The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1897-01-02

" - -
hymn, THE Flag
eenlied." Singing that song they went
to their death cheerfully. The Ills be-
gan her last voyage on July % last.
when she left Chefoo, in China, for
Nagasaki, In Japan. She was gun
boat Of $500 tons, q small vessel OF the
class which IL maintained by European
powers In Asiatic waters for the pur-
pose Of furnishing natives. protecting
citizens, and so forth. 1t does not APP
pear that she had any one particular
defect. but she was too weak to face
the terrible storm which overlook her.
Before nightfall the ship was over
taken by one of those terrible storms
which rage with such fury on the east
ern coast of Asia. When darkness
came the storm was still increasing In
fury. The crew were helpless and
crouched under the bulwarks holding
on to ropes and rails for their lives.
Great seas broke over the deck. drown
ing and injuring many men. The ship
was beyond control of helm or engines
and incapable Of making a course in
the direction In which safety lay. I'm
til nearly midnight the storm flung
the helpless ship abo1... Then. having
been lifted on the crest OF an enormous
wave. she fell with a crash which
shook her from stem to stern. She had
struck on q reef. which proved to be
one on the southeast promontory on
the Chinese coast The beats were
washed away, the men were pJwerless
to save the slip. Ssud their ,..ily chance
Of life lay in clinging 10 ship that
was fast breaking up. After nearly
twelve hours of battle with the storm
1t only remained for ther, 20 die. Cap
tain Braun, who had ne,er for a mo-
ment relaxed his efforts % save the
ship, saw that his work was over. His
stalwart form and his calm. but strong
German face will live in the memory
OF the few survivors until their last
hour. He called all the officers and
men around him on deck. and, taking
each one by the hand, babe him fare
well. Then he told the whole crew that
they had done their duty like men, and
would do well to end BIZ giving three
cheers for the Kaiser ana Tor Germany.
These were given with a strength that
struggled with the roar OF the wind
and waves. The ship was then fast
breaking up. A chasm had opened
abaft the foremost, and the waves
breaking over the deca threatened
every moment to tear away the greater
part of the ship and sink in under the
boiling sea. Then Gunner Raehm
yelled to the men to sing the national
military hymn. the "F7aggenlied." BY
that time q sort of intoxication born
Of contempt for death had core over
them. Joining hands for good -eiiow-
ship and also to safe one anotl for q
few moments more from the itches
of the waves, officers and men .anced
ON the deck Of the ILLS as they sang
the hymn, the refrain of which is:
ssThe Kaiser and our standard. Hoch!
The nag, black. white and red"
They had barely concluded the hymn
when the ship broke up and the after
mart Of her was engulfed in the sea.
A very few managed to reach the small
part fast on the reef-not one officer
among them. OF the thirteen men who
succeeded in clinging to the wreck.
eleven were eventually saved. They
spent q terrible night, during which
several Of them we're washed on and
two drowned. The whole of the next
day the storm continued with ccnsid-
cradle violence. and they remained in
their miserable position. At the end