Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder

 Germn Warships Visit.  Large Number of People: Kiled or Wounded. THE RAIDWG CRUISERS CAME. Large Numfer of People Killed or Wounded. The German ;"leet has paid its long de- ferred visit to English shores, and after its fashion of aaking warfare has bom- barded a numipr of unfortified holiday resorts, killing >ver (!0 people and injur- ing nonrly 100, resides cluing considerable damage to Scariorough, Hartlepool, West liartlepool, andW liitby, before scurrying back to its Jiidjig-place in Heligoland. The story, as told in official documents, begins with the allowing statement issued by the Seeretaryof the Admiralty on Wed- nesday morning — German movsn-cnts of some importance are taking place tiis morning in the North Sea. Scarborough aid Hartlepool have been shelled, and our loiillas have at various points been engagtd. The situation i; developing." Some little time' later the subjoined message came froril the War Offiee:- The Secretary ri the War Office an- nounces that the fortress commander at West Hartlepool reports that German war vessels engaged that fortress between eight o'clock and nine o'cbck this morning. The enemy were driver off. A srrali German war vessel also opened fire on Scarborough and Whitby." SUCCESSFUL RETREAT EFFECTED. At p.m. last night the Secretary of th A dmi ralty mach the following a ll- noin cement:— "This rr. or n i iiq, German cruisers rtade a demonstration upon the York- fhire coast, in the course of which they ihelicd Hartlepool, Whitbv, and Scar- borough. A number of the fastest ships were employed for this purpose, snd they remain-d about an hour on the coast. They were engaged by the patroi vessels on the spot. As soon as the presence of the enemy was reported a British patrolling squadron endeavoured to cut them off. On being sighted by British vessels the German retired aí: full speed, 2nd, favoured bv the mist, succeeded in making good their escape. 1, The losses on both sides are small, but full reports have not yet been re- ceived. The Admiralty takes the oppor- tunity of pointing out that dfmo?istra- tions of this character against unforti- Jed towns or cemmerrial ports, though jOt difficult to accomplish, provide-I hat a certain amount of risk is ao ptcd, arc devoid of military sig- fficance. "They may cause some loss of life .tnong the civii population, which is tfuch to be regretted, but they must nit in any circumstances be allowed to modify the general navai policy which is being pursued." The Press Bureau at 11 pm. an- noinced that the following casuaities jBCUrred at the towns named :— Killed. Wounded. lartlepoof -22 1S Vhitbv 2 2 fcarfcerough 13 casuaities. Hall places there was no panic. I A TiME TABLE. -1.. jF 2o0 years have passed since I-ngI(t--ooa.st towns have been ivjcjharried a enemy tfeet, and that was in 1667. "when Admiral de Reuter raided the Thaus and attacked Sheernes., The rocen attempt on Yarmouth failed, the ehellidrappitjo; short. -As^r^s it ran be compiled, tbe follow- ing f-u&tabie indicates the period and scope&f th" raid on the Yorkshire coast. SCAfBIROUGH. 6 5 Railway guard walking along foreshore heard shells burst. Counted a dozen altogether. Town Hall slightly damaged. S/voral houses wrecked. Bal- moral Hotel struck. S -5 axn-Bombardiiient ceased- Attack- ing warship steams off to the south- Eighteen people re- ported killed. 11.18 a.tt—Announcement by Admiralty that German movements of some importance arc taking place in North Sea, and statement that Scarborough and Hartlepool had been ? shelled. Oar flotillas engaged at various points. "Situation developing. WHrTB. 9 0 a.m—Two German warships appear. Town bombarded for five or six minutes. About thirty shoiis fall. RARTLEPOOL. 8 9 a.m.- W ar Office announces at 1.15 p.m.: German. war vessels engaged Wast Hartlepool for- tress between 8 and 9 o'clock. Enemy driven off." Firing lasted forty minutes. Gas- works set on fire but outbreak soon quelled. Wreckage at Lloyd's Bank. RAID RESULTS SUMMARISED. The results of the raid may be summarise as follows, although it is im- posstbie to give an exact detail as to the damage done or theHoss c-f Ife. Scarborough, Fifteen persons killed; many injured. Damage to Grand and other hotels, a number of boarding-houses, shops, restaurants, the old castle, two churches, and an infirmary. From 50 to 70 shells fell in the town. Rush of women and children to the railway station and to the roads lead- ing inland, West kartlepool. Bombardment from &.2D to 5-45. The railway station, waterworks, and shipyard struck. »'"«fc-holder and timber yard fired. Several blocks of offices damaged. Many people killed and injured, Whitby. Coastguard Station buildings dam- aged. I Ruins "f the famous Abbey struck. A scXtooi struck while the children I were having lessons, fortunately with- cut injuring arty of the scholars. A railwayman killed seme distance! inland. Windows broken all over the town but the darnaaa to buildings generally not serious. Shells at Rutarp, li miles irMand THE FIRST INCIDENT. Cruiszrs Ap!)er-r im tho Fog Off Scarborough. The first indication of the impending I ,ta.(.)( was observed at Scarborough, "l:h,,8 it happened, suffered more i aijy of the other town., vicited. v cr)' iw pl)le wei-e in the 6treets nf the -tRmou? wat?rin? place at" o'cl()(.k I ??tfrd?y morning, y?n. through the thick fo? which lav upon the water the I ?u'o l or ins of hn1iJf' war f?spt? could ? -n" ne &r? M.BJbsmn WMl • attributed by many people to thunder, but almost i:aimcdi £ ieiy the bombard- j ment began in grim earnest, and for the next halt hour the shelling was incessant. Then it ceased suddenly. In nearly every street soma has been done. la many places it is diffi- cult to force a passage through the street- owing to the huge accumulations of debris. Hundred a of the residents of Scarborough rushed out of the town, but hundreds of outside people came in ov train to make a tour of the wreckc 1 health resort. Refuge in Cellars. I 1 People took refuge in cellars. Ne.igh- bouring buildings were razed to the around. Holes big enough to permit U.e passage of railway coaches were made in' I the walls of others. A woman was k-il?,? I ?ou the doorstep of an hotel, which t-ihe ¡ had visited for the purpose of using the tdPDhone. I The Grand BoteL parched on the cliff head, waF; partiaHy demo}jshed. Half a dozen huge holes were made i.u the walls I of the upper storeys. The walls of the  bwe' portion of -(?aivard froilt? in- cluding those )? tho large dining-room and restaurants, were shattered. A picture palace next door to the }iotel a lso sustained heavy damage, and a por- tion of the cliff tramway was destroyed. A gable end of the Town Hall building i situated on the cliff was blown away. Tf>o lifeboat house was also damaged. A corner of the Royal Hotel, a fine building near the centre of the town, Was blown away In Westborough one shell went through, the roof of 4he Balmoral Hotel, and another dropped, without exploding, into a cistern at the same hotel. Portions of I the promenade, railings were carried away- The new Co-operative Stores in Victoria-road were badly shattered. Along Stalby-road, in the direction of the wireless station., specially heavy damage was done. One whole row of cottages was I i razed to the ground. Safety in Dun Outs." I 1 Throughout the bombardment special constables at grcat personal risk con- ducted lhp old and infirm to dug-outs." A woman and a girl were killed in the 9?re(-t- A man na?cd Berry and two children lost their lives in a house; a baby named Ryall? and a young woman i flamed Mdntyre were fotally injured by 'a s)ie]lhnr?HBg in their bedrooms. "One woman b?hiDd a shop counter was i kilkd inshtntly, and her husband was in-1 jured by debris. Other properties suffered severely, and present a spectacle ot general ravage, j with thei" windows shattered and huge J holes in the walls. The bodies of tbe dead were taken to the mortuary, and the wounded, of whom ■ several ar? s'?'ious?y hurt, were hurried to hospi a15 and private nursing institu- I tions. This work was carried out under continons shell ifre. Maintaining their reputation for (1,-i'ln-? aging churches', the German gunners I (¡-)us,rl the Parish Church, All Samts' Church, ?t. Martin's Church, and St. Mary's CathdiR Church to "-uner badly. The h?pit?l. was also truCk. but, for- tlmatdy, no one was in?ur?d. The Sea Bath T?rm?ry was considerably dam- H?pd. but here again the patients, in- I cluding a number of Belgian eoldisK, escaped injury. in or)? house four people were killed outright by a ehll which bur?t in their midst. In another house three persons ■met a similar fate. Mr. John Hall, a Justice of the Peace, struck .and killed by a piece of shell whilst he wm dressing. A moment later his little j 'grandchild was found dead. A postman J ? delivering lettersruck dead- AT HARTLEPOOL. Lard Forts Drive off Cruisers, Hartiepooi and West Hartlepool were j the next ports to receive the attention of the. German cruisers. The first shells began 1.0 fall about S.l.") a.m., and the bombardment lasted for 40 minutes. The vessels, variously estimated at from two to six, were never clearly visible from the shore, but the land forts replied vigorously and finally succeeded in driving off the enemy, one of the vessels, a light cruiser, appearing to be on fire as they "teame.d away. The noise of the guns and the bursting j j of the shells drew thousands of people: from their houses, but when at arbout twenty minutes to nine the bombardment ceased as suddenly as it began, most people returned to their houses, and, beyond the natural excitement, the town was soon quiet and normal. A proclamation was issued by the mi i- i try authorities advising tho people to keep to the'r houses. The holders at the j gas works were, seriously damaged and the j gas su.pply tenipararily cut off. The water works were also damaged. One shell passed through the window of Lloyds Bank and did great structural I damage, but there was no loss of life. as very few of the employes of the bank haci arrived. Salvation Armv Adjutan-t Killed. I During the bombr.rdineot Adjutant William Avery, of the Salvation Army, whose quarters aro situate within a gtdHe's throw of the sea front, was killed. He leaves a wife and five children. Another shell weat through one part. of the railway station, daiwaged a wagon, aud smashed a signal-box. nun. ber of horses were damaged, and several persons killed and injured. It is reported that as the Germaa fleet steamed out to sea they dropped mines to prevent any ships from following in their wake. The old lighthouse at Old Hartiepooi is reported to have been struck by the tire of one of the German cruisers. Some 2CO shells fell into the town. pne victim was an old woman who had in her pricket a half-crown and a shilling, both of which, strange to say, were cut right in half. Clergyman's Escape. Fortunately, some of the shells failed to explode. One fiew oyer the town and fell into a field three miles outside. Ai clergyman had a narrow escape, part of a sheil just touching him for an mstsnt, but without causing him any injury One shell, which fell in the middle of thej town, killed 10 people. The ancient church of St. Hilda was damaged, a hole being made in the roof. A gasometer at Hartiepooi had its xas i carefully let out. This smart action (11 the part of the workmen successfully preventing the explosion which would j have occurred had it been struck by shell i tire. A great many small houses have been damaged, some being practically de- stroyod. j WHITBY STARTLED. ) Bov Scouts and Coastguards Injured. I Whitby was startled out of its customary ealm at about nine o'clock,! when shells began to pour into the town, which is undefended. At that hour two large German ornt?rs Rteamcd closo hitio /hithY Roads and. when about a mile ioq* tbc port, opened iir? on the town. 'rho object appeared to b« the destruction of I t.h", coastguard s-at ion and lhli lalegraph I jstatiaa cox Uw QaiL Q". I The first shot lodged harmlessly in the side of the cliff. The second shot struck the telegraph station, completely demolishing the upper part of the brick building. Inside were several coastguards- men, and one named Randall was killed outright. A Boy Scout named Roy Miller was wounded in the leg by shell splinters. The telegraphist, Robert Parkinson, escaped. The bombardment lasted nearly twenty minutea, and altogether about two hun- dred shots were fired, the enemy finally discharging salvoes. Most of the shells went wide of the mark, and many dropped into the town. Several houses inland were hit, an:1 some were severely damaged. The more valuable property on the west side of the town practically escaped. Most of the shots went ever the eastern side of the town. falling a long way iuland- evidence of bad rcarkmansaip. j School Struck. j MeadowSeld School was struck by a shell just after lessons had begun. The scholars stampeded from the building. |j Many windows were shattered by the E concussion. A North-Eastern Railway trollyman nan,-e4 Tunmore was struck in the chest by a piece of shell in the town and killed. Some of the shells were aimed at the historic ruins of Whitby Abbey, which made a tempting target on the cliff-top. Considerable damage was done. After the bombardment the twe cruisers steamed quickly out to sea, pay ing no attention to the steamers met in the roads. The greatest excitement naturally pre- vailed thrugbout the town. The inquest on the victims w;]l he opened to-morrow. Houses in the Fishburn Park district, which is behind the signal station, and in the line of fire, suffered badly. Some were completely wrecked, and windows in others were shattered. s Watching the Firing. A shell made a hole in the road close to the promenade near the Spa iii(i-a fe- feet from the large hoarding honscs in ii Royal-crescent. Another buried itself in j: the sands on the west side of the town. One house in Fishburn Park had the corner of the roof shattered. A shell entered the front sitting-room of another house, demolishing the lower part of thE building acd leaving a bed on the second j floor restiag ou splinters. A number of shells fell far inland in the country. Some reac hed the village of Ruswarp, a mile away. Some of the townspeople put up their shatters and moved inland to a place of safety, but a crowd gathered on the West Cliff to watch the firing- When the cruisers left, Whitby soon resumed its normal life. j THE CASUALTIES. A Sunderland correspondent wires that! an estimate of the Hartlepool casualties, sets them at 50 killed and iOfl wounded, i This, if confirmed, makes a total of 661 killed. At Hartlepool. Among the victims were a. number of. children who were ou their way to school. A group of volunteers were watcllir-g i the bombardment from the coast when a shell fell m the midst of them, killing seven. f EYE-WITNESSES STORIES. Guns Seem to'be Firing Every Second." Many stories from eya-witnesse are available, from which we extract the fol- j lowmg A wire received by a member of the "Leder staff from a friend in Whitby, who was himself struck slightly by a shell, states that several houses were I damaged, and two killed there. Noise Like Thunders, Miss Whelan, of Scarborough, said:— We were in bed when suddenly there was a noise like thunder. Plaster at once began to fall from the ceiling, and going h. the door I saw crowds of people running a long the street, while others j were leaving their home-i a.s quickly as they could. Just as we left the house L nt- roof cracked, though I do not think it had been struck by a shell. Without waiting to put on our -hatl, we locked the door and hurried off to the statioa. Houses were falling to pieces as we ran up Albemarle-road, and crowdeof people were making for the station, some carry. ing children in their arms. Thousands of people were in the station, and all were endeavouring to get into the trains which were leaving the town. We man- aged to catch a train for Leeds. As the unin left Scarborough we saw hundreds of. people hurrying along the country lanes. Throughout the affair all the iu- habitants showed great coolness. There ws? no panic, No Sign of Panic. Mrs. Whelan. sister-in-law of Miss ) Whelan, said the amazing thing to bf'1" was the fact thnt the inhabitants were not much excited. There certainly was a run for the station, but there was no sign of hysteria anywhere. She said:— When we heard the sound of guns we thcTi?ht the Germans had come in aero- planes or airships and were dropping: bombs on the bouses. We rushed from our houses and saw windows breaking and roofs crackiug all around us. The roar of the guns was tremendous and they appeared to he firing every second. We could see large pieces of shells in inost j streets. As we rushed to the station, bareheaded, with my two little girls, we saw signs all the way of the German at- tack. Many of the sbolys in the town had their windows smashed by the concus- sion. A number of places must have caught fire, for we saw the fire-engines dashing along the roads. Many of the better-class people were packing up and departing. The majority of the people ran out of their houses as they were, while a number hastily packed a few valuables and clothing before departing. The Germans appeared to be shelling the higher part of the town. When we reached the station we coald not hear the noise of the guns. We saw one or two men who had blood on their faces, a3 though they had been hit by bits of shells or falling glass. Authorities Prepared. Mr. P. C. Binks, of Hull, who returned there by a mid-day train from Scar- borough, where lie had been staying, said he was in bed when the firing began about 8 o'clock. It lasted until nearly nine. Describing the havoc; caused he I said there was a large heap of debris outside the station. The roof of a house near by had been smashed in, another j had a hole in the side, and bundreds of windows in the vicinity had been broken, j The firing was directed across the har- bour and extended along the coast to the suburb of Falsgrave. A largo chim- i ney at the brickworks was razed to thp. ground and some damage was caused to the gasworks. A hole was also blown in the roof of All Saints'Church, Falsgrave. It is stated that the authorities received early notice of the raid and that they were thoroughly prepared for all eventualities- Troops of all units, including artillery, were ready I to guard the coast. Saw Shells Failina. Mr. James Haj-vey Scott, of Scar- borough, who also travelled to Hull, said that at 8.15 a.m. he was walking along Westborough to the station when a sbell fell a short distance away. Fortunately, few people were about. He next saw a sh(ll fall on the roof of a house, which caught fire, ana there was a clond smoke. A man and his wife with two children with no hats on came into the station, and said that the roof cf their house had been damaged by a shell. Looking from the etation, he could see that one portion of the town was enveloped in fmcke, A Remarkable Escape. M? 0. Bauk?. residing on the f:Ol1th! ,Clii- &a?A Lke fuu ri"i? ntli aI terrific noise, and the house rocked lika a house of cards. So far as she could tell, hundreds of shots were fired in quick I succession. Though there was a brief cessation it was impossible to tell whether some of the reports were from our guns firing or from warsh ips. Miss Banks went, into the garden to turn the water off when a shell came through the draw- ing-room of her house whizzing past her head. Mr. Cyril Musgrove. organist of St. Martin's Church, Scarborough, statk-d that Holy Communion waslbeing cele- j brated by Archdeacon Mackarness when two shells struck the building. The ('on- gregation remained calm. He added that' one hotel was severely damaged, together j with a number of other houses, and that' a second hotel was hit, but this was not much damaged. SERIOUS DAMAGE. Shells Responsible for Ruin at w Scarborough. The Press Association's spe^cial repre- sentative at Scarborough telephones:— There has been a return of a large num- ber of persons of al ages by the forenoon trains. A closer examination of the various; wards of the town 6hows that in an least 30 instances serious. damage was done by the bombardment, over and above the; eases of partial demolition. The verger of All Saints' Church had an almost mirculous escape. A shell fell through the roof and blew out the west window when he was in the Building. Many of the injured are being cared for l in the Westborough Wesleyan Schools, which have been converted into a tem- porary hospital. Further deaths are expected, as one or fwo of the injured are in a very grave condition. Messages of sympathy have been re- ceived fro mother towns:— The killed number 17, the following being the official list-Leonard Ellis (49), Harry Frith (45), Alfred Beal (41), Mar- garet Briggs (2). John Ryall (14 mouths). Miss Bertha Mclntyre (42), Mrs. Johanna Dennis (58), John Christopher Ward (9), George James Barnes (5), Albert Feather- stone Dennett (22), John Hall (65). Mrs. Emily Merryweather (30). George Taylor (15), Mrs. Mary Prew (GO). Miss Ada C^owe (27). Miss Edith Cross, and Mrs. Duffield (33). There are 19 cases of very gTave injury A bathing and boating inspector esti- mates that nearly one hundred shells fell on the town. INQUESTS, Inquest.6 were held at Hartlepool and West Hartiepooi to-day on the bod ip-s of the victims of yesterday's bombardment by German warships. At West Hartle- i pool the victims include a large number of women and children, mostly of the ( poorer class, At the West Hartlepool inquest, Mr. William Ropner, shipowner, said that when the town was shelled there was an explosion in his house. He made his way riown into the cellar to join his family, and subsequently found the body of Jane Stoker, his cook, at the top oi the cellar steps. She had been struck by a shell. A patternmaker employed at an eiigine works said they were startled by the; sound of gun thing. A shell struck the room of the shop they were in. They -vera exploding snells. The men in a body—about 4D of them—made a rush for the door leading into the yard, where they fovsnd it was hotter still. They went back into the shop, and then decided to go out of the works together and makl) for home. A man named Ramsey was one of the number, and witime% never saw him any more. but be heard that I" a,? bpen killed, In the e4" of a woman named I Eorptkx Caw*. waAsnc* was soyan by her fathor that he and his wife and the deceased and a little son were about to sit down to breakfast when a shell burst, through the ceiling and killed his daughter instantly. j In another case, in which ilie body was that of Julia Moon, evidence was given that when deceased's daughter and her husband went to the house in Dover lying dead in the back passage- The house bad been struck by a. shell and shattered. evidence in other cases was of a similar character. A b'heJ) paused right, through the body of one woman, and in another ease a grandfather went to the door of the house and found two of his son's chil- dren dead, lying, underneath the debris of the hone. Th? father of thp dprea.?d children ig a stoken in the IV a v v. The Verdirt- The jury returned the following verdict Lncier the cover of a dense fog the enemy fired shot and shell into the twin ports, killing several unarmed civilians." .0-

SfX ROU?OM iI fiw II ,j mm 4 TPrnW NAM E |M VX«f ij; *1 /f on a  U ROLL !'?? <??.?<? I /II honour, tff | I 9 Fff 1 1 ;} HONOUR ? ? ? i  YOUR NAME goes down on IyF our firm's Roll of Honour, it also goes on t!\at mighty Scroll which j i records the names of all who have II rallied round the Flag. [ There is room for your name on the Roll of Honour. > i Ask your employer to keep your I position open for you. Tell him that I you are going to the help of the Empire. Every patriotic employer is assisting his I I men to enlist, and he'll do the right j thing by you. j Ji Tell him NOW I I Your King and Country .1 Want you TO-DAY. :1 At any Post Office you can obtain the address of the nearest Recruiting Officer. L ?stšÄŸSTHÈ VL —

AT BAYONET POINT. PARIS, Thursday. The official communique issued this afternoon state:- From the sea to the Lys we have taken several trenches at the point of the bayonet. We have consolidated our position at Lombaeritzde and St. George's and organised the ground west of Ghelw- velt. We have progressed in the region of Ver- melles. There has been no infantry actions on the rest of the front, but very effective firing by our heavy artillery in the vicinity of Tracey-le-vall. On the Aisne and in the Champagne, as well as in the Argcnne and in the region of Verdun, in Louvaine and in Atsace, there is nothing to report. ————— —————

AROUND YPRES. Our own chief interest just at present is centred once again in Flanders, whero tha offensive is passing from the Ger- mans to the Allies. The necessities tlf von Hindonberg in Poland have duly re- acted upon the Western front; and while it is probable that the actual number of German troops engaged in France and Belgium has not been diminished, their fighting- value hasN decreased. The tqmf, is certainly true with regard to the artil- lery in action. The consequence has been that substantial progress has been made at most of the strategic points, the only failure during the week being registered on the extreme left wing in Alsace, where the French have found themselves com- pelled to give up the possession of Stein- bach. though they stiil dominate the town from the adjacent heights. These operations on the left have, of course, an importance of their own; but until the time arrives for a general re- sumption of the attack along the whole irr,rit, partial successes or failures in Alsace and Lorraina can have little jn-j finance upon the whole military situation. The key remains where it has a lways been —the line between Ypres and Arras. Xevertheless, every atom of progress in this area will count considerably in thei future. The fighting round Ypres has for itst object the refashioning of the Allies' fighting front, with the ultimate objwt of gaining the ground between Roulers and Menin. In estimating the jpobabilities of success, these operations must be taken in conjunction with the attacks which the French are making against tho German forces round Lille. I u the north-west, between Lille and Armentieres, and in the south in the direction of Lens, they have commenced a vigorou3. offensive, and the recapture of YermeHep in thi- district ha* given them jm eicellfent point! of. rflT)t?r,Al i v The nature of the fighting may be gathered from the fact that 24,000 casual- ties are reported to have taken place in front of Ypres alone within the last j three or icur days. This little town has been the rock against which division after rlivision of the piek of the German Army has dashed itself to pieces; and even yet the enemy do not despair of its capture, fcr it represents to them their last hopes of victory in France. I Increasing Progress. I I The progress made by the Allies between Ypres and Arras began sensibly to in- j crease from the moment when the need of j I additional troops in Poland compelled the; German Headquarters b transfer from Westr to East large bodies of their most seasoned troops. As there is nothing in the situation in thej East to warrant the assumption that j von Hmdenberg's needs are now less imperative than they were a week ago, it is likely that this progress will be steadily maintained. Apart from the interest which naturally attaches to districts in which our own men are fighting, Cracow remains the centre of military interest. The Grand Duko Nicholas has steadily refused to allow his attention to be distracted by the enemies' operations at other points! in his lon eastern line. The most com-1 forting sign during the past week has, been the success with which the Russian position has been consolidated. First German Admission. In the north, the repuise of the Ger- man force# advancing from Mlawa was marked by the first German admission of defeat, and the statement that the Ku.ssia.ns were found in overwhelming; superiority points to the fact that the Hussian commanders have adequate sup- pliet; of troops. Pound Locl:, and Lowiez, the general situation remains unchanged, save that the desperate vigour of the Ger-1 man attacks is helping along that process of attrition to which the allied forces gen- j erally owe so much I In the Carpathians, however, the re- i newed activity of Austrians threatens, or, rather, seems to threaten, the Russian left and rear. Whether this threat will require to be taken seriously remains to' be seen. We do not know the composition of the forces reported I to be pouring through the passes. Unless there has been a consider- able- stiffening of German troops, fhel chanoes are not very favourable to the Aust rians. The morale of the troops ¡ have been severely tried by their j stupendous failures in Serbia and Bosnia; and the best they can hope to do is to j I cause a momentary diversion. It is a little difficult to understand what is act- unlly taking place between Czenstoehowa and Cracow, but the balance of probabili- ties is in favour of the latest Ttnssian com-! muniques, which declare that there is a marked weakening on the part of the German forces. Greater the Chances. It must, be remembered, however, that the more desperate the fighting in regions: I remote from Craeow, the greater becomes the Russian chances of effecting some- thing decisive at that point- The railway 1 behind the Silosian frontier makes; it pes- I sible fox the German staff to take ad van- ■ fage of any slackening in the Russian at- tack at any point on their extend-ed front, Reinforcements can ra.pdd?y be tra.Q?ferred from point to point with rela.th-p o?e. and the Russians have no corresponding ad- vantage. The surest way, therefore, of preventing a German concentration at the really critioal point is to keep as many of them as possible busily occupied else- where. j

AFTER THE RAID. I Meeting of the Cabinet Held Last Wight. I According to the latest official reports, I the number of casualties among civilians at Hartlepool when that place was shelled by German warships yesterday, is 55 killed, and 115 wounded. A meeting of the Cabinet was held at 1 noon to-day at 10, Downing-street, and was fully attended. Last Dight, aftor the Government re-I ceived details of the German coast raid. Ministers met in conference, 6itting 'Lront? 6 to 7.30, 5Ù that to-day's meetidg is the  cliird this week. ———— ————.

MORAL EFFECTS OF RAID East CM&t Population- Not Threatened I With PanKo ) If the raid was intended to cause panic j along the East Coast it has failed. The, Daily Cbromde" last night tele-j graphed to the mayors of the various coast towns, asking what effect the news: of the enemy's action lia-d had. The fol- lowing replies were received Harwich. The town is quite calm i and normal.-B. Saunders, Mayor." | Sunderland.—" Sunderland is prepared, and is quite calm.-Richardson. Mayor." LowestofL-" The bombardment of the N orth-east Coast has not afiected the, nerves of the inhabitants of Lowestoft. Everything is calm and normal- Thai emergency committee has taken every I precaution. No attack is expected. Nevertheless, the town is prepared for any contingency that may arl.,w.-K. W- ¡ Brooke, Mayor. Yarmouth.—" People do not exaggerate; itho probability of attack, and are quit* I calm.-The Mayor, Great Yarmouth." t Folixtowe. The inhabitants of Felix- II towe are quite calm." Great Yarmouth. Yarmouth has taken the necessary precautions to protect the inhabitants in the event of bombard- ment. I am pleased to state that, at- i though aware of the possibility of bom- j bardment, they know that complete ar- rangements have been made here for all ?ei?-Antualitie,s. During the course of the day everything has been normal. There has not been any trace of alarm or ex- citement. Business as usual.'—Chair- man, Town Council." Middlesbrough. The civil population are to be highly congratulated on the calmness and self-restraint displayed to- day on learning of the North-east Coasi bombardment. The civil authorities hero lare fully prepared to deal with aDoV leDiergency.-AV. J. Bruce, Mayor." tiull. A littlq natural excitement herp on receipt of news of the German I raid on the Last CAast, which soon sub- side.d. Citizens quite calm, and affairs normal. Have full confideni-c in Navy. Eagerly awaiting further ne-we .-Lord Mayor." ————— ——

LOSS OF H. M .S. BULWARK. The Court of Inquiry which was ap- pointed to inquire into the loss of H.M.S. Bulwark has now reported, and it is clear from the evidence which has been pro- i duced that the explosion which caused the loss of the ship was dne to accidental; ignition of ammunition on board the ship. There is no evidence to support the suggestion that the explosion was due! either to treachery *&n board the ship or to an aot of the enemy. It will be remembered that the battle-j ship Bulwark blew up early on the morn- ing of November 26, as the was lying near j Sheerness. When the smoke of the ter- rific. explosion cleared away the vessel; had entirely disappeared beneath thei waters., and the loss of life was very heavy. All the oiiu-ers and nearly 750 men —close on 800 in all—were killed, and the survivors numbered only 34. j

In one year no less a sum than EIO,7741 ha be?n handed over by Mr. Oswald Stoll to various charitable organisations j land institutions as the result of enter- tainments giveji at the Coliseum and other theatres under his control- l'rmn I the recent, concert on behalf of tlie Bel- j pian Relief Fund a vry generous sum w¡¡ ,ea

CHRISTMAS IN AMMAN- FORD SHOPS. Notwithstanding the complaints so fre- quently heard as to the war's effects upon trade. preparations for Christmas- tide in the leadiug shops are on an ex- tensive scale, and the streets are ren< dered bright by the display in the win- dows of various establishments. First and foremost in the smartness and extent of its Yule-tide display-and equal in attractiveness to anything in the same line in tho Principality—is the magnificently stocked establishment of Messrs. Elias and Emanuel, in Quay- street. In and around a The Square" constitutes the shopping centre of Am. mantord, and the show in the chana- ingly-dressed windows and the splendid showrooms of these "universal providers" of ladlf's tallor-mado costumes, beauti- ful blouses, dresses and materials is be- wildering to the mere man and dazzling even to the fair customers. Children's Party dresses" are a feature, and there is an extraordinary range of pre- sents to select from—running the, whole gamut, as the musicians would sav- irom an eiderdown quilt for the older iolk to a bib for the babv. It is not merely an exhibition of local interest, but a draw to the town. In tho same street is the well known Carruthers Boot Emporium." where a splendid assortment of fancy slippers suitable for Christmas presents adds to the enormous stock for which Messrs. Carruthers aid Co. are famous. "Leather is up owing to the war is the cry almost everywhere -it present, but All goods at old prices" is the motto adopted and acted upon here, and the customer who is on the look-out for good understandings will be hopeless if he cannot be fitted and pleased here. Just across the road, in this selfsame Quay-street, is the pretty toy-land of Mr. Mod Thomas—quite a fairyland for the kiddies and a very useful house of call for those who are buying for the house- hold generally. The assortment is choiee. and, true to the spirit of these m.artial days. Mr. Thomas declares war, war on uritair prices." which means equality for all-no abatement, and prices distinctly- marked, so that customsys know from » glance at the tickets what is expected for the goods. In The Square is ihe man who haa made it—Mr. E. Evans, the chemist, whose enterprise has helped to make Ammanford in ten years a town of first- class importance, commercially, although it was only a little village w hen he began its transformation. He has the usual good chepr provided for the festive season, and, with a lively recollection in his mind of the fine imposed iii),-P. him by the magis- trates for an act of mistaken kindness, he now makes a special appeal to his cus- tomers to shop early and "shop often." The advertisement., which is to be seen in another column of our present issne, is. like Mr. Evans himself, quite original. Next door is the provision stores of Mr. Chver. Phillips, the grocer, baker, confer- tioner, and what not? Luscious fruit and the spices of the East, as well as the more Hubstantial far of the Carmarthenshire farms and English dairies, comprise an unequalled stock which is being con- stantly replenished while Mr. Phillips' sp] end idly-appointed motor-van and bid other horse-drawn vans and carts are con- veying to the customers the supplies already ordered. Only a couple of doors further up, yon will tind that Mr. Job Thomas makes a brilliant show with his assortment of branded boots and ,hoos-the Lotus, the Delta," the K." the "Bective," etc. Of course, he has the proverbial" slip- pers for Christmas presents, and c range of spats, gaiters, leggings, etc: which, attract crowds and put the poorest pedes- trians as m'ell as the richest on their feec again. The post office is the actual and absolute business centre of Ammanford in more than one sense. It is always a busy place, but jus I now the windows hold passers-by spellbound, and the stock of Christmas cards ]s charming. There art gift books galore, Christmas numbers, periodicals, newspapers, and pictures for the Touugsters, but the localised Christ" mas form such a feature that Mr. Gabe can afford to abstain from inserting an advertisement even in the Herald, and confine himself to a sound advice as to where to see and where to ■bnv and we eoho that advice W1t1l pleasure—go to Mr. Gabe's stationery, ng. awl finey goods depot in Quay-street. You will then see for yourselves. Messrs. Harris Bros. new ironmongery warehouse is not so prominent Ag the ok. shop used to be, in College-street bur Hie- lOp lISeu 'V pt: firm is as go-ahead as ever, and the enter- pri<f shown in opening up a new thorough- fare will be appreciated as a public boon by and hT. The stock 1. M » re mark a bW. one. and comprises btiildor- and household ironmongery, dairy ufensiK agricultural implement, and-— important for the country districts, lamps and oil stoves in a large variety.

AMMANFORD WAR PRISONER. Several sums of money-mostly sbxHicgfr-* have been received hy "Awst.in" towards the fund which he last, week set on foot to tret up a Chrfetmas gift for the former Eettws (. mmar.ford i postman. Walter WaJfe Hughes, who is now a prisoner ot war in German}-. Hughes is without money eren to pay the German duty on any pre- sents pent him-literally without a penmr. Contributions towarcis the fund-a. efoililns or two shillings each should be addressee to 1fr, FAwstin Davies, 22, Penbryn-road. Ammanford, who will forwa.rd them to Uk prisoner of war.

A 'FERRY ACCIDENT. Henry Zaehariah., aged 50, of 3. Gowet Buildings, Brionterry, a blacksmih. was admitted to the Swansea Hospital at 2 p.m. jesterday. having sustained a serious aecidont wbilst WDrking at tho Britonferry Gasworks. Whilst replacing a power belt at the gasworks, his left hand became entangled with the running pulley, and in which his forearm was fractured and almost torn off. Aftr being attended to by Dr. Pegge-. ho w sent in the motor ambulance to Swansea Hospital, whore an operation was per- formed. He is now doing as well as CAlI. be expected.

STEELWORKS PATENT. Among recent inventions is the follow- ing 1S.494—Rollers. Patent granted to E. L. Davies, Clydach, Glam., and Gilbertson and Co., Pontardawe Steelworks, near Swansea. This invention relates to cast-iron roll. reinforced with rods of wrought iron, steel or other suitable metal or alloy, and consists in incorporating the reinforcing element in the body of the roll, so that it forms a homogeneous union or weld therewith. For this purpose the rods are first cleansed by pickling in a suitable tllle, for instance a mixture of sand, inoda or carbonate of sodium and borax, wherp-- by a protective skin is formed of the rods. This skin is nielted before the metal is finally congealed in tho mould, and a homogeneous union results. The rods are preferably arranged parallel to the axis in a circle or circles, or in a spiral transverse hoop-shaped or helical mem- bers may also be added.