On the Sea

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 299, 16 December 1914, Page 5

On the Sea

"5.0.5."

THE SYDNEY AND THE EMDEN.

Per Press Association

Wellington,, December 15

' A highly interesting document relating to the fight between the Sydney and the Emden has been sent by an officer of Transport No. 10 to a friend in Wellington. It is a report of the wireless messages received by the vessels during and after the fight. The first message was received at 6 31 a.m. on November 9th, and was picked up by Private W. P. Falconer, 6th Wellintgon Infantry Regiment on wireless duty mi The message was "5.0.5.", and "strange warship .at entrance. Come." He read the wire: "Warship at entrance. Come," repeatedly from Cocos Island. He woke the wireless operator, Raw. In a few minutes the Emden tried to block the message *y continuous interruption. The operator turned the receiver differently and managed to keep reading the Cocos Island message through the Emden's "block," and immediately reported to the naval transport officer and tried to get the Melbourne and the transport flagship Maunganui, but the other stations operating blocked the message. At 6.45 a.m., the Waimana said, "Signals quite good," hut could not get the Maunganui. Five minutes later a signal was successfully sent to the Maunganui by semaphore. At 7.4 a.m. the Maunganui got a message through to the Melbourne, and at 7.10 a.m. the Sydney left for Cocos Island. At 9.32 a.m., the Sydney was sending code messages, which the Emden tried to block by sending at the. same time. At 9.47 a.m., in order to clear the way, everybody was ordered to stop signalling. , , At 1.17.a.m., the Melbourne received from the, Sydney: "Enemy beached to save herself from sinking," and 20 minutes afterwards' the further message "Pursuing merchant collier." Then the Minotaur sent her first message; asking for the movements of the enemy.

At 1.40 a.m. the Sydney wirelessed to all statiqns: "Emden beached, and done for." At noon,. she added: "British casualties, two killed and thirteen wounded." There were no further messages that day, but next morning at 6.15 a.m., the Melbourne reported to the Ibukt: "No further apprehension re Emden. Ashore or North Cocos. ; Foremast and three funnels down, and she has surrendered, while the Sydney is intact, and proceeding to' Direction Island. Do not know when she will rejoin convoy. She is remaining to take off'all guns, and will probably land wounded prisoners on Direction Island. She is also to report on condition of cable." The report has a note that the Arawa was the only ship out of 38 transports and four warships to pick up the message (presumably the calls from Cocos Island).

TARANAKI BOY IN THE WIRELESS ROOM.

HOW THE SYDNEY COT THE NEWS.

Writing to a friend under date November 12, Sergt. Dewar, of Stratford, relates some interesting news about the Emden fight. . "There hadn't been anything to break the monotony until Monday, when the Emden, up by one of our escorts, 'The Sydney.' You can just imagine the excitement on board the transports when the news reached us, the event being all the more interesting to those on board our particular boat (s.s. Arawa), as it was the only one out of the whole fleet to pick up the wireless message which led to the Emden's destruction. One of the members of the force was on duty in the operating room at the time he picked up the message 'S.O.S.' 'Strange warship in sight,' and immediately awoke the ship's operator, who lost no time in sending the news to the Sydney, which made off to Cocos Island at about 30 miles an hour. It took her two hours to do the GO miles. Once she got on the scene, it was good night to the Emden. Of course it could not have been anything else, as the Emden was asked to take on something right out of her class. It was a good win for the Sydney's maiden fight. .

A young chap named Falconer (who was in the P.O. at Eltham) was the one who picked up the message. You can imagine what a hero he is on the boat now. . . We had a bit of excitement, yesterday when a strange ship was seen on the horizon. It had every appearance of being a warship, and one of the escorts (the little Jap. cruiser 'lbuka,' made no race in getting after her, but the stranger proved to be an armed merchantman, 'The Empress of Russia.' We were "joined by a British warship this morning, and her unexpected appearance also caused the little Jap. to get up steam and go out and make enquiries. It is really exciting on this trip, and I would hot have missed it for something." IN THE SOUTH ALTANTIC. United Press Association Buenos Aires, December 15. Messages state that the battle cruiser Van Der Tann has reached I the South Atlantic, accompanied by three merchantmen converted into armed cruisers.

INDIGNATION IN NORWAY.

Copenhagen, December 15. There is great indignation in Nor-

way owing to the German Prize Court condemning five Norwegian steamers for carrying pit-props to England.

ROUND CAPE HORN,

London, December 15

Sir Douglas .Mawson, interviewed in London, said that when passing Cape Horn the steamer took a southerly course to avoid the German squadron. They found the lights of 'Fort Stanley extinguished. The vos'sel's signals asking for news ware ignored until it was known that she was British, the Falklanders fearing a raid by Admiral Von Spee. The 'women had been sent away, or hidden in the caves. § BRITISH COLLIER ROBBED AND SUNK. (Received 8.45 a.m.) New York, December 15. The German steamer Rhakotis has landed the British collier North Wales' crew at Callao. The collier was sunk by the Dresden after the latter had seized the coal.

TRIPLICATE MINES.

(Received 8.0 a.m.)

Copenhagen, December 15

Investigation of mines laid in Swedish waters, of which both Germans and Russians deny the ownership, show that the mines are laid in three layers and when .the top is exploded the lower mine automatically replaces it.

GERMAN STRAGGLERS.

THE CORMORANT LOCATED.

(Received 12.40 p.m.) Washington, December 15. The Navy Department has learned officially of the arrival at Guam of the German converted cruiser Cormorant. The commander has been notified by the United States harbor authorities that he must leave within twentyfour hours or be interned. .The Cormorant's whereabouts remained unknown since ..she left Kiao.chau. As it is improbable the vessel will be able to secure sufficient coal to take ,her to the nearest German port, she is, likely to be interned.