"UNDER TWO FLAGS."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 143, 16 June 1917, Page 8

"UNDER TWO FLAGS."

A SURVIVOR OF THE GOLIATH. An interesting account of the Spanish American War was given to a "Star"' representative by Mr. William Jerard, one of the twelve eurvivors of the blowing up of the battleship Goliath in the Dardanelles, in the course of a chat this morning. "During the time of the , struggle between Turkey and Greece in 1897," said Mr. Jerard, ""I was onboard the flagship Powerful under the command of Admiral Seymour, which was engaged in protecting the Dardanelles. My work on board that vessel consisted of signalling. After being there, abont twelve weeks, I was sent to Port Said, and then on to Portsmouth, England, where I received my discharge. I then went to New York from Liverpool on thn Oceanic, and got paid off. At that time war was declared between the United States and Spain. Being a British trained sig-nallcr, I took the position as signaller in the United States signal service, and was sent to Hong Kong, where I joined the flagship Olympia, under the command of Admiral George Dewey. Whilst there our vessel received on board a pilot, who was engaged to lake the United States fleet into Manila. The man in question was a spy, hk parents being Chinese and Phillipean. Under promise of a substantial reward this man agreed to pilot the American fleet into the Manila port. Having helped to lay underwater magazines at that port he was therefore well versed in the pasfagr. On eeeing the vessels coming into the harbour the Spaniards on board their vessels were surprised, and a shot was fired across the Olympia's bows. The ships in the harbour were then surrounded by the Powerful, Revenge, and Terrible, and their guns trained upon them. A shell from one of tho Spanrsh boats exploded near the <">]ympifi, and severely injured the narrator. The piiot having got the American t'.-et within 300 yards broadsi.le of Manila, the -whole of the Spanish fleet with the exception of one vesß(l. the l*ady Christina, -were simk. This vessel was captured ami the crew made prisoners. An attempt to blow up one of t.ho American vessels was made, but the persons concerned were caught in the act and shot. Mr. Jerard. the narrator, was then *ent to hospital nt Honolulu, where ho recovered from his wounds.

"At the outbreak of the present war." said Mr. Jeranl, "I joined -t.h« G-oiiaith as signalto and went to the Dardanellie, iv-bM-e we .supported tho right wiug. A German battleship in the. vicinity, however, torpodoed us. I got a fievero abdominal wound, besides wounds in the arm, head and hand. When the battleship sank I manured, with eleven others, to clinp to a broken boom, and althouph severely wounded nnd under fire, we hung on for five hours before l>cinß rescued by the. hrepital ship Osterly, where 1 was operated on and sent to Sydney. I later made a few tripe on sea-going vessels, but on account of my wounde I was obltgrU to return, and landed in Auckland."

Mt. .Ward goes into the Auckland Hospital on Tuesday, where he will undergo on operation, as a result of the injuries received when in the, Dardanelles. Mr. Jerard was born in Portsmouth, nnd went to sea when but ten .Tears of ape. He will deliver a Ircture on his experiences at the V.M.C.A. tomorrow (Sunday).