The Henson Journals

[381]

Friday, September 10th, 1915.

403rd day

Mr Gaymer came to see me. He was evidently labouring under some unusual perturbation, which was sufficiently explained by the fact that he had been a witness, & almost a victim, of the Zeppelin raid in London on Wednesday night. He lodges somewhere in the neighbourhood of Gray's Inn, & had hardly got into bed before two explosions aroused him: he went to the window only to see the house in front of him fall into ruin. He says the range & fury of the conflagration were astonishing: but he was most impressed by the stoical & almost amused demeanour of the crowd. The spectacle of two little children slain before his eyes almost overcame him. Mr Gaymer's account confirmed the letter of Mr Cowan which reached me this morning: "The great white Zeppelin hovering over the square (i.e. Queen Square W.C.) was a wonderful though terrible sight". Later, the Archdeacon told me that his daughter Helen, who is nursing in the London Hospital, had seen the Zeppelins. Miss Mundella who arrived from town at tea–time reported much confusion & disturbance. Wood Street, which is quite near St Paul's is said to be still burning! I met Rogerson, who has just heard good accounts of his son, a prisoner in Germany, but the treatment of the Russian prisoners continues to be abominable. It appears to be the case that Woolwich arsenal had a very near escape from the bombs on Wednesday.

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