The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-23
Think MANY HUNS
DROWNED ABOARD
SUNKEN WARSH|PS
Continued from First Page.)

Continued from First Page.)
ing 1t over to an officer who had been
IN command of a division OF interned
~destroyers.
We are not B~olsheviki," he said
Peace was signed today. We had our
orders and have carried them out"
Teutons Prepared.
The Germans were not aware that
the armistiCe a been extended until
Monday, and there was an almost CON
t1nuous foot clicking and saluting as
otticers of various ships greeted each
other on coming aboard. That the Ger
mans were ready for the event was
apparent from the amount and variety
OF the gear they had with, them. some
seamen staggering under the weight Of
bundles bigger than themselves, the
salvage representing everything from
banJos to pet dogs Both the officers
and men seemed very anxious that none
OF their ships shoul dbe saved,
One officer who wore the iron cross,
pointed to the sinking ships and said;
see how the German navy goes with
its flag flying"
Such, however, was not the case, as
British sailors had boarded most of the
German ships and had hauled down the
flags before the vessels went under.
The prospect of salvaging n few ships
Is fairly hopeful, the Mail says. None
gone down in really deep water.
The Bleaching of the sinking ships
proved a difficulty and at times a dan
gerous matter. One destroyer sank as
1t was being towed ashore, British
sailors on board having scarcely time
to jump clear before the craft went
down, About 20 destroyers out of the
so that were informed were beached
during the afternoon. The German
crews which were taken to the Vic
torious were later transferred to other
warships.
What was a crowded anchorage this
morning" wired a Mail correspondent
late Saturday, lis a desolate expanse Of
water tonight, with here and there the
masts Of a sunken German ship mark
ing the final resting place of a once
proud and mighty high seas fleet"
One of the Mails correspondents
who watched the sinking ships from the
air station at Houton, which overlooks
the anchorage, writes:
All Sank Quickly.
THE battleships as a rule gradually
submerged until their decks were
almsot awash. Then they turned turtle
and went quickly out OF sight, there
being a slight boiling Of the sea at in
tervals for several hours and "A blush
scum on the water caused by the re-
S1'p VI oht LIE was al lldJ HldTktu
the spot where the ships had gone
down. The light cruisers settled by the
stern or bow and sometimes 100 feet
OF the hull of II projected into the
air.
when the last battleship disap-
peared, a drifter and a trawler were at
work alongside and q destroyer was
standing by, evidently making at at
tempt TO TOW the battleship into shall
water. A long splash between the
destroyer and the ship showed that the
low line had parted, The battleshlp
canted violently, the drifter moved off
and before a photographer beside the
writer was able to change a plate in
his camera, not a single vestige of the
battleship remained.
"A number of German sailors came
to the pier at HoutOn this afternoon,
but were not permitted to land, being
directed to the flagship. Strong patrols
landed from the fleet and took
positions along the beach, presumably
to deal with any German swimmers who
come ashore"
A Thurso dispatch to the Mail says
the moment the German flagship ran
up the red flag, 20 or 30 British de-
and trawlers were patrolling
and out Of the German lines. A rush
of Germans to the boats followed the
signal, but the capacity of the boats
was limited, as their number was cut
Town some time ago. All the Germans
wore life belts and those unable to
the boats leaped into the sea
without hesitation.
In the meantime guard ships and sew
,ral destroyers opened fire on the boats
md the Germans leaped overheard.
Then the d~estroyers. patrol boats and
1fnnaces dashed In all directions pick
ng up the Germans from the water.
1T is common knowledge here" the
says, that the behavior of the
,rews Of the German ships has been
progressively worse.
The first few weeks after the armi-
'tice men from the German ships were
to land on the island, but very
,oon farmers complained Of the loss
If sheep. Leave for the Germans was
hereupon stopped, only one boat being
Flowed ito each squadron"