New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-13
SUNK in
BATTLE, IS REPORT
Eyewitness Describes Tn
gagement Fought, lie
Says, Off Grenada.
WRECKAGE FOUND
OF GERMAN VESSEL
Bore the Name Of Cruiser Which
Has Been Raiding British
Shipping.

Montreal, Jan. ia detailed de-
scription Of a naval battle off Grenada,
British West Indies. is given in a let
ter received here to-day from an eye
witness. who asserts that in his opin-
ion the German cruiser Karlsruhe took
part and was sunk.
The letter was made public by the
Montreal Gazette" and was received by
a member of it's staff from one OF ms
friends at Grenada. IL was dated
Grenada on December 3, and the writer
asserts that after the battle lifebuoy
came ashore marked IS. VI. ). harls-
ruhc." together with wreckage ana
barrels and foodstuiTs. He further
writes that fishermen had brought the
news that they had met dead bodies
floating i'm the vicinity Of the battle
numbers Of candles marked Kaiser
Light" boots with feet in them, hell
NETS and other wreckage.
at may interest you,' says the let
ter. "to know that on Wednesday even
ing, the 25th ult., while at my house
situated on ridge overlooking the sea
to the north Of Grenada, ! witnessed d
naval engagement, which was undoubt-
edly carried on between more than
two warships. The action lasted. as lar
as observed, from p. m. to IL p: M
and appeared TO be on the very horizon
to the north and northwest of the ISL
and. As the darkness increased 1t was
quite apparent, when broadsldes OF
proiectiles exploded within seconds oil
each other on either side, WITHIN a
range Of four to six miles.
Wreckage Comes Ashore.
81 did not hear the explosion of the
shells. as the fight was too iar away
but as the fight went on the position
Of the combatants Vcered round 10 the
north and east and increased IN
severity. Nobody in st. Patrlcks APP
peared TO have noticed what had nap
pened. and though | made diligent m
ouiries could not get my theory OF a
fght supported. Whether the govern
ment knew of the engagement or not
they certainly censored all news as re-
CARDS it.
"Six DAYS afterward ! was confirmed
in my opinion by the fact that Sau-
tours fishermen fishing IN the Car
riacon Channel. brought in the news
that they had met dead bodies floating
in the water. together with numberless
candles. marked Kaiser Light a sam
pie of which ! send you as a CHRISTMAS
card). also boots, with feet in them
helmets. pieces of wreckage, etc.
con my portion Of an island called
Isle Of Rhondre a lifebuoy came ashore
marked s. VI. $. Karlsruhe be-
sides wreckage and barrels OF food
ytuffs. | am the lucky possessor OF an
officers sword. which came ashore
wrapped up carefully IN oilcloth.
Picks Up Life Buoy.
"Ail this confirmed my conviction
that not only did ar engagement oc-
cur but that the dreaded karlsruhe mas
been sunk. ! also got quantity OF
wreckage. hope TO send the ne buoy
20 frame as a memento, but Tor tne
present the government has commah-
deered it,
The Karlsruhe was last heard from
on October 26. when she captured the
Iamport g. Holt liner Nandyck. Inc
Vandyck was the seventeenth vessel
that had been caught by the German
cruiser. Since October 26 several yes
sells have been reported in cable DIS
matches from points in South America
as having sighted a warship supposed
10 have been the Karlsruhe. None OF
the reports of the merchant ships, now
ever. positively identified as the haris-
ruhe the warshlp seen.
No vessels. so far as II known nave
been captured by the Karlsruhe since
October 26. The presence OF tne
speedy battle cruiser Princess koyai IN
the waters in which the Karlsruhe had
been operating was supposed IN -larl-
time circles to have curtailed her actlv-
tiles. The Karlsruhe dropped from
sight almost simultaneously with the
arrival of the Princess Royal on TINS
side of the Atlantic.
The British Admiralty has made no
announcement concerning the reported
sinking Of the Karlsruhe. Nor has II
minated that any British warshlps
have been in action with her or lave
even sighted the Karlsruhe. Hereto
fore the Admiralty has been prompt to
announce any disaster to German war
ships. ,.o..o,
The Karlsruhe. according to nayal
records. has crew Vi 374 men. she
was built IN the Germania yards az
Kiel in 1912: Her main battery con
sists of twelve 4.1-inch guns. She mas
a disbursement Of 1920 tons.