The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-11-17

wireless Station put were SoN' heouS
to Operators.
The London Daily Chronicles CORE
spondent at Keeling, in the Cocos is
lands, Frederick Pollock, who was an
eyewitness of the destruction of the
German cruiser Emden by the Aus
tralian cruiser Sydney, sends a detail
ed account of the affair as follows:
At o'clock in the morning a four I
funnelled cruiser arrived at full speed |
Our suspicious We're aroused, for she
was flying no flag, and her fourth fun
mel was obviously dummy made of
painted canvas. Therefore we We're /
not altogether surprised at the turn of
events. The cruiser at once lowered
away an armored launch and two
boats, which came ashore and landed |
on Coral beach three officers and forty
men, all fully armed and having four
Maxim guns.
The Germans-for all doubt about
the mysterious cruiser was now at an
end-at once rushed up to the cable
station and, entering the office. turned
out the operators, smashed the instru
ments and set armed guards over all
the buildings. All the knives and fire
arms found in possession of the cable
staff were at once cOnfscated.
| should say here that in spite of the
excitement on the outside all the work
was carried on in the cable Office as
usual right up TO the moment when the
Germans burst in. y general call was
sent out just before the wireless APP
paratus was blown up.
The whole OF the STAFF Wa placed un
der an armed guard while the instru
ments were being destroyed. but it is
/ only fair to say that the Germans.
working in we'll disciplined fashion un-
/ der their officers. were most civil There
| was no such brutality as we hear char
| acteriZeS the German armyS behavior
toward civilians, and there were no at
tempts at pillaging.
Australian Cruiser Appears.
While the cable station was being put
out of action the crew of the launch
| grappled for the cables and endeavored
to cut them, but fortunately without
| success. The electrical stores were
| then blown up.
At 8 a. M. we heard the sound of
siren from the Emden, and this was
| evidently the signal to the landing party
| to return to the ship. for they ut once
dashed for the boats, but the Emden
got under way at once. and the boats
We're left behind.
Looking to the eastward, we could
see the reason for this sudden depar-
ture. for a warship, which we after
ward learned was the Australian cruis
er Syndey, was coming up at full
speed in pursuit. The Emden did not
wait to discuss matters, but. firing heI
first shot at a range of about 300
yards. steamed north as hard as she
could go.
Range Finder Crippled.
At first the firing of the Emden
seemed excellent. while that of the
Sydney was somewhat erratic. This,
as | afterward learned, was due to the
fact the Australian cruisers range
finder was put out of action by one of
the only two shots the Germans got
home However, the British gunners
soon overcame any difficulties that this
may have caused and settled down TO
their work, so that before long two of
the Emden's tunnels had been shot
away. She also lost one of her masts
quite early in the fight Both blazing
| away with their big guns, the two
cruisers disappeared below the hori-
ION, the Emden being on fire.
After the great naval duel passed
Il TsfNO r.sxx n n
attention to the portion of the German
crew that had been left behind we
found that these men had put off in
their boats obedient to the signal OF
the siren, but when their ship steamed
off without them they could do moth
ing else but come ashore again. On
] relanding they lined up on the shore
of the lagoon. evidently determined to
;, fight to the finish if the British cruiser
sent party ashore. But the dueline
cruisers had disappeared, and at p. m
Il the German raiders embarked on the
II old schooner Ayessa, which belongs to
| Mr.. Ross, the 'uncrowned king of the
II islands. Selling a quantity of clothes
II and stores, they sailed out and have
not been seen since.
ii Early the next morning. Tuesday
II Nov. 10, VIC saw the Sydney returning
and at $40 a. M. she anchored off the
Il island. From various members of the
II crew I gathered some details of the
II running fight with the Emden. The
/ Sydney, having an advantage in speed
Il was able to keep out Of range of the
| Emden's guns and to lombard her
| with her own heavier metal The en-.
H gagement lasted eighty minutes. the
II Emden finally running ashore on North
II Keeling island and becoming an utter
II wreck.
= Only two German shots proved eff
= fectiYe One of these failad to ey