The midland journal., 1914-11-20
Drove
Enden Ashore
in so Minutes
Australian Cruiser Kept Out oi
Range and Shot Antagonist 70
Pieces-Was Hit BY Only
Two Shells

an eyewitness Of the destruction OF
the German cruiser Emdeu BY the Aus
tralian cruiser Sydney, cables Q de-
tailed account Of the affair.
The islands are inhabited only by
Malays, except for the staR Of the
Eastern Telegraph Company's cable
and wireless station on Direction ISL
and, one OF the group. and the de-
scendants OF June Clunies Ross, q
Scottish naval ofiicer who settled in
the islands and founded line of fun
crowned kings" some ninety years
ago.
Little news of the war reached the
islands except official bulletins, which
were relayed through the cable sta
tion. Then came a rumor that the
cable company was sending rides 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 nag, 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 op-
orators, smashed the instruments, con-
fiscated 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
flee until the Germans rushed in, and
general call for help was sent out
just before the wireless station was
blown up.
The Germans were most civil, but
put the staff under armed guards,
while the instruments we're destroyed.
There was no brutality or pillaging.
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 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 q warship to the
eastward coming at full speed in pur-
suit explained the departure The
ship turned out to be the Sydney.
The Emden fred the first shot at
a range of about 3,700 yards while
steaming north at her highest speed.
The Emden's firing at first seemed
excellent and the Sydney's rather err
ratio. 1t 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 rangefinder and be-
lore long two Of the Emden's tunnels
had been shot away. Her mast was
lost at the beginning of the dght.
The cruisers disappeared over the
horizon, both firing their big guns.
The Emdeni was afire aft.
The landing party. which had start
I'd out for the Emden, returned to
Shore and lined up ON the shore of
he lagoon, evidently ready to fight IL
.he Sydney sent men ashore. but, both
cruisers having disappeared, the Ger
mans at 6 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 8:45 o'clock.
From accounts given by the crew it
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
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
lpedoes. but failed. The Sydney
steamed at the rate Of twenty knots
during the fight; the Emden at the
rate of twenty-four knots.
The collier Bursk. which had been
In attendance on the Emden. was sunk
after the engagement The Sydney
left at IL o'clock Tuesday morning
to search for survivors Of the Emden
and finally departed on Wednesday
with wounded prisoners.