THE ZEPPELIN RAID

Nelson Evening Mail, 8 March 1916, Page 5

THE ZEPPELIN RAID

NO EVIDENCE OF PANIC. • .KENTISH, RAIDER RECEIVES WARM RECEPTION. LONDON, March 6. The Zeppelins visited one county in a snowstorm. Some counties received warnings, and precautions were taken. No alarm was evinced.

The rescue work was carried out by lantern light. Snow was falling. A bedridden woman was dug out of the debris unscathed.

There were 16 victims, three being fatal cases, in a fin e residential quarter." One or more Zeopelins remained in the neighbourhood for nearly an' hour, and then went inland'. They returned and renewed the attack when the weather cleared. Another Zeppelin was sighted' this morninqr in a south-eastern countv at a p-reat height. It did not drop bombs, and steered towards Ostend.

The Zeppelins apparently traversed' Norfolk without, dropping bombs. About a dozen were dropped in a field in Rutland., doing no damage. When the Zeppelin appeared over Kentish "waters the searchlights picked it up, and nearly 300 phots from rifles and shells were fired. The 1 aider kept in view for 20 minutes and dropped four bombs. It then disappeared in a cloud of smoke, which eye-witnesses declaim the Zeppelin- produced. The bombs fe.U in a field, excavating large cavities. A shell burst close to the raider. Strange scenes were caused by. bombs falling in the snow-clad streets The sky would 'be suddenly lighted by the flash of incendiary bombs. Then there would be a crash and they would be buried in drifts of the fast-falling snow.

The spectators believed that one Zeppelin was hit. An eye-wftnoss who had powerful glasses declared he believed ho saw a big rent in the envelope, the torn fabric flapping in the wind. The snowstorms in Yorkshire or. Sunday were heavv, and ft was expected that the weight of snow upon, the envelope, which was as long as St. Paul's Cathedral, would press down the airship, but apparently it was above the snow clouds.

GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. BERLIN, March 7. The Admiralty state that some airships on the roigh:t of the sth heavily bombarded the naval base at Hull and the dock buildings. A number of good, results were observed. The airships were vigorously hut unsuccessfully fired on, and returned in safety. ASTOUNT>INO SCENE IN YORKSHIRE TOWN. PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR HOUSES. (Rec. March 8, 8.55 a.m.'i LONDON, March 7, There was an astounding scene in a Yorkshire town. The police traversed the streets warning the inhabitants of the Zeppelin's approach. There was a heavy snowstorm, and most people were in bed. Bombs roused the town, but there was no panic, but a great exodus from the poorer quarters, despite the heavy snowstorm, to open- spaces, the people wearing their nightclctbes and few wearing their boots, and many carrying infants. Some hastily snatched shawls and table cloths, and trudged through the snow and -wind. They witnessed a fascinating spectacle. When the airship returned and poised overhead an eye-witness states it was more like a pre-arranged fireworks than a death raid. Blue fairy lights twinkled in the skv like stai's, and fhells, like falling rockets, lit up the snow until the airship suddenly started to roar and went off at a tremendous speed.

THIRTEEN DEATHS

(Rec. March 8. 11.5 a.m.) (Official.) LONDON", March 7. Ninety bombs were dropped indiscriminately in rural districts on Sunday. This was possiblv due to the rough weather, the Zeppelins, 'being uncertain of their whereabouts, -being anxious fro get rid of the bomibs before under cover of the darkness. Thiiteen, people were killed.