GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 319, 20 October 1915, Page 3

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

LONDON AIR RAID.

OFFICIAL REPORT.

FIVE AREAS VISITED

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE

LONDON, October 18

The Press Bureau official eye-wit-ness of the Zeppelin raid reports: It flew Ihigh to. prevent destruction from anti-aircralt "guns. The darkness 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 the raiders were grossly in error in their belief as to wjhere they dropped bombs.

The raid occurred at an hour when practically none, except children, were abed. The places of entertainment were full, and the population about ordinary pleasure and business. Tihough hundreds of thousands heard the bombs and guns they remoJned calm and free from panic. There was less excitement than on previous occasions. The official warnings to shelter were better observed. Most' people, when the guns ceased, went quietly to bed. There was a second raid about midnight, and on another part of London. Tlhe sounds of the explosions were plainly heard in the theatres, but there was a commendable absence of panic. Five distinct areas were distinguishable.

The first had little or no' residential property, but chiefly large business buildings and wide streets. Here four high explosive bombs fell in the streets an ( i a fiftih at the back of premises. The large buildings were thronged with people. The bomb penetrated and melted gas pipes and started a fire lasting several hours. Almost all glass in the neighbourhood .was destroyed, and there were a number of casualties. All were either sitting in front rooms or walking in the streets.

The second area was a large block of residential flats. A bemb fell in a garden and two rooms on the ground floor were wrecked. Another demolished a top storey. There wore no casualties.

The third area was a large, modern building of reinforced concrete, with a steel and concrete roof and flooring. A bemb dropped on the roof and did Pf'e damage. An old building near by was unable to withstand it. Fortunately the inmates were warned b;y previous explosions, and had taken refuge ous explosions, and had taken refuge in the lower floors a&l escaped. The fourtih area was entirely working class houses and small shops, One group of houses was entirely destroyed by a single bomb. The householders showed the utmost heroism and coolness. The last area was suburban, of entirely detached and. semi-detached ■houses. Here the largest number of bombs were dropped. A striking feature of the bombardment was the number of cases where bombs missed

buildings and struck gardens only

; There were many astonishing es capes. A mother and daughter sleep

ing in an upper room were thrown into the street. Both escaped death. A bomb fell in the centre of a 'house, killed two children, and severely injured a third, also the father and mother. Twenty houses in the road had doors and windows blown out. Another fell in a street. A youth saying geod-night to a girl was killed and the girl injured. An old man on the pavement jhad an arm blown off. He has died.

CONCERNING UNCOVERED LIGHTS.

LONDON, October 18

At the inquest on victims of the air raids.', the Coroner said it had been pointed cut to him that signal lights

on the railways were not extinguished or screened. He had given that informal ion to the Admiralty. The Coro-

ner added that inquests were not occasions for angry outbursts against the Germans. He warned the jury against ridiculous verdicts. The jury returned a verdict that the. deaths were the result of injuries received from bombs

from enemy aircraft.