The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-11-11
CHEERED AND SANG.
Thrilling Scene at the Sinking of
q German Gunboat.
Officers and Grew Gave Three
Cheers for the Emperor.

| b"hpOht iltlsJ hIlehuy Drlcug TcpoItsu
by telegraph. 1t appears from these
that the Iltis left Chifu at four Il. IN.
on July 23, the weather being good
and the barometer rising. Owing to mn
interruption in the Chinese telegraph
lines, it was, unfortunately, not known
at Chifu that typhoon was approach-
ing from the direction of the For
mosa Channel, and it was not till the
afternoon that signs of bad weather
began to appear.
As the night came on the wind and
sea rose and the storm increased. The
vessel labored heavily, but not more
so than on previous occasions, and,
though the watch of duty was called
on deck at ten p. m. to assist in furl-
ing the sails, no danger was anticipat-
ed. Half an hour later there was
severe shock, aud it was found that
the vessel was hard and fast on II rock.
Leaks Immediately showed themselves,
and before long the engine-room and
stokehole were flooded. The heavy
sea dashed the vessel against the jag
ged edges of the rock upon which she
had struck, and her plates were smashed
and stove in. BY this time most of
the crew were gathered aft, the com
mander and the officer of the watch
still keeping their stations on the
bridge. Rockets were sent up in the
hope of attracting attention from
lighthouse not far of, but it was soon
seen that all such efforts were hopeless.
Heavy seas continued to dash over
the vessel, which soon showed signs
of giving way under tie strain, and it
was Mt this moment that the com
mander, abandoning hope. gathered
the doomed men together and called
for three cheers for the Emperor.
The men responded with enthusiasm,
and almost Immediately afterwards the
ship broke in two forward of the
stokehole, and the masts went over
board Most of the men aud officers
were on the after part of the ship, and,
, in response to n suggestion of one of
the gunners, the officers and crew
} joined in singing the very appropriate
} "Flagglied," a patriotic song which
winds up by asserting that should
their vessel be driven ON reefs the
men will go down singing: "Der
Kaiser und die FIagge-Hoch Die
Flagge schwarz, weiss, roth !"
The after part of the ship then be-
gan to heel over and sank, and all
upon it save two were drowned, the
exceptions being two men who man
, aged to swim through the boiling surf
, and reach the shore safely. The for
ward portion turned on its side. with
: the keel towards the shore, and there
{ the men managed to cling until morn
t ing broke, when an attempt was made
to construct raft. One man was
washed off the wreck during the day,
but he reached the shore safely, and
the construction of raft being found
impossible, the others were forced to
remain on board thirty-six hours
without food, when Chinese boat
came to their assistance and took
them off the wreck. The Chinese
inhabitants of the village near
by behaved very kindly to
the shipwrecked men. providing
them with food and clothing, and an
English missionary attended to the
men who had been injured, while the
keeper of the lighthouse ut the south
: east promontory, German named
Schwilp, came overland to the assist.
ance OF his distressed fellow-country-
men. Only twelve men in all were
saved, there not being one Officer
} among them. Great sympathy has
: been expressed in all the foreign com
D munities of the far East, where the
. officers and men of the Itis were vel
known, and subscription lists have
0 been opened Mt Kobe, Yokohama, Ma
: gasaki, as well as the various China
ports, for the assistance of the rela'
4 tives of the drowned, who number in
all some seventy five men. -Londor
Times.
School Gardens in Russia.
A very interesting feature of prima