THE AIR RAID ON LONDON.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5259, 19 October 1915, Page 4

THE AIR RAID ON LONDON.

FIX'S AREAS BOMBED

Electric Telegraph—Press Association. Copvricht.

London. Last Niglit. Tlie Press Bureau gives an official description by an eye-witness ot the recent Zeppelin raid. The machines flew high, to prevent destruction from anti-aircraft guns. An official Berlin report proves that the raiders were grossly in error in their "belief as to w here they dropped their bombs. Tlie places of (‘ntertainment were full and the population was about its ordinary pleasure and business. Though hundreds of thousands heard the lioriibs and guns, they remained calm, and free from panic A second raid took place a lout midnight in another part of liondnn. Tlie sounds . f tlie explosions were plainly heard in the theatres; hut there was a commendable absence of panic. Tlie throwing of bombs in five distinct areas was distinguisliabi* In the first there was little or no residential property, but chiefly large business buildings, with wide* street*. A number of casualties occurred. All the victims were either sitting :n their front rooms or walking the streets. Jn the second area there was a large block of residential flats. There we're no casualties. In the third area there was a large, modern building of reinforced concrete with steel and concrete roof, but did little damage. Tlie fourth area was composed entirely oi working-class houses and .-mall shojts. One group of houses was entirely destroyed by a single ttomb. The last area was a suburban one, consisting entirely of detached and semi-de-tached houses. Here the largest mini|w‘r of were dropped A strikmg feature of the bombardment was the number of cases in which "i*e lioinbs missed buildings and struck gardens only Many astonishing escapes are reported. A mother" and daughter ivho were asleep ojj uppm- room were thrown into the street, and both escaped death. A bomb fell on the centre of a iiouse. killed two children. and Never*- y injured a third, also the fatl*cr and mother. Another bomb fell in a street :n which a youth was saving good-night to his girl He wa- kilb «i<l. while the girl was uninjured. An old man on the pavement had hi- arm blown off. and lie died. At- the inquest on the victim* the Coroner said it had been j>oint.xi <-111 to hint that the signal lights on lie railways had not l*oen ext nor screened. He was given the; information by the Admiralty Tie ( oroner added : "Inqtn'sts are n*»t ocensions for angry outbursts against t.ho Germans." The verdict r.'uirnol was that death had Uvn cati.*»»l In injuries sustained tram bombs front enemy aircraft. MORE DISTRESSING DETAILS. Received this day at 9.LA a.-n.i Lomlon, Thi* Day. Kvid«-nce at the inquest on an additional twenty-three Zcpjx'lin vic-t-in's. all in on*' Lomlon urea, showed that a railway goodsman was hilled while entering a restaurant. Huh his thighs were broken, lint hi* wile, who was la-side him was unhurt Another man outside tin- satin' house w as cut through tin- neck with br»»k*'ti glass and killed. A woman iiear-bv had the lower part of the -pine smash*-*!. Another tomb sinuk a motor 'lm s. kiiling til*' driver, i* n actor and a sinx-ial constabh'. A 'ions*' ihvurator was Imdly injured ami *.-nt to hospital. He insist*-*! on tin- .lector first attending a man next to him. Both succumbed in a few hours. Tin- Coroner, summing up. suggested that the jury should refrain from expressing indignant feelings in the verdict. The father of one etim protested that his son had Ixs-n -dik'd liv tin* Kaiser's *>r«l«-r. ‘"I snnumui •he Kaiser." In* said, ‘‘to moot tue before the jiulgment s*-at *>f Go*l and .111,1 r lor the <bath ol m.\ .**>n and of tin s*other twenty-two poor jx-oph " \ verdict. was returiu'*! t-hat the <l* rhwero tin- resii't «it th< air mid.