SINKING OF THE KAIPARA

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2249, 8 September 1914, Page 5

SINKING OF THE KAIPARA

CHIEF OFFICERS NARRATIVE ... KAISER wiLfifetfs ifi LontJonj September 5., . Mr. Hubert Wilde, chief officer of the Kaipara,i tells the stbry of the sihkitig of his ship by the German auxiliary cruiser Kaiser _ Wilholhi der, Grosso off the West African coast. He sayi:— "From Cape Frio (German South-West Africa),, the steamer arbided the usual wade routes', and . did not sight any ship until August 16, when the Kaiser Wilhelm hailed us. The ..commander, through a megaphone, shouted, 'If you use wireless we will use guns.; .-_ ( • , "The captain, lieutenant; i and-'secoiid ~ lieutenant came on board the Kaipara, smashed the wireless", "arid placed bxplb-. 6ives in the stokehold.. They ordered ■ everyone to leave, and we were' only, kllowed to take our clothes,, our individual losses being considerable. , ... "The Kaipara 1 s boats, which con-.' '■■ yeyed the- crew, werg afterwards'''' ecuttled. Thb Kaiser Wilhelm spent 1$ hours in firing fifty-three shots to'sink the 1 'Kaipara. N ; ~. '..,■. .' ~ "The prisoners were treated ~ with! great courtesy, and were provided with ■ Saloon berths. It was evident, that .the " Germans did not relish their task. The commander, remarked that it was a painful proceeding.,.. ■ "-,.•'•"••;-'•-,■•.; ■_- ■ t "The same afternoon. the-Nyanga waa sunk, and her, crew taken aboard.. "Nest day the Kaiser Wilhelm: enter- ' ed Rio del Oro Bay, and- coaled frbma collier. - , • ..,....; , "A week later, off Las PalmaSj when the ship was coaling, .the crew rushed bn deck with pistols; • • The petty officers ■said, .'You'll be all right by arid by; we think it is,an English cruisei\* -..' "Later on. thecaptairi and lieutenant feaid, -Gentlemen, please go aboard the Arucasat once. The British cruiser is going to fire. J Many of,the.Kaiser Wilhelm's crew/accompanied the prisoners to the Arucaa and threw their arms into.the. sea. .... ~,,.., "Suddenly,the Highflyer fired, and the Kaiser Wilhelm replied; The "Arnicas' wafs still "tied up, arid' tKe shells' ; whizzed over our .heads;' The first' shot j*aye. us. a bit of a shock, but our men acted with great coolness. I; took the Arucas'si. Wheel, and we gradually, ' " moved away. vs . : . , "The Kaiser Wiihelm hadn't a chance ' against the Highflyer. ~ Owing to .the short range, bne of the Highflyer's first i shots,;disabled the port 'quarter .'giiri, ',',. and destroyed part of the bridge;' ) . "When she sank.,the ' Afucas was several miies away." . ',WAitSMip sinks trawlers V- — ENGINEER'S EXPERIENCE. ' (Rec. September 8, 0.30 S.in.) . . Stoclitiolm, September 7. M. Erikscit, a Norwegian engineer • aboard a British trawler, was fisliirig with others north-west of the -Dogger Bank oh August 28; wlieii'a German battleship (? cruiser) opened fire, sinking twd trawlers, but the crows were rescued. Eleven .other trawlers were captured, aild conveyed to Hamburg. This incident would appear to be that reported yesterday, when it was stated that fifteen fishihg boats we're sunk by two German cruisers and foiir destroyers. SUNK BY A MINE. SHI? WITH 300 PASSENGERS, London, September 6. The, Exchange News Agency states' that the Wilson liner Runo (1679 tons), with 300 refugees, while going to Hull from Russia, struck a mine forty miles off Shields. Eighty persons were drowned. _ Trawlers landed 200 survivors at Grimsby, and many are now in • hospital/ London, September 6 The Press Bureau confirms the --news of tho sinking of the steamer Runo. Twenty Russian emigrants wero lost. ' (Rec. September 7, 9.20' p.m.) London, September 7, morning. ; The Runo was blown up after she was twelve hours out from Hull,Kbouud to a place unspecified. The explosion occurred. under tho baggage-room, where several baggage sorters were killed and the baggago blown high into the air. Many of the passengers were panicstricken, and numbers jumped overboard; others rushed to the boats, inipedin;r thb work of the crew. Three boats' overturned before, they reached the water, and one being overcrowded capsized. The crew were calm, and practically all the women _ and children were saved. After tho disaster, tho whistle was continuously blown, attracting Grimsby trawlers, which pushed to tho assistance of the Runo, regardless of the mine peril. The Runo's passengers were not refugees. They came frbiri America. : DAMAGED GERMAN TORPEDO CRAFT. ~.;■'■.'•; , Londeh, September 6.. : . Some newspapers think it probable that the damaged torpedo craft at Kiel wero sent there for repairs after the' Heligoland fight. i KAISER'S SAILORS- WERE , FLOGGED. - : . r petrograd, September ,6, .',,. A formidable cat-o'-nino tails was found in every officer's cabin on tho cruiser Magdeburg. Each bore signs of long and hard usage SUEZ MAIL LEFT BEHIND. Fremantlß, September 7. Owing to the presenco of German cruisers in the Mediterranean, tho Otway did not call at Taranto (Italy), fiha brought no maita or manifests.'

."■• ATLANTIO,;ROUTES CLEAR.- ■'.- Washington, September 5, It 'is- officially stated that 'Great Britain has derided' to disarm all merchantmen, 1 ; owing; to iie trada routes in the -Atlantic -being perfectly, free from. th.e enemy. : . ',/.'■', ■_ '■.-.'.-."" .* r- "'_ L '. '..'..■