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Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue LXXXVIII, 12 September 1914, Page 3

FLIGHT FOR HOME TOURISTS' DIFFICULTIES

SOME EXCITING ADVENTURES ALL LUGGAGE LEFT BEHIND. (FROM OUR o\\ N CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 15th August. Tourists on the Continent had most exciting experiences in the one endeavour to get back to England. Many could not return, and for the time being have been stranded. These undoubtedly include several visiting New Zealanders, nearly all of whom put in a short Continental tour during their stay on this side. They will now have to secure the good services of the nearest American Consul. One gentleman who reached Harwich on Monday said that not only were soldiers stationed on the bridges over the Kliine, but on each of the pieis under tne bridges two or three soldiers stood to prevent possible attempts to destioy the bridges. "On the railway bridge at Dusseldorf we could see the electric wires which connected with the explosives already laid beneath. Any attempt to take one of these bridges would fail, as with the pressing of a button an explosion would be caused. On the journey from Nijmegen "to Rotterdam we were twice forced out of the train to make way for Dutch soldiers, and when crossing one of the bridges Dutch soldiers came on board the train, closed all the windows, and kept a strict watch so that' no one should . attempt to damage the bridge over which we were jjassing. When off Harwich a small pinnace came out. in which were two soldiers and some naval men. One of these mounted the bridge and steered us in — a precaution, no doubt, taken because of the presence of newly-laid mines." Another traveller said : — "It is like awaking from an ugly dream. Many had lost much luggage on the journey, and some who had gone for hours without food made a rush for the restaurants as soon as the hgme Customs formalities had been completed. One of the first to leave was Sir T. Vansittart Bowater, the Lord Mayor, who has been visiting Brussels." An English family, who were anxiously reclaiming such of their luggage as had arrived, had an interesting story to tell. "We have been without food for sixteen hours," said the father. "We were staging at an hotel at Soissons when a mobilisation order arrived. In a minute all was activity. The chef went off, the head waiter was nowhere to be found, and the hall porter disappeared. All had gone to fight for, their country. At many places we heard' that people were turned out of their hotels, as thers was no one left to serve them. In the scramble for seats on the trains registration of luggage was ignored., LORD LONSDALE'S LOSS. Lord Lonsdale was also said to have lost all his luggage — and his cigars. "1 had been touring in a new 40 h.p. car," he said, "and heaving of the trouble I made for Boulogne and left the car in a garage. I went to ascertain the shipping arrangements, but on my return to the garage I Was informed that my car had been taken over by the military." An English officer, who bad been staying in Pans, spoke of the consideration shown by the French for the foreigner. "They did all they could to protect us, I hi declared. "People simply fought to, get on the London train, and at Boulogne all French people were compelled to leave the carriages in order that there might be room for the English." Two Yorkshiremen who left London only on Saturday for a holiday irip to France wore a dejected appearance. "We left," they said, "with a bottle of ginger beer and two sandwiches in our possession — and this was all we got up to now. Wo could not find any place to put up in, Paais, arid at' 3 o'clock this morning a guard took compassion on us and allowed us a corner of a building to sleep in. When we went to an hotel 1 for breakfast this morning we offered English gold, which was refused, so we have been, unable to get anything to eat." NINE HOURS ON A. PLATFORM. .A tourist who got back from Germany reports : " There were lots of English tourists in the train. The corridors were filled, with fugitives standing. Many were coming away without troubling to collect their things. A young Streatham lady was there with nothing but the slothes she stood up in. A Spaniard was there with four children and a rough collection of things he had got together in the space of twenty minutes. At the frontier the German coaches which' usually go on to Flushing were detached, and there was a long delay at Goch, which is the last station on the German side of the frontier. On the boat • from Flushing to Folkestone ' there were no fewer than 900 people. One English traveller told me he had stood for nine hours on a 'German station platform packed like a sardine among the thousands of people waiting to get away." . over' the barricades. Mr. Morley, a London actor, said he went to Paris three weeks ago for a holiday: "We. went for a motor tour round Paris on Saturday and we noticed that many provision stores were barricaded. I was accompanied by a party of five^ — three ladies, one over 70 years, and two gentlemen — and we decided to leave Paris for London by the 8.25 tram on Sunday morning. " We immediately went to the Gare dv Nord and found it crowded with people. The ticket offices were besieged, and we were there advised that the Sunday train would not run, and that it would be advisable to go by the train leaving at 9.20 on Saturday night. Wo discovered that it was impossible to convey our baggage to the station, and that the hotels were closed, as all tho waiters had left. " We arrived &n hour before the train was due to leave, and found all the gates of the station closed, and a line of gendarmes on guard. Thousands of persons were clamouring for admission, and although we went round to every entrance we could not get in. "The gendarmes, were very excited, and whenever they were not looking the people climbed over the barricade. 1 very quickly did this, despite the efforts of several gendarmes to pull m& back. There was talk of our train not leaving — in fact, the gendarmes were shouting out that no more trains would leave. " All our party succeeded in getting over the barricade. The old lady of 73 was mounted on the top of the barricade-, and promptly pulled down by a gendarme. The crowd expostulated, and told him to have pity on an old lady, and not keep her behind. The gendarme afterwards turned his back on the old lady, and she was then hoisted over. It was with great difficulty that we managed to secure places in the train, and' when we got to Calais there was a great rush for, the boat. After a terrible battle we all managed to get on board and reach London." LORD WINTERTON ESCAPES. Lord Winterton, M.P., one of the last to get through from Germany, brought news of the attempted assassination of the German Crown Prince. "On reaching the German frontier," he said, " an officiaf told the passengers in the train that an attempt had been made on the life of the Crown Prince, and he read a telegram authorising a