SCENES OF HORROR

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21215, 11 September 1940, Page 8

SCENES OF HORROR

SCREAMS AMID FLAMES HEROISM OF RESCUERS WORK AS BOMBS FALL (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 11, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 10 A mountainous black cloud of smoke was hanging over London this morning. The police guarded the entrances to all affected areas, pending the fixing of barriers. The streets were filled with dust and smoke. Ambulances and demolition waggons still raced along the roads. The rescuers over a wide area are still searching buildings for victims. Most distressing scenes are in progress, not only in the East End but areas far westward. Warehouses in the vicinity of St. Paul’s were ablaze. The Church of St. Mary Le Bow, of Bow Bells fame, after a long period of anxiety was pronounced out of danger. Rescuers in many parts of London worked extricating people from collapsed houses with bombers overhead. Two bombs falling on a London square demolished one house and damaged every other. A member of the air raid precautions staff said: “It is not the fires and damaged buildings which upset us but the sight of little children with gaping wounds, others killed outright, people screaming amid the flames, women frantically trying to save their babies, men searching for their families.” A bomb in a Central London district demolished a women’s hostel, causing the surrounding area to be evacuated. Bombs fell on two hospitals in Central London, shattering the roof of a children’s hospital and causing a fire on the top floor. Maternity Hospital Hit A second bomb hit a maternity hospital. A nurses’ home was also struck. There were no casualties in any of the three places. The maternity hospital contained thirty mothers and twenty babies. The patients were evacuated within a quarter of an hour. The bomb which hit the maternity hospital seriously damaged the ground floor of a nearby publichouse. A broken water-main threatened the lives of eight people who were taking refuge in cellars, but screams from the trapped people attracted the attention of rescuers. Several people were killed when a high explosive bomb fell in Northeast London, seven houses crashing into a huge pile of debris. Firemen fought fires in the vicinity of St. Paul’s for eight hours, amid falling bombs and crashing debris.

Fires raged in several localities around the cathedral, which was not damaged. The wind blew the flames from the nearest fire away from the building.