Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-10
British Squadron Rein
forcedby Heavy Guns in
South Atlantic Victory.
GERMANS LOSE 8 SHIPS
scharn1orSt. GneiSenau and
LeipSig Sent to Bottom Off
FaIkan Islands.

Tckic. Dec. -0.-The British gov
s-7meut has communicated TO Japan
q, Official account OF the sinking Dec.
&. Of Falkland islands. in the South
Atlantic. q the German cruisers
scharnhors-. Gneisenau and Leipsig.
viii a less Of about $500 men. Re
rorts make no mention by name OF
the British varships that participated
in the engagement The British squad
rou vas reinforced recently by sew
e-al vessels armed with guns Of heavy
calibre.
Io7d-n. Dec. 1o-The German cruis-
e-s Scharnhorst. Gneissnau and Leip-
sig were sunk in a battle with the
British feet under Vice Admiral Sir
Frederick Sturdee of the Falkland is
lands in the South Atlantic Tuesday.
Two German colliers were captured
and the cruisers Dresden and Nurn-
berg are being pursued.
The greatest enthusiasm prevailed
In London over the victory. and the
general impression Is that it will be
completed. as the admiralty would
not be likely TO send ships tha- could
not overtake the Dresden and Nurn-
N-EEs " AaEl al 2 anu - fAAA"A
sels. respectively. and probably even
slower after their long service. They
are a. a disadvantage. also, because Of
their small coal capcity.
Admiral Won Spec is Los-?
The official statement giving news Of
the battle makes reference to some
SURVIVORS rescued from the Gneisenau
and the Leipsig. but no mention is
made O. any of the crew Of the Scharn-
horst. which was The flagship Of the
German admiral. being saved. and il is
thus presumed that Count yOn Spec,
his officers and men went down fight
i1E
As the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
each carried a complement Of 765 men.
the I.espsig 2s6. the Nurnberg 322. and T.
the Dresden 2G1. -he total German I.
loss IS estimated al not far from 1000 /
men.
The British casualties were light, /
but as no information is vouchsafed !
-e gardinE the ships engaged. and the /
reWspapers are enjoi1ed not TO spec
ulz-e as other com mbinations may be
Effected"
Ends Search Of Two Seas.
The battle ends a search of two seas
for the German feet in which the
British feet was aided by warships OF
Japan.
The search began soon after tie
feet o. Admiral vol Spec engaged a
British squadron of the coast Of Chile
on Nov. ! and sank the British cruis-
ers Monmouth and Good Hope with
the loss Of about 500 men.
The search covered almost the
whole Of the South Pacific and then
the hunt was taken up in the South
Atlantic. 70 which the Germans had ,
fed either through the Strait Of Ma
gellan or around the Horn. II
Ships Of 1900 Tons.
The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
were the largest ships Of the German
Pacific SQUADRON. Descriptions OF the I
vessels follow:
rnhJrst-Armored cruiser. COM
pieted 1908. displacement, 11,42O
tons; Length. 1891 feet; beam. 70a4
feet; draft. 24Iz feet. l. II. P, 27.159.
spesd, 22.5 knots: armament. eight 50 I
neh, six % inch. twenty "a inch, four )
zen smaller. four torpedo tubes. Com O
'iement 1G5 ?
neissnau-Armored cruiser. com d
oisted 1908. Displacement. 1I,42O
oas;- length. 449iz feet; beam, 70A
eet: draft Z4Iz feet. J. II. p. 27.759:
ipeed. 22.5 knots. armament. eight 50 3
nch, six - inch. twenty "a inch. four
sen smaller. four torpedo tubes. Com
'lement. 7G5. 7
LeIpsis Third Class Cruiser. Il
Leipsig Third class cruiser. com y
1eted 1906 Displacement, 3.2OO tons; Y
sngth. 81 feet. beam. 43i4 feet: c
raft, lGiz fee. J. n. =. 1000: speed. z
. knots armament. ten II inch,
'rteen machine guns. two torpedo II
4oes- Complement. 2sG. q
Inc Dresden. which. with the Surn- IN
erg. vas az last accounts being pur- d.
leo By The victorious British squad "a
%. is small cruiser Of 3.j44 tons ol
'@piaoement and q speed OF p knots.
? great speed suggests that II has a
'oa chance q escaping its pursuers n
mess T. is damaged or short Of coal.
la- Nur1berg. which also escaped
20 is being pursued, has a tonnage
1900 and speed Of - knots
Two Cruisers in Flight
NonteYidsc. Uruguay. Dec. To-
" less reports indicate the German Of
e-sers Dresden ana %urnberg, sur tn
Nefs of the battle with the British Sc
~ are fleeing in the direction Of La