The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-12-22

London, Dec. 17-Germany daring
ly attacked England herself early in
the morning.
After dash across the North sea
on a misty night, German fotilla
bombarded Hartlepool, Scarborough
and Whitby, unfortified cities on the
east coast of England, early in the
morning.
Some thirty women and men were
killed. Churches were ruined, hotels,
dwellings and stores were destroyed
by the bombardment. which endured
40 minutes, after which the Germans
steamed northward from Scarborough
and escaped pursuing British cruisers.
The gun flashes indicated that four
big warships we're firing. One shell
that has been picked up was II inches
in diameter and 80 inches long
Hundreds fed in panic while the in
vaders projectiles Numbered and
burst, setting on fire the structures
they had set in ruins. Others, af
frighted, took refuge in cellars.
The exploding shells of the bold
cruisers who slipped through the Brit
ish fleet and the guard ships and
lodged the mines thickly strewn in
the North sea, dug holes in the streets
of Scarborough so wide and deep that
a railway truck could pass through
them.
Warships Repel Raiders.
Hurriedly called by wireless, British
warships FASTENED from the nearest
points to attack the enemy. But the
German cruiser force, made up of
their fastest cruisers, escaped in the
mist from the British squadron.
The squadron which shelled Hartle-
pool, where the bombardment was
most destructive to life and property
was composed, the admiralty announ-
ces, of two battle cruisers and an ar
mored cruiser, while from four to six
light cruisers attacked Scarborough
and Whitby
Germans Escape in Fog.
The German squadron escaped prac
tically unframed. The organizer pur
suit that drew England's great ships
from their stations at sea could not
catch up or cut off the fast raiders.
The Germans had in their favor
heavy mist which covered the sea, and
they made rapid withdrawal after
dropping shells on the coast towns for
about thirty minutes.
The only official mention of damage
to the raiders is contained in an Off
,cial British statement which said the
batteries at Hartlepool had damaged
at least one of the vessels which ap-
peared there
The Yorkshire Evening News prints
a dispatch to the effect that two Ger
man cruisers have been sunk, and that
British warships were damaged
Nest Daring Raid of War.
1t is the most daring and success
full exploit the Germans have per-
formed in the war, amazing in its saw
age thoroughness. All England is
alarmed and enraged because a squad
ron of Germany's most dangerous war
craft was permitted to escape from the
Kiel canal and remain undetected long
enough &c give Englishmen even a
light experience Of the horrors of war
that have come to Belgium and France
There is fear that an invasion will
be attempted, but there is more reason
to believe that the devastating raid
was the first stroke of a great coup
Germany, it is positively known, has
been planning for weeks a concerted
rush of battle cruisers and dread
naughts from Helgoland and the mouth
of the Elbe. in an attempt to ruin
British commerce on the Atlantic.
Many Dead at HartIepooI.
1t is officially announced that at
Hartlepool seven soldiers were killed
and IA wounded and % civilians were
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