Many Killed and Wounded by Shot from Aeroplane was reported recently that ie bomb explosion had occurred Chuigking when several officers of the staff of Gen. Liu ang, commander of the 21st army corps, were killed and about 100 others wounded. It may be recalled that the aeroplane was in the charge of a, German aviator.
According to an eye-witness of the sad cecurrenee who was inter viewed Inst Daily News," the accident occurred March 6 and the aviator concerned was a German named Hansel. Te had been widely advertised that Mr, Hansel would give a demonstration of aerial bomb dropping and that there would be exhibitions of field gun and trench mortar fire, bond throwing, floating mine plosions, ete. A large therefore, went to the fly and Gen, Liu and at 10. am. splendidly until the fatal accident.
Mr. Hansel, accompanied by pilot named Wong, went up in a Waco plane fitted' with an OXt5 motor and he handled the "bomb himself. 'The projectile weighed 'Mb, After taking of from the hangar, the machine turned to the eft and, when it was about 1,000 ft. up, it made a sudden dive' towards' the hanger. "I was standing with several friends near the hangar' at the time," said our formant. "When the plane was about 600 ft. in the air, we saw the bomb being dropped. ' Whether it was properly handled or not, or exactly "what happened,. 1 cannot say but it made several somersults as it, left the plane. Suddenly, one of the pilots named Chen shouted out Tang Hsin! Tacu!" (Look out!) and ran as.fast as he could in the direction opposite the hangar, where the crowd were. When E saw him running, I ran too. Chen fell down twice as he ran through looking backwards sve where the bomb was going to fall.
"As wogot tothe endow the fled, the bomb reached the ground and exploded about two fect in front, ral hundred of Gen. Lin's and cadets. It was a ter-OMeers and cadets lay several of them yond recognition. The bomb made a hole eight inches deep a 16 inches from one end tot other, One of the cadets wis killed outright and three officers and cadets died shortly afterwards. One hundred and fifteen others were wounded, some fatally. Many not expected to live jansen then came down and, as he alighted, the maddened crowd rush for him, Had it, not been for the General, he would have been torn to pieces. Gen, Li placed him in custody. Five day passed before I left Chungking, but Hansel was still " prisoner. don't know what the authorities will do with him, but there is a general demand for his execution. Of course there is the usual rumour in Chungking that he is an agent of the enemy."
Tt was fortunate that the bomb did not fall a little nearer the hangar, or the fatalities would have been far greater. However, our formant said, in conclusion, tragedy did not prevent the other events from being carried out. The floating mine was worked by electricity and, at a given signal, exploded and blow the water 40 ft high and about 100 ft. away.
From further inquiries by our representative there is no German for named Hansel in Chin There is, however, one Capt. Aug Capt. Haonsel loft for Chungking. several weeks ago and it is con ceivable that he is the one who was in charge of the "plane. during the unfortunate incident.
Tue Chinese Minister to Mexico, we learn from the native press, has telegraphed to the Waichiaopa drawing attention to the fact that, with the drop in the rate of silver, the staff of the Legation have not enough money for official or private purposes. Accordingly, the chigopu is requested to devise means to remedy the situation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.