MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1916, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

I THE LATEST AIR RAID. , SIR JOHN FRENCH'S REPORT. PROBABLE RECONSTRUCTION OF ZEPPELIN. London, Sept. 3', A later mesage at 2.50 p.m. says:— Sir John French officially reports that thirteen Zeppelins participated in the London raid, ten making the eastern counties their principal theatre. Of three which reached London two were driven off and one destroyed by guns and aeroplanes near Enfield, the occupants being burnt. The English authorities hope to reconstruct the wrecked Zeppelin. Numerous bombs were dropped in the eastern and south-eastern counties. The extent of the damage and casualties is believed to be slight. OFFICIAL REPORT. London, Sept. 3. Official: Last night's raid was the most formidable yet experienced. The principal theatre of operations was the eastern counties, the objectives apparently being London and the industrial centres in the Midlands. 1 Our new measures fo_ the reduction and obscuration of lights undoubtedly proved efficacious, because the raiding squadrons, instead of steering a steady course as in the last autumr and spring raids, groped about in the darkness searching for a safe avenue to approach their objectives. Only three were able to approa;h the outskirts of London, and one appeared over the northern districts of London at 2.15 o'clock. Searchlights immediately picked, it up and anti-aircraft guns and aeroplanes heavily engaged it. After a few minutes the airship burst into flames, fell rapidly and was destroyed. In the wreckage of the engines were found the half-burned bodies of the crew. Our experts hope to he able to reconstruct portions of the fram&work. The large amount of wood used in the framework icems to point to shortage of aluminium in Germany. , The London defences drove off the other two airships without their being able to approach the centre of the city. A great numbei of bombs were dropped promiscuously on East Anglia and the south-eastern counties. Com plete reports of the damage and casualties have not yet been received, but the list will be issued on Monday. .Many bombs fell in the sea and in remote country districts. Persons who have picked up fragments of bombs are ordered to submit them to the authorities, and, if valueless for reconstruction, they will Le returned to the owners. A SPECTATORS ACCOUNT. The Weekly 'Jispw 'i savs an eyewitness was awakeiici jy the sound of ■bombs and heavy A'"" Searchlights were playing in %. urections, and one of the Zeppelin iv.if visible almost stationary. In fivi ni.nutes it disappeared for another five ninutes in a cloud, and then -we were <.i suddenly aware of a bright glow in the cloudy mist which developed intr a long sausage-like flame, and the sky .vas lit up by the flaming mass. It wok two minutes to descend, and seemed jeforu. reaching the ground, complete!' onsumed. The crowd sang a song i; onor_of the occasion, and the people's flight was boundless.

THE BLAZING ZEPPELIN. WATCHED BY CROWDS. Received Sept. 4, 5.35 p.m. London, Sept. 3. The Zeppelin crashed to earth 100 yards from a peaceful village church. A glare like sunrise was sten for miles. It wa 3 an awe-inspiring spectacle as it swept to the ground afire. Many thousands were watching, having been awakened by the bombs and guns, and gathered to the scene, while vehicles )1 all kinds arrived from miles round. The traffic on the great north road outrivalled Derby Day. The military authorities are guarding the ruins. Apart from ..he engines and parts of the hiigie propellors, the Zeppelin is now only ashes, the envelope being entirely burned. . , i ' ONLY TWO DEATHS f.O MItITARY DAMAGE. i London, Sept. o. [ Official: In the air raid a man and a woman were killed; eleven men and women and two children were injured. There were no casualties in the Metropolitan Police District, where twentyfive houses were slightly damaged and three horses killed. Elsewhere the ef- | fects -were of the slightest and no miiiJrtui "bus,.