
needle street among others.
These are the great arteries OF
finance and trade which COM
prise London's big business dis
trict. Metropolitan London itself
sprawls over an area almost IA
miles long,
A check OF the damage showed
that even centuries-old buildings
in the center of London. some OF
which dated back TO the great fire
of 1866. did not escape the wrath
of the Nazi airnen.
OLD BAILEY BLASTED
The historic central Criminal
Court building-Old Bailey-waS
among the blasted structures.
Flames left the Guildhall a
Quilted ruin. The Guildhall's ancient
banqueting hall, where the late
President Woodrow Wilson and
other noted Americans have been
feted in bygon.e years, was
wrecked, as was its splendid coun-
Gil chamber
But most of the halls historic
treasures were safe. having been
removed from London at outbreak
of the war.
An intricate network Of alleys
behind Fleet street and Just oppo-
site the building in which Interna-
national News Services London
bureau is situated suffered Sc
verely from incendiary fires.
Structures damaged in this area
included a famous old Moravian
church and ancient houses al
Neville's court and Chapel place.
The Guildhall School of Music
also was damaged as well as sew
eral well-known buildings in Fleet
street. Ludgate Hall. Banhill Row
and Queen Victoria street.
INSPECTS DAMAGE
The vicar of st. Brides Church
permitted this reporter to inspect
the damage there The gallery
the organ and most of the pews
were a mass of charred woodwork
and the windows all were gone. in
GLIDING the most valuable the
church has possessed.
The church spire was still
smouldering and fears were ex-
pressed lest its u bells. one oil
which weighs nearly 5000 pounds,
might come crashing down.
Gresham street was among other
famous London thoroughfares that
were tremendously damaged by
the raid. Here bombs FLASHED the
churches of St Anne and St
Agnes.
One of London's swankieSt and
most noted clubs. the Carlton
Club. a meeting place for politi.
clans. was directly hit and badly
damaged
Other bombs shattered valuable
windows OF the Church of st
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