THE BABY-KILLERS

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 248, 19 October 1915, Page 5

THE BABY-KILLERS

DETAILS OF THE RAID.

DESCRIPTION BY OFFICIAL EYE-

WITNESS.

(Received Oct. 18, 8.20 p.m.)

LONDON, Oct. 18

The Press Bureau reports: An official ey^-witness. describing the recent' Zeppelin raid, states that^the airships flew high to prevent destruction from anti-aircraft guns. The •darkening of the- metropolitan area, together with the "height, certainly ■prevented the enemy discovering the exact position of places of importance. The official Berlin report proves that tli** raiders were -grossly in error lit their 'belief as to where they dropped bombs. 'The raid lasted an "hour. Practically none except children weiv abed, places of entertainment were full, and the population were about their ordinary pleasure*or business. Though hundreds of thousands lieard the bombs and the guns they re-, mnined calm and free from panic. 'There was less excitonfeiit than on previous oecasoiis. "' ' The official warnings to take shelter.were better •observed. Most people v when the •guns rceased, -went quietly to bed. There was a second raid about midnight in another part of London. The sound of explosions was plainly heard at the theatres, but there was a com-' mend able -absence -of. panic. IFive -dis-in-irct areas were visited. Tn the first there was little, or no residential pro■poj'bv, there being chiefly large busari<?ss buildings with wide streets. .Here four liigli explosive bombs fell in tho street, and.-a "fifth on the back premises of a large "building thronged with people. A bomb penetrated the railways atid melted the gaspipes, which started a fire lasting for several hours. Almost all tho' glass in. the neighborhood was destroyed.. 'There were a Traniber of casualties, a'U either sitting in their front rooms- or walking in the streets. . : The second area iras'a -Tar""* l>loek ■ p'f .residential flats. 'A I'-mi'b i't'Tl ii> •n''..-garden: Two rooms on the ground -fteror were wrecked, and another bomh demolished the top-storey. There were no casualties.

Th-3 'third .area vras : compowxT of a. large modem building of reinforced concrete, -with a steel and concrete roof and, flooring. __ A bomb dropped on tlie roof, but did little damaee. An old building near.by was unable to •-withstand it. Fortunately the inmates, warned by previous explosions, took refuge on the lower floors and escaped. -

The fourth area consisted entirely of working-class houses and small shops. One group of houses was entirely destroyed by Ja- single bomb. Tho householders showed the utmost heroism and coolness. . "

The fifth area, was suburban and contained entirely dHachod or semidetached houses. Here the largest number' of bombs were drooped. A striking feature of< the bombardment was the- number of cases in which bombs ~ missed the buildings and struck the g'-nrck>ns only. . There .were many astonishing: escapes. A mother and daughter were sleeping in an v.opor room. They were thrown into the street and both, escaped, death. A bomb fell on the centre of a house., killed two children and .severely injured a third, also the father and mother. Twenty houses :n the same road had Iheir doors and windows blown out. ' Another bomb fell in the street, -anti a youth .sayimr good-night to his girl was killed. The girl was injured. An old man on tire pavement had his arm blown off and died from the injury: