THE ZEPPELIN RAIDERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144856, 7 December 1915, Page 7

THE ZEPPELIN RAIDERS.

A RUDE AWAKENING. SYDNEY MAN'S STORY. “The following account of ray experience is typical of hundreds and hundreds of others who were in London and eastern counties early in September,” writes Mr. E. J. Lamb, of Sydney, who is at present in London: — “f returned to London from tho provinces one evening, and intended going down to Epsom to stay, but, as it was rather late, put up at a hotel in town for the night. Just about 10.30, when turning in, a bomb exploded, apparently overhead, and 1 thought the building was hit, as there was such a shaking and shattering of glass in all directions. Tho concussion, or air pressure, was so terrific that not only were all tho outside windows broken, but evou the fanlights over the bedroom doors in the corridors.

“For a few moments, what with bits of ceiling and broken gla»s coming down, I thought it was all up with mo,; but it did not take long to hop out, grab an overcoat and a pair of boots, and get along to the staircase. As the house seemed intact, with tho exception of the, windows, I pulled tho apparel on and went back for some office papers and what few valuables 1 had lying loose. “Down in the entrance hall the inmates were crowding, and tho majority elected' to go down into the basement, but a number —including some Indies — stopped up, as they said it was better to die in the open rather than like rate in a hole. A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT. “It was a beautiful calm night, clnar, hut no moon, and from tho middle of tho roadway in front of tho hotel a Zeppelin could bo seen, nearly overhead, sharply outlined in tho concentrated rays of tho searchlight*-. It was a most magnificent sight—a huge fabric of silk and aluminium glistening like a silver-wrapped cigar. It really looked so splendid that one rather lost the sense of its murderous intent and villainy. Our guns, from different parts of London, had very soon opened tiro, and their shells wore bursting with quite a fine pyrotechnic display, but appeared to bo short, as tho Zeppelin was so hteh up. “I watched it intently, for over five minutes, until an old gentleman Irom Hull, who had lately boon through air raids there, warned mo of tho danger of shrapnel or pieces of shell from our guns falling back —some pieces did fall near bv —so wo got in under the porch. Just then a little boy came down tho staircase in his nightgown, crying for his mother, who, it appeared, had been suddenly taken off to a hospital for ,an operation. “IVo did our best to comfort tho poor little chap, and this incident altered the whole tone of affairs like a flash. Women, who were half fainting and moaning with fear, seemed to bo suddenly galvanised into fearlessness. Their fright was turned into anger, and they spoke of theso murderous wretches, the Germans. And the men went out into the road again, shook their fists at the Zeppelin, and cursed the owners of it. ‘‘The Allies have engaged in air raids over some of the Gorman arsenals and railway stations, but it was done in daylight, and purely to attack military stores and depots. Tho Germans have distinctly stated that they are employing their Zeppelins as part of their policy of friglitfulness with tho object of terrifying the civilian population of London and other large cities, and in every instance their bombs havo been dropped on or near private dwellings.

THE SCENE IN THE MORNING. “Next morning, by looking over the railing of a small square in front of our hotel one could see the I"-go hole in the ground where the bomb rcll. A few streets away a small tenement house was burnt by another bomb.from the same Zeppelin. Luckily there was no wind, and the fire did not spread. Close by, a cheap restaurant had all its front windows shattered, including some of the woodwork. I saw the place next day about noon, and to let you know bow little the Londoner is terrorised, it was well attended by, I suppose, its usual customers, all eating and joking heartily, and tacked to the broken window flame—which was propped up with a. pole—was a rough card hearing the legend, ‘Business as usual.’ “But, unfortunately, as you will see from the official account I enclose, there were a number of casualties'in.different parts of London, most of them poor people, and a large percentage of them women and children. And in the Berlin communique next day. referring to this particular air raid, it was stated the ‘results wore very satisfactory.’ “For my part, I may state that the noise of the bomb did not last very long in my ears; the spectacle of the huge Zeppelin is fading, but one cannot forget the little frightened boy crying out for his mummio .and who can help cursing eternally the vile fiends whoso avowed policy is to murder babies.”