IN THE AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1916, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

ZEPPELIN AIR RAIDS. -PREVENTED BY BRITISH DEFENCES. New York, Jan. 12. Dr. YV. If. Vincent, of the Colonial Medical Corps, which has arrived from England, reports that twelve attempts hv'Zeppelins to bombard London during IJcvmher failed owing to Riiain'- efieelive defences. AIR RAID ON VERONA. "MANIACS OF MURDER." Describing the recent air raid by Germans on Verona, Mr. A. Beaumont, in a message to the London Daily Telegraph, says:— Austrian aeroplanes yesterday morning rivalled the cruelty of Austrian submarines at sea by dropping a bail of shells on unarmed, peaceful Sunday crowds at Verona, killing some 30 civilians and more or less grievously injuring 50 others. Universal indignation is expressed in the entire press to-day at this new demonstration of AustroGennan methods of warfare, which are superior to the ancient methods of the Goths, Visigoths, Huns and Vandals only iu that they are more scientific. A 9 a result of this infamous method ot warfare 19 women and children lay bleeding and mangled in front of the portico facing the market-place of Verona after a well-aimed shell had dropped from the sky, and in other parts of the city the bodies of hospital nurses and doctors returning from attending the sick and wounded were carried away after an indiscriminate dropping ot bombs.

Austrian official communiques describe these achievement? as "victorious attacks on fortresses," but future historians will probably find that onlv maniacs of murder could mistake a market-place for a fort. Agency despatches first mentioned only three aeroplanes as having appeared over the town at eight o'clock in the morning, but others counted five, and others even six. It is immaterial bow many there were. The fact is that, protected by mists, these Austrian aeroplanes had been able to approach the city undetected, and just as they readied the precincts of the town, as if to facilitate their mission of death, the clouds broke, and afforded them a vleat vision of the habitations below. Thousands of people were in the streets, dressed, and going to church, or assembled in the market-place. The Austrian aviators knew well it was Sunday morning, and that of all days in the week the people would be pursuing the most inoffensive avocations. They circled over the centre of the city, where some 3000 persons were gathered in the square where the weekly market is held. Some took refuge in houses at a signal from the public buildings, and a small group was collected under the portico, where they considered themselves safe. After circling over the square, one aeroplane dropped a. bomb, which, unfortunately, struck a small granite pyramid opposite where the group was assembled. It exploded and hurled fragments of stone, together with its own contents of shrapnel, on the assembled persons, 19 of whom were instantly killed, and their bleeding, mangled and mutilated bodies and limbs were dashed against the walls Of the building or scattered over the square; while twice this number of victims wero seriously injured and thrown on the ground. i Within the space of a few minutes other bombs were thrown, some falling harmlessly in yards or on buildings, whilst others dropped in the streets, killing and wounding unarmed civilians. A well-known doctor of Verona was among those, slain not far from the market, and another medical man, Professor Siehcr, who was with his little daughter standing at a window, had his jugular vein cut by a. splinter, and his daughter was also mortally wounded. Bombs fell on the building of the Chamber of Commerce facing the market square, known as the Piazza Erbe, and also on the houses in the Via Mazzini, Via Anfiteatro, Via Castlevecehio, on the Palazzo Angelini. on the iPorta PolJio. and on the walk of (tr* Tnma'