The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-10-13
LETTER FROM
PAPEETE, TAHITI
Papeete, Tahiti, Sept. 25, 1914.
The Logan Republican:

| came In port last night and is to
leave in two hours aud II time per.
mits ! will relate to your readers the
little excitement that happened in
this remote part Of the g.cbe, Tues
day last, September %.
You might think Papeete, Is too
much Of an isolated insignificant part
of this large earth Of ours to be mo-
Tested in these times of war and
bloodshed. For fear you would not
find 1t on the map, only speck on
the map or it might be. only the
name Society Islands of which this
is one of the ninety islands compos.
ing the French Archipelago.
On the morning of the 22nd, just
as the inhabitants were beginning
to stir smoke was seen burst above
the horizon. One Of the hundred and
fifty soldiers who are stationed here
announced the coming by blasts Of
the bugal. In a few minutes all were
on the waters front only TO see two
large cruisers coming, followed by n
cargo or supply boat which 1t is
thought they had captured. The fort
here above the town gave the can
non salute to which there was no
answer. Then they asked for their
colors up went the white flag and
q German flag, at that soldiers gave
orders for the 1000 inhabitants to va
cate the town. All was an uproar,
natives, Cinnamon and French peo-
pie with a bundle Of clothes on their
backs and children following all fill.
ed the main road headed for large
valley about a mile out of town and
in twenty minutes hardly a person
was to be seen.
l ran up on the mountain just back
of our house to see over the trees
and buildings to see where the cruis-
ers were and just as I was high
enough to see them, saw sight
and heard that which brought me
down in about a dozen jumps 1t was
flash of fire, smoke and then the
report of the cannon.
Tlder Otto Stocks of Lewiston and
I, while the house was fairly jumping
dedicated ourselves, house and
church house to the Omnipotent Pro-
tector, cashed the mission records in
an clubhouse so as to be protected
from fire, took the money from the
safe, locked the house against any
one that might linger to plumber and
made a hasty retreat up the noun
tains. We had only arrived to a
small wash, when the firing from the
battleships, that had silenced for a
little while opened fire again.
From our place of refuge We had
n full view of the town below and
we witnessed a sight | shall long re-
member.
The Zalle, a small French gun, and
a large German freight steamer that
the French here had captured a
month ago were at the wharf and
they we're the target for the cruis-
ers and just back Of the wharf was
the business center and back Of that
is the residence houses. We woul6
see the flash from the sides OF the
two vessels, that were out about
mile and a half from shore, then we
would hear the reports of the gun,
and In about three seconds We woulc
see tin and lumber or water II the
bomb went a little low and hit the
water, fly a hundred feet in the air,
see a black cloud OF smoke as the
bomb exploded and hear a noise that
almost deafened us and the crashing
as the balls went through the build
ings one after another.
The firing lasted for about half an
hour and we were pleased to see the
vessels going out OF sight to where?
None of US knows; and from where
they came Is also q mystery.
The town was all in h flame below,
Elder Stocks and | descended to find
that our house had been hit twice,
but no damage done, and just across
the street was found fuse, part of
the bomb that weighed about six
pounds.
| shall close as time for the boat to
leave is here, The fire destroyed a
large European store, general mer-
chandise, and lumber dealers, a large
French store, a hotel, several res
taurants, two of the four saloons.
the ice plant and dozens OF Chinese
stores, the market building, and many
others. 1t is estimated that 1t cost
about 100000 francs or 100000 to
cruisers call on US.
The governor here set fire to 1000
tons nf brick coal that was here