Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-12-16
German Warships Appear at
Daylight and Shell
Three Towns
MANY BUILDINGS
STRUCK ARE BURNED
Unofficial Reports Say There
Were Six Cruisers in At
taCking Squadron

London Dec. l6.-German warships
shelled the English east coast cities of
Scarborough, HartlepOol and Whitby
today.
WITS it attempted invasion or only a.
raid9 All England was wild to know.
The admiralty announced:
"our flotilla has been engaged at
various points. "
Also:
"The situation is developing"
From this it was believed the British
fleet had engaged the German vessels,
and that big battle had begun.
Not much was known concerning the
extent Of the damage done at the three
towns attacked.
Refugees who reached Hull said
Scarborough was "enveloped in
smoke" when they left. They spoke
Of a house as having been wrecked
there, Of two railroad platforms as
having been burned and said the Bal.
moral hotel and three churches had
been set on fire These, however were
At Hartlepool II was reported the
postoffice was hit and three employees
wounded. The historic abbey at Whit.
ney was said to have been partly
destroyed.
Unofficial reports said four cruisers
attacked Scarborough and two Whitby,
The war office, which supplemented
the admiralty's announcement, had II
that il was the West HartlepOOl fort
ress which was attacked by German
warships-uuhber not given-and that
they were driven off, The same state
ment was to the effect that only one
"small German vessel' bombarded
Scarborough and Whitby.
Scarborough is directly across the
North sea from Kiel, 1t was surmised
that ,the German warships made theil
dash from Cuxhaven or Wilhelms
haven.
Many Fled From City.
Hull, Eng. Dec. lG.-Refugees who
arrived here today from Scarborough
which has been shelled by German war
ships, reported that the town had suf
fered serious damage.
They said number Of buildings suf
fered aud that a considerable part o.
the population had fled. Most Of then
tool, trains for Hull. These alread!
here were passengers on the first o
these trains. They describe the bonn
bardment as very heavy.
The engineer OF another Of the trains
while still at Scarborough telegraphe,
to his wife heres "Shells are fallinI
thick around mo but l am all right"
Included IN the havoc wrought, thre
Scarborough churches were said to hay
been set on fire.
Gps was also declared to have beel
ignited, as q result Of leaks in tn
mains, with the consequence that tw
railroad platforms were burned,
Between 40 and so German shells fe
IN Scarborough,
The kaiser Is ships ran In close to IN
const and began the bombardment o
1866 n. m,
Panic at Scarborough.
The train already here left just o
the sheling began. The crash Of III
guns threw the passengers into a PAM,
Government censors immedintcl
afterward took charge Of the telegrnp
wires from the town.
Scarborough refugees said that whe
they first heard the firing they though
II was British battleships at targC
practice aud paid no attention TO IT,
Then house was struck and erun
Piled into heap Of ruins.
A moment later the B0lmorol hot,
was hit and set on fire.
By this time, with shells bursting an
cries Of terror arising from the street
people began pouring from their home
Many rushed wildly toward the raj
road station. Others, taking refuge
their cellars, watched the shells q
podng over the heads Of the thror
/ at the station, az they awaited the d
pnrturc of the first train
As their train pulled off the refugee
ON board II said they saw the atree
chokad with people engaged In an q
dcnvor 10 reach the open country fart
3 or In the interior whore they would
out Of range Of the German gun
Every sort Of conveyance Il WI
b stated. had been commundeered TO @
pedte this flight
The lnst the refugees saw Of Sea
: borough, they declared It was G
ycloped in smoke.