Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-12-17
Admiral Won Spec Steamed
Boldly Up Against Far 4
Superior Force
DISCOVERED MISTAKE
TOO LATE TO RETREAT
Put Up Gallant Fight and Even
Golfers Went Down Re-
fusing to Surrender

Buenos Ayres Dee. ia mistaken
estimate of the strength Of Admiral
Sir Frederick Sturdee s war fleet was
what cost Admiral Count Won Spee his
life and the kaiser his cruisers Scharn.
horst, Gneisenau, Leipsic and Nurn.
berg, with most of their crews, accord.
ing TO the story brought by the steam.
ship Orisa which arrived here today
with full account of the battle off
the Falkland Islands.
The British squardon, it appears,
consisting Of the battle cruisers In.
vincible and InfleXible and the cruisers
Kent, Cornwall, Carnavon and Glasgow
put into Port Stanley shortly before
the engagement, for coal. There they
found the battIeship Canopus, guard.
ing the Falkland island ports,
On the morning of December 3 the
smoke Of Admiral Won Spec S cruisers
was sighted. They were coming il was
understood from Robinson Crusoes is,
land to destroy the Port Stanley wire.
less station,
II was evident that Won Spec be.
lieyed the British fleet included only
light cruisers, for despite the fact that
he must have been aware Of their pres.
ence, he steamed straight toward
them.
Mistake Discovered
The Germans were within three
miles Of Sturlee 3 squadron before they
discovered the latter's strength,
II was then too late for all the
kaiser ships to escape, so the Scharn.
horst Gneisenau and Leipsic formed in
line of battle the Dresden and Nurn.
berg remaining at the rear, evidently
in the hope Of getting away.
The Leipsic was the first Of the
German vessels sunk, the Glasgow
sending it to the bottom in short
order.
Then the British fire was centered
on the Scharnhorst II was on fire but
its guns were still in action and re-
fused to surrender. An hour after the
Leipsic 3 destruction it went down
bow foremost carrying Won Spec and
its men with IL.
The following two hours the Gnes
enau continued the fight alone, 1t was
on fire and all It's guns were silenced
when It finally sank.
| The Nurnberg was run down and
| sunk so miles from the scene Of the
main engagement. The Carnaryon con
tinued the chase Of the Dresden foi
hours before the latter finally escaped
owing to its superior speed.
Golfers Went Down Too,
The sinking Of the German cruisers
left the GOLFERS which accompanied
them entirely unprotected. They re
fused TO surrender and a few British
shots sent them to join the sunkei
fighting vessels
The only British ship which SUI
fered any damage was the Cornwall
which was hit below the water line
but It was said It's injury was no
serious,
British losses were placed at eigh
men killed aud four wounded,
OF the crews Of the four sunken Ger
man crafts, il was said only "a wert
saved.
At the time the battle began thu
British vessels had not finished coal
ing and were forced to 20 into the on
gngement short Of fuel While th,
fight ragged the crews chopped up iliei
bonts tore out woodwork and use,
every other combustible thing on boar,
TO keep up steam.
Latest ndyiccs from Punto Arcua
said that the captain Of the Dresden
which put in there after It's escape anD
subsequently left, rather than intern
| with n British cruiser IN pursuit kney
how the battle resulted, having IN
terceptcd wireless message whicI
SWrdee was sending
"lt s only necessary to add, " h
commented, "that the British CARRIE
I3l ccntimctrc guns against our =
ccnimcter wcnpons'' y