The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-08
.|NTERNEO GERMAN
WARSH|P IS BLOWN
UP BY ITS CREW
listed Men of the CoTmorant
Dead In Explosion.
REMAINDER OF CREW, ass.
PRISONERS OF WAR
First Lives Lost In War Arc Those OF
Germans and Is Due to Their Own
Act In Destroying Their Ship-Had
Given Much Trouble.

Washington, April 1.-THE informed
German gunboat Cormorant, at
Guam. has been blown up.
The Cormorant refused to surrender
to the American forces which went to
take possession OF her and was de-
stroyed by her crew. Two German
warrant officers and Eve enlisted men
of the crew were killed in the ex-
plosion.
Twenty officers. twelve warrant of
ficers and 321 enlisted men were taken
prisoners.
The message was received at the
navy department at 8 A. II. today
from Captain Roy Smith, governor OF
Guam. and commandant OF the naval
station there.
The destruction OF the Cormorant
took place at O'Clock last night.
Washington time.
The Official Statement.
The navy department issued this
statement:
The German auxiliary cruiser
Cormorant was blown up In the har-
Dor of Apra, Island of Guam, today
by her crew. sinking Immediately.
one warrant officer and one enlisted
man are dead, one warrant officer
and four enlisted men arc missing.
twenty officers, twelve warrant Of
ticers and 32i enlisted men have been
made prisoners.
ON October IS. 1914, the thirty
tive-foot cutter called the ocean
Com ber' entered the harbor of Apra,
Island OF Guam. i'll charge of Iieuten-
ant Won Elpons. of the imperial Ger
man navy. The boat and party of
nfHreFS and fOur n tfyHE a New
Guinea had been at sea for a long
time. having left S, NJ. s. Cornlo-
rant for the purpose of sending
cable to San Francisco for supplies.
The date of the cipher was October
10 and the location of the Cormorant
was not disclosed. Permission was
not granted to send the cablegram
and the officers and men were In
termed
ION December Ia, 1914, the Ger
man auxiliary cruiser Cormorant ap-
peared Off the harbor of Apra. and
sent radio asking permission to en-
ter for coal and provisions. She was
allowed to enter and the commanding
officer TO visit the government.
Commanding Officer Juckschwertit
stated that he had just come from
the South seas and was short of coal
had only about fifty tons on board
and requested 1900 tons of coal and
provisions to reach his nearest home
port in German East Africa The gov
ernor replied that he could furnish
only 200 tons of coal and thirty DAVIS
provisions onlv could be spared: the
commanding officer was given the al
Tentative of departing within twenty
four hours Or being informed
''On December Is. 1914, at 10 A.
NJ. the commanding officer decided
to renain in port and the ship and It's
personnel were interned
THE following were on board.
Twenty-one officers. one midshinman
eleven deck officers 307 petty officers
and men four Chinese and twenty
nine South sea natives"
Shin Cause of Constant Friction,
lntermsnt of the Cormorant at
Guam has been the cHtlse OF con-
tinual conflict and disagreeable incl
dents between the American naval of
ftcers in charge of the island and the
! German crew.
ON several. occasions former Ger
man Ambassa dor Bernstorff appealed
to the state department In behalf of
the Cormorant's officers and crew to
have the vessel transferred to San
Francisco. Each time the navy de-
partment refused.
The Cormorant was chased into
Guam by Japanese warshtps soon