Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-08-19
KARLSRUHE FlEES
bRoADSIDES FROM
BRITISH CRUISER
Kaiser's Craft Attacked While
Taking Aboard Coal Fror
Merchantmen Kron.
prinz Wilhelm.

prinz Wilhelm.
Halifax. N. S.. Aug. 15.-A long range
hight and chase on the high seas oc-
Cured Thursday night, when the Ger
man cruiser Karlsruhe, the largest
German ship in the north Atlantic, was
intercepted In tho act Of coaling at sea
from the North German Lloyd steamer
Kron Prinz Wilhelm by the British
cruiser Suffolk.
Fleeing from the Suffolk. the Karls-
ruhe encountered his majesty's ship
Bristol. the smallest Of the British
cruisers in these waters. southwest of
Bermuda. A running battle began and
continued for half an hour in the vel
vet darkness of the semitropical night.
Neither vessel suffered serious damage
so far as is known and it is not thought
likely hat either was hit. The Ger
man escaped in the darkness.
When the Kron Prinz Wilhelm left
New York two days ago with 5000 tors
Of coal aboard, 1t was thought by many
persons that she was bound for the
position of one of the German cruisers
patrclling the north Atlantic.
Racing through the heavy swell at a
terrific clip, the ships exchanged broad
sides without inflicting much damage.
Conditions being very unfavorable for
accurate gunnery. and although the
Bristols consorts were at least 100 miles
astern. the German ship would not
stand and fight. according to the Brit
1sh participants drew away from the
Bristol. owing to superior speed. and
after half an hour was out of range of
the British ships six-inch bow guns.
The chase was continued, but some-
where in the darkness the German
cruiser doubled and made off south to
a Juan, where she put in for coal
some days ago.
Details of this action. the first single
ship fight in which a British man-o'-
war has engaged in these waters in 100
year., We're brought to Halifax today by
his majesty's ship, Suffolk, the flag
ship of Rear Admiral Cradock. COM
handing the four-cruiser squadron.
FLAG Captains Story.
I'VE We're steaming north on Thurs
day morning last and the crew had just
been ordered to general stations when
from the foremasthead came the cry,
Enemy on h port bow" said the
flag captain of the Suffolk in giving
out an official statement of the chase
of the Karlsruhe today. LAS soon as
we knew that war was declared the
ship a been prepared for battle. Fit
tlngs, all woodwork, and everything
else that might be at all inflammable,
We're pitched overheard, and the sea for
miles around was strewn with debris.
Under these circumstances there
order Clear ship for action was given.
The gun crews went to battle stations
and the stokers were double banked.
loft the port bow, about II or IL miles
away. we could see the Karlsruhe and
the Kronprinz Wilhelm. The Karlsruhe
had her boats out. coaling from the
North German Lloyd ship, N as we
hurried down toward her it was In the
hope she had run so short in her bunk
ers that we could catch her.
they took to their heels. The Karls-
ruhe did not even stop to pick up her
boats. Her men clambered aboard her
as best they could, and she hustled
away to h northward. while the
Kronprinz Wilhelm steered off to the
east.
I'VE knew. Of course. that the Karls-
ruhe had the heels of rs. Our only
hope was that h was short of fuel
n could not keep up her steam, but
this hope was fruitless.
Eludes Her Pursuers.
nineteen thousand yards was the
closest we got to our quarry. The Bris-
toll was to the north of us, and the Ber-
wick to the south. We called both of
them by wireless and ordered them to
aid in the chase. The Berwick tried to
cut off h Kronprinz Wilhelm, while
h Bristol took a position to intercept
the Karlsruhe. All afternoon we raced
after the fleeing German. BY 5 o'clock
her smoke had disappeared and then
all u hopes conferred in the Bristol
picking her up.
cat 9 o'clock that night that well
come news came through the air to US
from the Bristol. Enemy in sight, A
few minutes later came the message,
We are engaging the enemy
"Although we must have been fully
100 miles astern Of them, we raced on
for all we were worth. We had no fear
Of the result If the German stood up to
the Bristol, for we were all sure that
our fellows could whip the Karlsruhe
easily at close quarters. but we want
ed to be in at the finish ourselves.
1.-THE Karlsruhe had the heels of the
Bristol. too. They were In action for
Just about half an hour. For a few
minutes the German stood up and the
ships fought ~broadside to ~broadside, the
Bristol using her two 6-inch guns and
the five 4-inchers or her %broadside
against the Karlsrube's five APPOINT
enes. After a few minutes. however.
the Karlsruhe urned and ran. The
Bristol chased her. firing her forward
6-inchers.
Battle In che Dark.
cit was difficult to make anything
like good practice. 1t was pitch dark
and the sea was heavy. Not one of the
German shells landed anywhere near
the Bristol. but our chaps think they
got some shots board the Karlsruhe.
However, in long range fighting under
those conditions 1t is pretty difficult to
do much. and the Karlsruhe's speed