ZEPPELIN BOMBED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2515, 17 July 1915, Page 12

ZEPPELIN BOMBED

LIEUT, VVAENEFORD'S FEAT ~ - BRILLIANT EXPLOIT DESCRIBED Rotterdam, Juno 7. . Iu tho early hours of this morning tliero took place over Ghent tho most thrilling,and important aerial contest in the war—a conflict between a Zeppelin and aeroplanes, which resulted in .tlio total destruction of tho former with its wholo crew of twenty-eight officers and men. Other German airships have been lost from various causes or forced to descend within the German lines, but this is tho first authenticated caso in which a Zeppelin has been brought to bay by its hornet-like foes and sent to total destruction as' tho result. And this splendid victory—the finest yet to the credit of aeroplanes—was secured by only two machines, one British and the other French, which attacked tho great foe with magniflcont daring. Details havo been'given me by eyewitnesses from Ghent who crossed the frontier this afternoon. Exchange of Shots? The Zeppelin was returning from a scouting expedition along tho Belgian coast as part of the training being carried on every night. for raids on England. The great ship, one of tho larg-. est yet seen, composed of eighteen separate gas compartments, first rose to a tremendous height in an attempt to evade her pursuers, and then mado at a great speed for the harbour refuge— tho airship l station at Gontrode, a little to the south of Ghent. But the Zeppelin never reached . its shed. Approaching Ghent it had necessarily to descend to a lower altitude,, and its intrepid foes were able to get to real grips with it. They fired with rifles, and the enemy replied hot only in similar manner, but also with machine-gun fire and many rounds of shell from small cannon. The Dropping of Bombs. .Apparently this exchange was ineffective on both sides, and an opportunity for the aeroplanes to assail the enemy with bombs did not come until tho Zepploin was passing over Ghent itself, and was dropping lower and lower, ; so as. to make for the shed outside. "As tho airship was gradually descending, both. aeroplanes swooped npwards. : With wonderful skill they got directly above tho Zeppelin, and began dropping bombs. ' One or more of these immediately , found the mark. Tliero were some , small explosions,' and then a burst of fire.- This spread until the whole airship was enveloped in flamo and smoke. At the moment when this happened it was still at a considerable height. Then it suddenly fell in a tremendous smother of fire and smoke. Fire Scenes In the Beguinage. Unhappily-it crashed down on to the Grand Beguinage de Sto. Elisabeth, a nunnery, one of- tho best known in Belgium, - situated in tho suburb of Mont St. Amand. Tho burning mass set fire to the buildings on which it dropped, inhabited just now not only by iiuns but also by. a, large number of Belgian women and children refugees. Terrible scenes followed. Many of the crew were already dead, and their bodies were flung about in all directions. Not ono survived. ■ In the Beguinage two nuns perished. A bravo man lost his life in attempting rescues. With a child in his arms he leaped from the burning room, and botli were killed. Another man, also in an effort to save a child, jumped from the second dor window and broke both legs.. • i Tlio Beguinage forms a little town of itself, inhabited by about 700 members and enclosed by walls and moats, with a square gate, eighteen convent buildings, and a church, which forms tho central part of tho whole. The houses; though nearly all of two stories, Gothip, bricked buildings, all differ • slightly in appearance, and form a very picturesque ensemble. The-Order was founded in 1240. The 'nuns belonging to it havo to devoto themselvos not only to a religious life, but to works of charity, and ;saa3nmi joi jtjoai pipuiods ouop oacii during the war.