The destruction of the gas works
left the town in almost complete darkness for many nights afterward.
The authorities issued a proclamation ordering all citizens to
remain indoors for a time, and then began to count the number of
dead and injured. The first estimate gave the former as 22 and the
latter as 50, but subsequent reckoning showed that both figures
were too low.
In Scarborough most of the inhabitants were still in bed when the
bombardment started and for a few minutes did not become excited,
thinking the booming of the guns was the sound of thunder. But when
the shells began to drop on their houses they knew better. Many were
killed or wounded while they hastily got into their clothes. One
shell hit St. Martin's Church while communion was being held. Here,
too, the railway station was made the objective of many refugees,
and the police did what they could to send the women and children
out of range of fire by putting them on trains of extra length.
As in all such scenes there were humorous sides to it. One old
workman, while hurrying along a street was heard to say: "This is
what comes of having a Liberal Government." In all, about 6,000
people left the town immediately and did not return for some days.
Similar were the scenes enacted in Whitby when the turn of that
town came. Only two persons were killed in that town, while thirteen
casualties were reported from Scarborough.
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