BULLION HUNT BEGINS

Evening Star, Issue 21747, 15 June 1934, Page 13

BULLION HUNT BEGINS

ATTEMPT TO SALVAGE CRUISER drama of the emden. A link with one of the most remarkable tragi-comedies of the Great War, when a Russian cruiser was sunk in five minutes by the notorious German raider, the Emden, in sight of hundreds of people who were going about their business in tho beautiful island of Penang, is recalled by the. attempts now being made by a Japanese firm to salvage the Yemtschug. Extraordinary stories were told at the time—October, 1914, shortly before the 'Emden met her fate—about the surprise character of the, raid. Tho Russian mati-o’-war was at anchor, with other ' warships. Suddenly the German ship came on the scene, and under the very nose of the enemy sent ft torpedo and fired several guns at the Yemtschug. Within five minutes the Russian was down, and hundreds of human beings were floating in the shark-infested harbour, Most Of the officers from the Yemtschug, it is said, were off duty in Georgetown, the capital of the island. A rich Singapore Chinese, Tan Keen Jin, has now received an option from the Straits Settlements Government, and he has placed the contract for the salvage operations with a Japanese firm. Investigations were begun last August, and the work is now being- conducted by four divers and a staff of twenty—all Japanese—who have brought a special vessel to the harbour ftnd a great quantity of salvage tackle. It is not known definitely whether the ill-fated cruiser carried a large quantity of bullion in her hold, but it is more than likely that she did, in view of the nature of her mission.

A preliminary investigation shows that the Yemtsohng lies in thirteen fathoms, it will be necessary, it is stated, to dynamite and break up the ship into pieces weighing ten to fifteen tons. The operations are expected to last six months if the usual weather now experienced on the northern coasts off Malaya continues. In the event of bullion being discovered the company will share the proceeds with the Straits Government.