The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-09-01
LIVE BAIT USED TO DRAW GERMAN
 SHIPS INTO TRAP

London, Sept. 1-Sailors of the Brit ish ships engaged in the fight with the Germans of HIeligo1and who arrived at Harwich furnish additional details of the naval engagement off that place which was the result Of a trap set by the British commodores to draw the Germans out.
 One of these sailors, who said he was among those who were used "as live bait,'' said to a correspondent of the Daily News and Leader:
 '..The bait was slowly pushed tempt ingly forward, till at last the attention of the German boats, feeling, as they thought, perfectly secure under pro lection of their own land. forces. was attracted
 "A German cruiser came out and fired on the Fearless, We made 2 running fight to egg them on and two other German cruisers came out, and couple of torpedo boats and 2 destroyer all had a. pop at us.
 '.Then the smaller boats of the .fo- tilla. began to buzz around. We had drawn them out all right anu the Commodore signa1led for general ac- ton. Then the hotillas commenced to close round.
 "Bv this time the F-earless was in the thick of it. All her guns were in zction and the boys landed their shots
 
 to the bottom and looked around for more The Arethusa. was having rough time of it A couple Of the enemy's torpedo boats were pounding away at he rand she was being badly pressed. In dashed the Fearless ana threw all her weight into the fight. She manoeuvred grandly and manag- ed to send one of the torpedo boats below
 Shortly. afterward the Mainz burst into flames, apparently as the result of an explosion caused by well di- rected shell. The whole ship seemed suddenly to be enveloped in flames. We could not say which of the des- troyers inflicted the mortal blow, but they all gathered round like flies to rescue the German sailors in the water.
 times. but for the number of hits scored the damage was riE1fcl1lol1sl y small
 .eThe Laurel, which had the Inside berth, was compelled for some time to face the fire of one cruiser and two
 .sThe first shell to hit the Laurel fau1nd its way to the engine room. killing four men. The second struck the forward gun, tanning charge which was just about to be fired and killing three men. The third strike . NZ ously in the left leg, but though urged by his men to go below he shifted his weight to the other leg and continued to issue his, orders as though noth- l ing had happened
 l tsAIl this time the Laurel was mak- Ling it desperately uncomfortable for | the two destroyers with which she was engaged, one of which shortly after ward went to the bottom. She was giving as good as she was getting from the cruiser as well piece of l the fourth shen struck the commander on his sound leg and brought him down on the bridge, but1<he still de- cIined to give way. though his signal man insisted on tearing off his trous- CTS to prevent hisNwounds from being l poisoned. He continued to fight his shop until he lost consciousness, just after he had learned they had man. aged to extract the charge from the damaged gun.
 "As he lay unconscious on the bridge | one of the petty officers put Hfebe1t around him, for by this time only three rounds of ammunition remained, and 1 though the British cruisers had ap- peared on the scene it seemed innpos- sfb1e that the Laurel could live nuch longer in the fire to which she was
 "A final shell struck her anidships enveloping her in a dense cloud of dust and smoke and all on board were cer- | tain that she was going to the bot tom. That last shell, however, was to prove her salvation for the dense cloud hung to her as she lay helpless on the water, and though the cloud 1 was split in all directions by the enc my's projectiles not one succeeded 1T finding her in the heart of it. There was not the slightest furry, though
 even the satisfaction of fighting had
 been taken from the men.
 'f tGood-by, old man. said blue l jacket, bleeding to death on the fore
 beside him.
 My times up, too,' replied the oth.
 CT. calmly reaching out a hand to him
 and with that handclasp they died.
 %+Twenty-Evo men were killed or I o,11dad