The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-12-18
CHEERED AND SANG.
Thrilling Scene at the Sinking Of
a German Gunboat.
Officers and Crew Gave Three
Cheers for the Emperor

that the Tits left Chifu at four "a. M.
on July 20, the weather being good
and the barometer rising. Owing 10 an
interruption in the Chinese telegraph
lines, it was, unfortunately, not known
at Chifu that a 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
80 than on previous occasions, and,
though the watch Of duty was called
on deck at ten p. m. to assist in iurl-
ing the sails, no danger was anticipat-
ed. Half an hour later there was a
severe shock, aud il was found that
the vessel was hard aud fast on a 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 VII ich she
had struck, and her plates we're 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 we're hopeless.
Heavy seas continued to dash over
the vessel, which soon showed signs
of giving way under the strain, and it
was at 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 mnsts went over
board Most of the men aud officers
were on the after part of the ship, and,
in response to a suggestion OF one Of
the guuners, the officers and crew
joined in singing the very appropriate
"Flagglied," 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 Flagge-Hochl Die
Flagge schwarz, weiss. rothI"
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 it's side, with
the keel towards the shore, and there
the men managed to cling until morn
ing broke, when an attempt was made
to construct raft. One man wal
washed off the wreck during the day,
. but he reached the shore safely, ant
: the construction of raft being found
impossible, the others we're forced Il
remain on board thirty-six hour
without food, when a Chinese boa
came to their assistance and tool
4 them off the wreck. The Chimes
: inhabitants OF the village nea
by behaved very kindly t.
t the shipwrecked men, providing
g them with food and clothing, and a
t English missionary attended to tn
Q men who had been injured, while tn
e keeper of the lighthouse at the south
e east promontory, German nance
;. Schwilp, came overland to the assist
e ance of his distressed fellow-country
l. men. Only twelve men in oil wer
saved, there not being one Office
among them. Great sympathy hu
been expressed in all the foreign con
= munities of the far East, where til
officers and men Of the Iltis we're we
known, and subscription lists hay
been opened at Kobe, Yokohama, M
gasalsi, as we'll as the various CHR
ports, for the assistance of the rel
tives OF the drowned, who number
all some seventy-fve men. -Londc
Times.
CHI The North British Railway has
ll- its service an engineer named Jol