The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-11-19
Sydney Drove ,
Emden Ashore
in 80 Minutes
Australian Cruiser Kept Out o
Range and Shot Antagonist to
Pieces--Wa Hit by Only
Two Shells

blAAbh 800
respondent at Keeling, in the Cocos
Islands, Frederick Pollock, who was
an eyewitness of the destruction OF
the German cruiser Emden by the Aus
tralian cruiser sydney, cables a de-
tailed account Of the affair.
The islands are inhabited only by
Malays, except for the staff OF he
Eastern Telegraph C~ompany's cable
and wireless station on Direction ISL
and, one of the group, and the de-
scendants Of June Clunies Ross, u
Scottish naval officer who settled In
the Islands and founded a line of "un'
crowned kings" some ninety years
ago.
Little news of the var reached the
islands except official bulletins, which
were relayed through the cable sta
ton. Then came a rumor that the
cable company was sending rifles and
orders that the beach should be pa
trolled to guard against Germans who
might come and try to cut the cable
and destroy the wireless station. Sing
apore later informed the islands that
a German cruiser was on the way to-
ward them, but except for one OF the
cable operators seeing what he
thought were searchlights at sea one
night toward the end OF August, moth
ing came OF this report.
The Emden, with four funnels-the
fourth obviously merely a painted can
vas dummy arrived at full speed at
the entrance of the lagoon at 6 o'clock
in the morning. She few no flag, and
this fact together with the dummy fun
mel. aroused the suspicious OF the ca
BILE staff.
Gable instruments Wrecked.
The cruiser Immediately lowered an
armored launch and two boats, and
landed three officers and forty men.
fully armed and equipped with four
Maxim guns. The Germans rushed
to the cable station, expelled the OPP
orators, smashed the instruments, con-
fscated the weapons of the staff and
put armed guards in all the buildings.
In spite OF the excitement outside,
work went on as usual in the cable OF
fee until the Germans rushed In, and
a general call for help was sent out
lust before the wireless station was
blown up.
The Germans we're most civil, but
mt the stan under armed guards,
while the instruments were destroyed.
There was no brutality or p~illaging.
Meanwhile the crew OF the launch
grappled for the cables, but failed to
cut them. The electrical stores then
were blown up.
The Emden's siren blew at 9 o'clock
and the Germans on shore hurried to
the boats, but the Emden started i'm.
mediately, leaving the boats behind.
The appearance Of a warship to the
eastward coming at full speed in pur.
suit explained the departure. The
ship turned out to be the Sydney.
The Emden fired the first shot at
a range Of about 300 yards while
steaming north at her highest speed.
The Emden's firing at first seemed
excellent and the Sydney's rather err
ratio. It was learned afterward that
the latter was due to the fact that
the Sydney's rangefnder had been
put out of action by one Of the two
shots the Emden got home.
Emden Set on Fire.
The Sydney's gunners soon over
came the difficulties caused by the
smashing Of the rangeflnder and be-
fore long two of the Emden's tunnels
had been shot away. Her mast was
lost at the beginning of the fight,
The cruisers disappeared over the
horizon, both firing their big guns.
The Emden vas afire aft.
The landing party, which had start
ed out for the Emden, returned to
shore and lined up on the shore OF
the lagoon, evidently ready to fight II
the Sydney sent men ashore, but, both
cruisers having disappeared, the Ger
mans at G o'clock in the evening en-
barked on the old schooner Ayesha,
belonging to Mr.. Ross, the present
"uncrowned king" Of the island, took
clothes and stores and sailed for an
unknown destination.
The Sydney returned the next morn
ing and anchored at S:45 o'clock.
From accounts given by the crew 1t
seems that the Sydney, being the
speedier, kept out Of range of the
Emden's guns, bombarding her with
heavier artillery. The engagement
lasted eighty minutes. The Emden
was beached north of Keeling Island a
complete wreck.
The Emden fired two effective
shells. One smashed the main range
finder of the Sydney and killed one
man, without exploding. The other
killed three and wounded fourteen
Both cruisers attempted to use tor
pedoes, hut failed. The Sydney
steamed at the rate OF twenty knots