Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/192

180 The whole of England was a scene of frightful panic. Crowds of people left London and the other great cities in the hope of finding shelter from the deadly hail in disused coal-mines or in caves in the mountains. Others preferred to remain by their possessions and dare the approach of death. But in the midst of all the confusion the dockyards continued to build more ships and manufacture fresh supplies of shot and explosives.

It was not long before the storm burst over the devoted city. One night the sky above London was quite bright from the flashing of innumerable searchlights, and the dark forms of battleships covered it in every direction. Then, about midnight, there was a blinding flash of light high up in the sky, followed by a terrific roar. It was the signal from the Admiral for the bombardment to begin. A moment afterwards flames darted from the sides of a hundred ships, followed by roar after roar. The air shook with the reverbera-