NORTH SEA CLOSED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2299, 5 November 1914, Page 5

NORTH SEA CLOSED

-—- ) GRIM WARNING TO ALL TRESPASSERS DANGERS FROM MINES London, November 3. The Admiralty announces that during last week the Germany ha'vo scattered mines indiscriminately in the open sea on the main trade route from America to Liverpool, via the North of Ireland. Peaceful merchant slips have already been blown up with loss of life by this agency. . -~-."'' "The White Star luier Olympic escaped disaster by pure luck, and but for warnings given by British cruisers ottior British and neutral vessels would Lave been, destroyed. * t . "These mines cannot nave ,been laid by any German sbip of war. They have been laid by merchant vessels' flying a neutral flag which have come along a trade route as if for. purposes, peaceful i to commerce. While profiting to the i full by the immunity enjoyed by neutral i merchant ships the enemy has endan- i gered lives, regardless whether they are ' friend or foe or of a civilian.or military character. Mine-laying under a ; neutral flag, and reconnaissance conducted by trawlers, hospital ships, and neu- i tral vessels, are ordinary, features of 1 German naval warfare. ' "In the circumstances, the Admiralty 1 feels it necessary to adopt exceptional measures appropriate to tho novel conditions. They'therefore give notice that i the whole of the North Soa must be ' considered a military area. Within this, i area merchant shipping of all kinds, i fisliing craft, and «11 other vessels will \ be exposed to the gravest dangers from ■ mines. ' Every effort will bo made to 1 convey this warning to neutral coun- ' tries and to vessels on sea,_ but from J November 5 all ships passing a line drawn from tho northern point of tho' j Hebrides through' Faroe Islands to Ice- I land will do so at. their own risk." 1 - ■ ______ '■' ■ j ' ■ i H.M.S. CHALLENGER IN ACTION. \ BOMBARDMENT OF'A CAMEROON J , .SEAPORT. " . \ London, Not ember 3. t A bluejacket's ■• letter : describing tho \ bombardment of Dualla, at the Cam- t erpons, states that the Gerniniis laid e minea and sank shipa in the river. The ,c

gunboat Dwarf removed the mines and blew up the wrecks. H.M.S. Challenger arrived at full speed at Dualla, where '< eha was not expected, and destroyed ; half the town and silenced the batter- . ies. ■ : .'■■'•'■ '■ '■ ■ ■ '■•:.' , : ■'■; H.M.S. Challenger, 5880 tons, .eloveS . ; • ' 6-inch guns, eight 12-pounders, was .- j formerly on the Australian station, and ; was a frequent visitor to Wellington* .-'.; : -. THE LOSS OF THE HERMES. >- ; PETROL TINS 'Aβ LIFEBUOYS. , )\ ■:'. ' London, November 3. ! When the cruiser Hermes was sinking j in the Straits of Dover, after being \ : i torpedoed by a- German submarine, ."''■'.! someone remembered that there were -; four, hundred, petrol tins aboard. These i were emptied, andthe stoppers screwed. j down, and they kept scores o'f men i afloat, until rescued. , J : AN EYE-WITNESS'S STORY. . ■ • ] HKmea" a-nd Sydney "Sna" Servicee/ ; (Rec. November 4, 6.15 p.m.) . ■ :i ■ London, November 3. : .•; An. eye-witness of the sinking 'of.'the. 'j Hermes was waJking along the sea- .■'-;.! shore, trying to forget the horrors he • ! had seen on the battlefields, when. ■ he' blundered into a 6ea tragedy. ... The j cuiiser was well out. .He heard a tre- ~■■'■{ mendous explosion when the' sub- ■ | marine's , torpedo found the target, and . • j saw- a great pillar of smoke shoot sky- ; wards. With guns firing, tho.Hermes '1 finally gave • herself to .the deep. Be- . j fore sinking in her gallant struggle, the ■ ' r funuels'were belching volumes of smoke, ' j and sho stilF appeared ,tol- he moving j slowly oven when her waterlme was ■• far below the surface. ~ ' . i Survivors state that thoy saw the au- j daoious submarine depart leisurely.. ; i