noon
Soon afterward the head of the bay seemed madly rushing out to sea , but quickly surged back to fill the chasm which yawned at the spot where the village had been . The dense clouds were now upheaved at such short intervals that the scene of devastation was completely shut out from the observers on the hills ; but every few minutes they felt a sickening shock , and heard a momentary and horrible crash and hiss which seemed to fill all the air . The instantaneous motor-bombs were tearing up the sea-board , and grinding it to atoms . It was not yet noon when the bombardment ceased . No more puffs of black smoke came up from the distant repeller , and the vast spreading mass of clouds moved seaward , dropping down upon St. George 's Channel in a rain of stone dust . Then the repeller steamed shoreward , and when she was within three or four miles of the coast she ran up a large white flag in token that her task was ended . This sign that the bombardment had ceased was accepted in good faith ; and as some of the military and naval men had carefully noted that each puff from the repeller was accompanied by a shock , it was considered certain that all the bombs which had been discharged had acted , and that , consequently , no further danger was to be apprehended from them .