The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-12-21
WAS ALSO AT VERA CRUZ
Kenosha Man Who Has Spent Seven
teen Years on Uncle Sans Fighting
Ships Goes to Great Lakes Training
School to Instruct Recruits.

With record of seventeen years as
seaman aboard Uncle Sans fighting
ships and filled with thrilling expert
ences of war and disaster, Fritz
Mielke, chief petty officer of the U. S.
Cruiser Memphis, which was flag ship
of the cruiser squadron in the Atlantic
until she went to pieces on the coral
reef off San Domingo last August, is
back in Kenosha for q visit with his
relatives, the first in several years
Miellze has been in the United States
navy for seventeen years and he has
two more years to complete his term
of enlistment. After the sinking of
the Memphis off San Domingo he was
transferred to the Prairie and he came
north for his Christmas holiday.
Today Mielke was telling many
thrilling stories of his long service in
the navy. These. centered about the
loss of the Memphis on August goth
in which disaster forty-one members
of the United States navy lost their
lives. The armoured cruiseY Memphis
was driven ashore on the rocks off
San Domingo on the afternoon of
August Doth by a great and sudden
swell "We only lost four men aboard
the boat, - said AIielke today, "and
the great loss of life came when one of
the boats returning from the shore
capsized in the storm. There were
forty men aboard this boat and most
of them were lost.
"It was thrilling experience, "
said Mielke. eve stuck to the Memp-
his until the old man (the com
mander) decided that he had to give
up the ship and then like lot of other
good fellows we took to the surf and
took our chances of being dashed to
death on@ the rock. / was fortunate
enough to escape without any serious
injury. The Memphis went on a coral
reef and her whole bottom was
torn Off She was a hopeless wreck
in a short time"
Mielke seems to have had way of
getting into the big events of history
with the fleet. He was chief petty
officer on the Memphis when it was
sent to Vera Cruz when the Mexican
situation became menacing. He was
one of the first of the men to leave
the Memphis and take to the lighters
when the order to land was given. He
braved the fire Of Mexican snipers and
came off without losing drop of blood.
Tie admitted today that it was con
siderable of a disappointment to the
men in the navy when the marines
were not sent on to Mexican City
ct have two more years to serve
and when I get through with this /
think that | shall retire, !" said Mielke.
S'The navy offers chance for won
derful education and l like it, but it
seems to me that twenty years is
enough on the ships and ] want to get
back home again. just as soon as
have spent a little visiting here / am
going down to Great Lakes Station
aud take up work as an instructor of
recruits. I can't say how long I will
remain stationed there. We have be-
come so accustomed to the life aboard
ship that any of it is entirely
satisfactory.
Mielke has nothing to show for his
hard service with the navy in the past
few months. He is in the prime of
health and his visit to Kenosha is Civ
ing a lot of pleasure to his relatives
and close friends.