The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-23

More Than Twelve German Vessels,
Weimar, Sunday, June 22.-tA. 70
The German warships which were
not surrendered to the allies and
which have been anchored off Kiel
Wilheimshaven and other points,
have been sunk by German sailors
manning them. according to q re-
port received here from a reliable
authority.
4ocording foe the reports there
were Twelve German war vessels, be-
sides destreyers, which were in Ger
Imam waters, not having been turned
|sover to. the entente under the arms
3tice provisions.
May Have Reached the orkneys.
London. June 23.-Although re-
ports have stated six Germans we're
killed and ten wounded when the
boats of the German fleet at Scapa
Flow were fired upon subsequent 10
the scuttling of the German neet'
the Daily Mail says others may nave
been drowned and that some may
possibly have reached the Orkney Is
iands and have not as yet been re-
ported.
The main force or the BRUSH
feet was absent exercising at sea
only some drifters, small warshlps
and patrolling aircraft being on
guard over the interned enemy
squadron.
Admiral Won rIeuter, commanoer
of the surrendered German fleet,
saws he issued an order to sink the
ships, the Daily Mail adds, and did SO
because at the beginning OF the war
the German emperor directed that
no German warship should tall INTO
the enemy's hands. He says ne pc,
ljeved, from newspaper reorts, tnat
the armistice had been ended.
Won Reuter- Under Suspicion:
Admiral Won Reuter- visited Ger
many some weeks ago, it being un'
derstood at the time the reason for
his trim there was that he was III,
but he soon returned, and it is be,
Iieved that at that time he clrculateo
the order to sink the German shlps
by evading the censorship or max
ina sianaIs to the various vesseis,
an act which the close proximity OF
the German ships made quite easy.
The Mail quotes the admirai'y ao
DENYING that the German crews Were
ueriodically changed, and saying that
the original crews remained on
hoard the vessels. There were from
$50 to 200 men on the big ships, ana
from ten to twenty on board the de-
stroyers. Therefore, there were
nearly 5000 in the water or IN tne
ships bows when the fleet was sum-
Sea Valves Had Been Opened.
Fourteen were landed by the Brit
ish on Sunday at Nigg, Russhire;
They were placed in hutments ana
are being held under military guard
From the behavior of the ships, ac-
cording to the Mail, it was evident
the sea valves had been opened ana
In surprisingly short time the Ves-
sells, big and small, began to settle
down. Every effort was made by the
British naval craft to beach the SINK
ing ships, and in the case of de-
sfrovers considerable success was
achieved. BY o'clock in the after
noon. however what an hour before
had been a stately fleet riding calmly
at anchor was an array OF reellng,
rocking battleships the doom OF
which was written in their move
ments.
Here a destroyer would disappear
amid a cloud of steam, and there a
battleship would take her last plunge
and disappear in a cloud of spray.
one would settle down by the stern
and another would heel over until
only the keel showed above the wa
ter The Derfflinger, Hindenburg.
Won Der Tam, Moltke and Seydlltz
settled down beside each other. the
last named turning turtle as she
filled with water. Her keel is still
showing where she capsized. The
waters of Scapa Flow were dotted
with small boats full of men VINO
- .r,it1 aromatic suddennesS set
tied the question of the disposition OF
the interned ships.
Vigorous "Hochs."
The first boat load was towed along
side of H. M. S. Victorious by a
drifter, a German officer IN the boat
ordering his men to cheer. They re-
sponded with three vigorous "hochs."
Craft of every description followed
fast to the side of the warship, each
towing boatloads of Germans. who
were taken on board the Victorious. '
t.l.