IN THE AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1916, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

LATEST RAID ON BRITAIN. F.TGHT COUNTIES VISITED. INCENDIARY BOMBS DROPPED. A NUMBER OF FATALITIES. i London, March 6. The Zeppelins visited several counties from Yorkshire to Kent. Twelve persons were killed and thirty-three injured. London, March (!. Official: It is believed that three Zeppelins participated in the raid. After crossing the coast they took various courses, and their devious flight suggests that they were uncertain as to their bearings. They visited Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Essex, and Kent, and dropped about forty bombs. Three men, four women, and five children were killed and 33 injured. Two terraces of houses were completely destroyed, one office, one public-house, a cafe and several shops partially destroyed. A block of alms-houses was badly damaged and a block of workmens' dwellings demolished. Here a woman and four children were killed and the husband seriously injured, A doctor's house in another locality was wrecked, but the family escaped before the building was struck. A 00-year-old pensioner was burned to death in bed. The bombs were incendiary and explosive. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Wellington, March 7. The High Commissioner reports, under date London, March 6 (4.30 p.m.): The number of Zeppelins taking part in last night's raid is believed to be three. The airships were apparently uncertain as to their whereabouts. The area visited included Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshir?, Norfolk, Essex and Kent. About 40 bombs were dropped. Three men, four women, and five children were killed, and 33 injured. Two terraces of houses were practically destroyed, also some buildings damaged. A VISIT IN A SNOWSTORM. RESCUE WORK. Received March 7, 4.5 p.iu. London, March 0. The Zeppelins visited one county in a snowstorm. Some of the counties received warnings and precautions were taken, but no alarm was evinced. Rescue work was carried out by ■lflntcrn light while the snow was falling. A bedridden woman was dug out of the debris unscathed. There were sixteen victims, three fatal,, in one fine residential quarter. One or more of the Zeppelins remained in the neighborhood for nearly an hour, then went inland, and returned and renewed the attack when the weather cleared and it became starlight. Another Zeppelin was sighted this morning over a south-eastern county, at a great height. It did not drop bombs, and soared towards Ostend. — FURTHER DETAILS. ONE AIRSHIP PUNCTURED. Received March 7, 11.10 p.m. London, March 7. The Zeppelins apparently traversed Norfolk without dropping any bombs. About a dozen were dropped in a field in Rutland, without doing any damage. When the Zeppelins appeared over Kentish waters searchlights picked them up, and nearly three hundred shots from rifles and shells were fired at the raiders. They kept in view for twenty minutes and dropped four bombs, and then disappeared in clouds of smoke, which, an eyewitness declares, a Zeppelin produced. The bombs fell in a field, excavating large cavities. One of our shells burst close to a raider. There were strange scenes when the bombs were falling in the snow-clad streets. The sky was suddenly lighted with a flash of incendiary bombs, and then with a crash they were buried in drifts of fast-falling snow. Spectators believed that the last one of the Zeppelins was hit. An eyewitness, who had powerful glasses, declared that he saw a big rent in the envelope, and the torn fabric was flapping in the wind. The snowstorms in Yorkshire on Sunday were heavy, and it is expected that the weight of snow upon the envelope of the airship, which was as long aB St. Paul's Cathedral, would press down the airship, but apparently she was above the snow-clouds. BERLIN'S .REPORT. " 1 The Berlin Admiralty states: Some of our airships on the night of the sth heavily bombarded the naval base at Hull, the dock, and some buildings, with a number of good results. The observed airships were vigorously but unsuccessful! fired on, and returned safely. GERMAN BALLOON CAPTURED. Paris, March 6. A German captive balloon broke from its moorings owing to our fire and flew over Dunkirk very low. Artillerymen seized the ropes, dragged it down, and captured the two observers.