Chungking, Jan. 16.
The number of casualties caused by raid on Chungking yesterday by} [Japanese planes, described by a Chinese leader as "Chungking's frst taste Jof the much-advertised new order in East Asia," is officially estimated between 306 and 400. ind engaged them in combat, The Chinese claim to have shot Jaown one of the raiders, but "the machine has not been found.
"in sunny" but misty. weather, the planes arrived at a great height. They Gould not be seen, and their presence vasonly known "by" the deep drone jon thole engines.
While the ait" was quivering with the vibration. of their motores there fame the sound of falling bombs, the thunder of explosions and the rat-tat-fat of machine-guns as Chinese pur-Suit planes swent into action, "The progress of the battle could bu allowed by the whine of their engines fs the Chinese planes dived on. the Pombers. Shorty afterwards, a white {tall of smoke showed that' a. plane
all was silent een hot (o destruction, hen Several oonibs struck: the poor quarter of the lly, neat" the. East Gite, one. demolshing'a packed teahouse and "burying, th the ruins all those who were there at the time, Many Bodies are stilt entombed, Procession of Wounded Arriving on the scene soon after the raiders had lett, Reuter's correspon dent found fourteen dead men and women aid out on the ground, while Tong procession" of wounded. was making ts way to hospital on stret= cher." Police, firemen. and. soldiers Worked busily' to extinguish the fires which had started in the debris and to dig the buried victims out 'Two dead and several living persons were discovered inthe few minutes that' Reuter's correspondent. spent the scene.
number of bombs had Aropped. in the residential district outside the city, the most notable damage being the partial destruction for the Haun Teh airs' School, in Which two or three small bombs land-Jed, The pupils were saved because they were either absent because It was Sunday, or had taken shelter in the school's spacious dugout, The class= Tooms were destroyed, but the dorritories were not. damaged.
For some time after the rad groups of frightened iris stood about pain, Jat their wrecked schoolrooms, Which arrished. desks and other fur niture lay in confusion amidst blown down doors, windows and ceilings.
'Many people were observed leaving the city' last' night, © carrying their belongings on thole backs, oF in tHek=
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