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[Page 17]
"EMDEN BEACHED"
With every portion of her on fire, except the forecastle, with her stern actually growing red hot, and the smoke from the stokehold escaping from three holes in the deck were once the funnels had been, the "EMDEN" was turned towards North Keeling Island to save her from sinking. The German colours - the white ensign with a big black cross - were still flying from the mainmast; those on the foremast had of course been shot away. Almost to the end one gun still barked at intervals. Then the ship ran high on to the corals. Her nose was lifted almost clear of the sea. A short stretch of seething surf alone seperated her from the shore. The "SYDNEY" gave her two more broadsides as she passed her stern, and then stood off at once to hunt down the merchantship. It was just 11.20 a.m.
It took nearly 50 minutes to overhaul the collier. A gun was fired across her bows, and she stopped. She turned out to be the steamer "BURESK", a collier captured from the British, and manned chiefly by Chinese. A German prize crew of 16 was found in her. A party from the "SYDNEY" which boarded her found that the collier was already sinking. The valves in the ship's bottom had been opened and destroyed so that there was no possibility of checking the entrance of water. This was a great pity, as with this extra ship a great deal more comfort could be given to the "EMDEN"s wounded. As it was the transference of the collier's crew occupied a good deal of time, and it was not till nearly four o'clock that the "SYDNEY" was able to leave her after firing several shots into the empty ship to make sure of her fate.
THE FLAG HAULED DOWN.
The "SYDNEY" now returned to the "EMDEN". Although she was high and dry, her colours were still flying. For 20 minutes the "Sydney" steamed up and down past her stern signalling to her to surrender, but them "Emden" neither hoisted a white flag nor pulled down her ensign. Accordingly ywo more broadsides were fired into her. Then at last a white flag appeared and the German ensign was lowered.
It was now getting towards evening, and as the tropical night falls very quickly, and the "SYDNEY" had not yet been able to visit the Wireless Station, which is on Direction Island, 15 miles to the South, she at once returned there. A boat was sent off to the "EMDEN" manned by the German crew who had been found in the collier, with a message that the "SYDNEY" would come back and assist them the next morning. As a matter of fact it was even then just too late for the "SYDNEY" to prevent the escape of the landing party from the settlement. Between North Keeling and Cocos a man was found swimming in the water. It was necessary to rescue him, and the result was that by the time the cruiser had reached the roadstead night had fallen, and it would have been dangerous to land. It was not known that some other cruiser of the enemy might not turn up, and the "SYDNEY" had no wish to be caught napping. She stood off the Island until daybreak and then for the first time learnt the news she had come for - that the Wireless and Cable Stations had been damaged, and that the landing party - about 40 men in all - with 3 boats and 4 maxim guns had got away in their schooner half an hour before the "SYDNEY" had arrived on the previous night. As it was after dark they had not been seen and have not heard of since as far as I know.
NOT TO BE DESCRIBED.