Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-31

LONDON, August 31.-An official state
ment says that OF 1900 men composing
the crews of the FIVE German warships
sunk Off Helgoland, Friday, only $50 were
saved.
Twenty-nine killed and thirty-eight
wounded was the price In men paid by the
British for the naval action against the
Germans off Helgoland.
The admiralty has announced the cas-
ualties as follows:
1.-THE light cruiser Arethusa lost Lieut.
Eric Westmacott and nine men killed,
four men seriously wounded. and Lieut.
Robinson and eleven men wounded, but
not seriously.
THE torpedo boat destroyer Liberty
lost Lieut.. Commander Barttelot and
six men killed; one man. who has since
died from wounds; one dangerously
wounded, five seriously wounded, ana nFe
slightly wounded.
1.-The DESTROYER Laurel suffered ten men
killed; one has since died of his wounds:
two men dangerously wounded. seven
seriously wounded and two slightly
wounded"
Vessels Commander Killed.
The Liberty was hit by a shell which
shattered her mast and tore away part
of her bridge first of all. and then
smashed her searchlights and killed her
commander, Lieut.. Commander Nigel X
w Rarttelot, and William Butcher. his
signal man Their deaths were instanta-
neouS.
Accounts of the battle say It was per
feet in execution as well as In plan. LED
at dawn by fearless small detachment,
the destroyers crept within the German
lines between Helgolafld ana lne ger
man coast.
An aeroplane sighted them and gave the
news to the Germans, whose deStroyers
| then came out. The British destroyers
lured the Germans to the open sea, Where
other destroyers were waiting, spread out
in fan shape.
A small engagement followed and then
the German cruisers came out The BTU
ish light cruiser Arethusa. alter sleht,
ing shot, got her range SplendldlS, anu
hit the foremost gun of one OF the Ger
, man cruisers demolishing it. The Are
thusa then fired a few broadsides at the
| enemy Her practice was excellent. Sne
hit a German cruiser, which at once burst
into smoke and flames, but soon alter
ward A German shot did some damage to
the engine room of the Arethusa
Praise for the Destroyers.
! The destroyers Liberty and Laertes
fought a grand fight A shell brought
down the mast of the Liberty. The Leartes
was hit amidships, a hole was shot
through her funnel. her forward guns
| were damaged and she received also a
shell in the dynamo room and a shot aft
which wrecked her cabin.
1t was hot work, but at that moment
| the British light cruisers and battle
! cruisers appeared. 1t was the moment
for which they had been waiting and
| their execution was deadly. The first
| shot from one of the British battle
cruisers sank Il German cruiser which
| had been battering a destroyer.
The German fleet then turned and fled
| in the direction of Cuxhaven, but was
pursued by British destroyers, which did
terrible execution with their four-inch
guns
Many of the Germans landed after the
battle from the British ships were
clared the revolvers were used by Ger
man officers to prevent their men sur
sendering to the British boats which
| had put off to save their drowning OPP
| ,onents Some of the boats lowered to
| the rescue of the Germans. it is said,
we're fired upon by German cruisers.
Battle Not Important, Berlin Says.
| A dispatch received here by the Mar
| ,oni Wireless Telegraph Company from
| Berlin gives an official statement con-
| corning the naval battle off Helgoland.
| 1t says:
] THE naval engagement near Helgo-
J land is treated by the press being
| without significance as occurrence
which cannot affect the general situa-
lion The fighting took place apparent.
lily within the range of the Helgoland
furtS which. however. We're unable 10