How The Kaskowiski Sacked Auckland

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 208, 3 September 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

How The Kaskowiski Sacked Auckland

(")N occasions the credulity of people is nothing short of astounding. In the latter half of # 9t i Ce j tU T y the citizens of New Zealand, in common with those or other parts of the Empire, were so obsessed with fear of Russia as to make possible the perpetration of the greatest hoax in the J" Btor y. °f journalism in the dominion. 0n the morning of Monday, February 17, IH73—nt a time when defence was the favourite topic of editorial writers and possibility of war with Russia a commonplace of conversation—the residents of Auckland, on opening the "Daily Southern Cross," read with consternation not only that hostilities had commenced, but that a Russian man-of-war had over the week-end visited Auckland, captured the British warship Blanche lying at anchor in the harbour, seized all the gold in the vaults of the banks, and then carried off a numlter of prominent citizens as hostages until further gold should be forthcoming. The story of this exploit, which occupied over two colums of the "Cross," was so preposterous that it is difficult to believe that anyone was gullible enough to be taken in by it. Nevertheless, there were many who were only too willing to believe it. The article had been written by David Mitchell Luckie, but lately appointed to the editorial chair by Sir Julius Vogel, and was intended to impress upon the public mind the vulnerability of New Zealand ports in the event of a visit by hostile warships. In an editorial in Tuesday's issue on "the pure fiction pub isbed yesterday, with its grotesque incidents and situations," it was admitted that the story had "created quite a commotion in town and elsewhere," and that those responsible had meant that it should do this. The editor, at the same time pointed out that the reader might have seen, by tracing the asterisk in the title to the footnote, even apart from internal evidence, that the article was a fiction purporting to have been taken from the "Daily Southern Cross" of May, 1873, three months after date. Many readers had apparently become so perturbed that they had not bothered to read the article through to the end and had thus missed the footnote. 44 Grace Disaster " But the average reader could hardly have been expected to notice the asterisk. The article was given four single-column headings, which, for those days, means prominence. It commenced: Notwithstanding the telegraphic communication from England to Melbourne, and the periodical Intercourse by steamer between New Zealand and the Australian ports, the Budden declaration of war between Russia and England, arising out of the Central Aalan difficulty and the dishonesty of the Shah of Persia, was only made known to Auckland yesterday (Sunday) by one of the greatest calamities that ever overtook this colony —an event productive of grave disaster to New Zealand, and destructive of the ancient prestige of England and her boasted spuremacy as Sovereign of the Seas. That event was the sadden appearance of the hostile Ironclad man-of-war, the Kaskowiskl, which took possession of the British warship, lying In the waters of the Waltemata, seized our principal dtlzpns as hostages, demanded a heavy ransmn for the city, and emptied the coffers, of tß#' banks of all the (rold and specie they Contained ■. . . At the moment .tinder the complete domination of Kumta, our own guns In our own man-of-war being pointed against the city,, -ready. to be opened npon us at any moment that the bnrbarous caprice of her captors may select. After a digression on the nefarious and barbarous actions of the Russians the narrative proceeded to relate the

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following preposterous story:—"The steamer Wonga Wonga left Auckland on Saturday afternoon with a large number of passengers for Australia. On Saturday night, a little after midnight, three rockets were sent up from the vicinity of the North Head, their sticks in a still fiery condition, falling in the neighbourhood of Devonport Hall. It is supposed that there was some treachery on the North Shore, and that some spies had arranged this as a signal to teach the Kaskowiski the proper time to enter the harbour. Of this there is no certainty, and the strict surveillance kept on the harbour prevents the possibility of inquiry. Marooned on Bastion Rock "It should be mentioned that this vessel (as we learn from the statement of one of the crew, a native of the United States, who was found by our shipping reporter on the Bastion "Rock, which it appears, was first taken for a fort, and which was reconnoitred by a boat's crew, who left the American behind by mistake) was built on the Alaska Peninsula. Alaska, as is wellknown, was sold by Russia to the United States some years ago. But, by a baseness of treachery, which only the lax supervision of our consular agents could have rendered possible, the Government of Washington has permitted the secret construction of this ironclad in that remote region, so that, when the time came for action, she might enter the Pacific and unannounced, pounce upon the unprotected colonies of the British Empire. She has a complement of 953 men and officers, all told, is provisioned for a year, carries 12 30-ton puns, and has machinery for the manufacture of the deadly water gas invented by the late General Todtleben, and, for the first time, now employed in warfare by Russia, the sole depository of the secret. This gas can be injected into an opposing vessel from a considerable distance, and so stealthily as not to be discovered until its paralysing effects have done their work. Its strength can be modified as either to ignite of its own motive, and blow up or set on fire all inflammable material with which it comes in contact, or it may be so diluted as to cause a mephitic vapour to overpower all the animal life within the range of its in- 1 halation. This explains the easy seizure of our brave defenders in our warship into and over which this fatal gas was poured. But we anticipate. The "Kaskowiski" in Action "At 7 o'clock on Saturday, the Wonga Wonga, while off Kawau, descried a large vessel, hull down, steaming apparently towards her. After a short time darkness came on and she lost sight of the ship. At 8.10 p.m. a shot was fired across her bows; she slowed her engines, and a boat came alongside. In peremptory tones its occupants demanded what she was, whither bound, and her cargo. On obtaining a reply, the order was given in good English to lie-to as a prize of a Russian ship of war. On hearing this a gallant naval officer who was oh board the Wonga, with the aid of some of the passengers and crew, lifted a small cannon off the carriage, raised it over the bulwarks, and dropped it into the boat. A loud crash followed. The feat was | successful. The gun stove the boat, and in a moment she sank, leaving the. crew struggling in the water All lights on board the Wonga were inimediately extinguished. She altered her course and steered for but she saw, as the moon rose, thai the great speed of the Russian ship, 17 knots an hour, was too much for her£! and that unless she sought refuge in "some of the harbours on the coast, she would inevitablv be overhauled and capttared. Accordingly, she made for shelter to Mahurangi; and, a point of land intervening between her and her pursuer, she evaded the chase. The swift sailing cutter Volunteer was providentially in the river at the time of her arrival, and the captain of thaWonga dispatched -her to Auckland, with a favourable breeze, to apprise the authorities there of c their danger.'' ' "

"It was 'too late.' The great speed the Russian rendered these well-meant efforts fruitless, for the cutter did not arrive until yesterday, (Sunday) morning, by which time toe Kaskowiski had done her work; had seized our war steamer in the darkness, arrested our

Being A True Story Of The Seventies As Retold By

W. Mervyn Lusty

chief citizens and bankers, left a prize crew on board the captured warship, and gone off at full speed to resume the eliase of the Wonga, for the double purpose of p- venting her carrying the intelligence to Australia and of avenging the destruction of her bpat and crew, and at the same time making a -ize of the ship and the treasure in gold dust which she carried. Heaven help the crew and passengers and save our Australian towns from the power of this almost invulnerable vessel and of her scientific apparatus for dealing death and destruction. "Arriving stealthily in our harbour, and without showing any lights, the Kaskowiski sent lier submarine pinnace, well manned and with the mephitic water gas apparatus on board, towards our warship. This new invention silently proceeded, sailing 6ft below the surface of the smooth water of the Waitemata, and rising at the distance of half a cable's length, projected the fatal gas on the vessel. Heavier than our atmospheric air, the vapour speedily penetrated the interior of the ship, producing semi-suffocation to all on board. The watch alarmed those below, but it was again 'too late.' Six boats laden with marines surrounded the vessel and she was boarded. The captain and some of the officers of our ship, with & handful of the crew, weak and almost breathless, attempted to face the boarders, but without effect. It was resolved to fire the magazine and prevent the foe from taking the vessel. Taking instructions from the captain, who was overcome by the vapour, one of the lieutenants crawled below. He was seen and followed by one of the Russian officers, who cut him down as he was about to fire a pistol into the magazine, the hatch of which was then closed. Tliore was a brief struggle on deck. The fainting bluejackets were overpowered. The ship was in the enemy's hands, and she now lies with the bated double eagle floating at the main above our loved 'meteor flag of England.' Gold and Hostages "Then came the extortion of the enemy. -Detachments had been sent ashore during the night. These took possession of the armoury and magazines, with all the arms and ammunition in the city. The telegraphic offices were occupied to prevent the transmission of the news of this disaster tc other places in the colony, and particularly to the Thames. The telegraphic station at Onehunga, and all stations within 40 miles of Auckland, were occupied by strong guards. The steamer Golden Crown was seized, and a body of 80 men armed with short repeating rifles, and strengthened with four rocket tube 9, to fire the town if neceßsary, was sent to Grahamatown in order to take the treasure from the banks in that town. There eould be only one resu]£, (iut we have heard nothing of - it, as, although the enemy permits the passing of ordinary telegrams (they have their own English-trained telegraphists) for obvious reasons they allow nothing to pass along the wires respecting their own proceedings. "During the night the captain of the Russian ship, Vice-Admiral Herodskoff, landed with a body of Russian marines and sailors, armed with cutlasses and repeating needle-carbines. He proceeded to the Provincial Council Chamber, and thence sent messengers commanding the attendance of the superintendent <5 the province, the Mayor of the city, all the bankers and bank directors, and members of the Assembly. These gentlemen were ordered out of bed, and, amidst the dismay and terror of their families, were led to the council room. On their arrival they were placed in the centre of the chamber, the armed men, with carbines loaded and bayonets fixed, lining the

walls of the room. Seated on the Speaker's chair, Admiral Herodskoff, in good English, read a requisition demanding immediate payment of one million and a half roubles (£250,000 sterling) as a ransom for the safety of the city, and intimating that if the money were not paid within three hours he should retire to his ship and burn the town." Then followed an impossible account of the admiral's interrogation of the superintendent and other prisoners, a number of whom were mentioned by name. The conclusion of this remarkable narrative was that "after the lapse of half an hour the detachments returned from the banks with all the

gold and silver that could be found. It amounted to only £1.31,096 17/6. little more than half the sum demanded. Admiral Herodskoff threatened the lives of the gentlemen who were before him, and at last gave orders to have them taken on board the Kaskowiski, stating that immediately after daybreak he would sail in pursuit of the Wonga, and, if he overtook her and found sufficient gold on board to make up tlie sum required, he should land his hostages at Fiji. "He then rose, the hostages were ordered downstairs, and placed in the centre of a hollow square, formed by the sailors and marines, and in this fashion they were marched down to Wynyard Pier in the dull grey of the peaceful-looking morning, put on board two boats, and taken to the Kaskowiski, which almost immediately after steamed out of the harbour, leaving the town, as we have said, at the mercy of the prize crew put on board our own warship. "We have given a narrative of this terrible disaster, as succinct as could be gathered in the circumstances. The grief of the community it is unnecessary to parade. Deep as that is at the loss of our treasure, a far deeper pang fastens on each heart to think of the dishonour this affair has cast on the British Hag and the British nation. Lord Granville promised to defend England's colonies with England's 'last ship and her last shilling.' Russia has taken both in Auckland waters. From the depths of our despair we cry, •WHERE IS THE : IUTISH NAVY?*" Violent Excitement The tale is so ridiculous that there is no need to point out the many impossibilities contained in it. But fear of Russia was so great at the time that it paralysed the power of reason. Some idea of the which the article had may be gathered from the newspaper reports. The "Evening Star," in a paragraph to which so little prominence wat given that one has to search to find it, stated: "We have much pleasure in bting the means of relieving the public mind from the horrible nightmare of a Russian invasion. We are glad to inform our friends and admirers that Auckland has not been captured by the Russian ironclad with the horrible and unpronounceable name as related in soulharrowing terms by our contemporary, the 'Cross' of this morning. We do so with the greater pleasure from learning that a large number, not merely of the softer sex, but of hard-headed men have been thrown into a state of violent excitement and dismay at the announcement that our principal citizens have been carried captive to Fiji." The excitement occasioned in Auckland was described by the "Daily Southern Cross" the following morning: "Comical were many incidents which followed the publication of the 'Cross' yesterday, produced by a cursory perusal of the article describing an ideal visit of a supposititious and visionary Russian ironclad with the not very original name of 'Kaskowiski' (Cask of Whiskey), pretended to have been built in the snowy regions of ice-bound Alaska. Crowds besieged our office, and discussed the question in the street. Some persons in the country took up a plank of their flooring and concealed their money and jewels; others proposed to go far into the interior. One tradesman, who on Saturday had drawn a large sum of money to pay a month's purchases, confidentially informed a friend that he had hidden it, and asked if it were safe. The watermen pulled up their boats and sought no fares. "A cautious shipmaster stood on his deck with a watch in one hand and a telescope at his eye, waiting for the eight o'clock hoisting of the British Ensign at the peak of our own war steamer. His watch was fully five minutes fast; and minute after minute passed, and still the well-known bunting did not appear-. 'By jingo, the Russians are here!' he ejaculated, as he hurried below. An old naval man pulled on his uniform, while his wife was reading the account, but before he had sallied forth to the barracks she discovered the footnote, and said 'Oh, Robert, it's lonly a hoax.' "Hoax, be adjectived,' was the reply as he proceeded to take off his war paint. A school in the suburbs gave its pupils a holiday that they might go and see the Russian frigatp. Knots of people at the wharf were tracing out, as in a map, how the exploit was accomplished. One bluejacket could not understand it, for 'they did not mention it on board,' but he swore "We'll lick the Russians.' One energetic lady asked a knot of men on the street ■why they did not go and shoot the Russians. "One poor old woman resident in the vicinity of Nelson Street, upon hearing the news, cast her .eyes around her domicile to discover the most valuable of her Lares and Penates to save from the wreck and ruin. After much cogitation she fixed upon lier favourite washing tub, by which she had earned her living for so many years, as the most valuable article to be saved, and

buried the treasure in the garden. Stories of this kind all multitudinous. The thing has been a day's wonder, and it is hoped it will have the effect intended. Auckland has shown she can be aroused from apathetic slumbers." " Clumsy, Infamous " Some of the victims gave vent to their feelings by writing to the contemporary newspapers. "If the editor of the Southern Cross' be not a maniac (wrote one), then I do not envy him those feelings which allowed him to be guilty of so unfeeling and cruel a hoax . . . The editor may consider it a splendid joke to terrify ignorant women and children and create a momentary alarm in the breasts of men, but no one but the editor will hold to such an opinion . . • No doubt the editor, being unable by his natural abilities to interest the people, thought by the plan he adopted to create a sensation. And he succeeded in doing so ... . Such a cruel hoax would not be tolerated on the first of April, when it is held to be allowable that one fool may make many. The hoax was a very clumsy one, written in the worst of bad taste, and without either wit or humour. But it answered its purpose. It created a temporary terror, and gave a spurious notoriety to the paper in which it appeared. I think if this be all the new editor can accomplish in Auckland, the sooner he returns from whence he came the better the readers of the paper will like him." That the people of Auckland would not soon forget the infamous hoax that had been passed upon them by the catch-penny instinct of the "Cross," up to that time supposed to be a respectable journal, was another opinion expressed. This correspondent referred to the occurrence as an inexcusable and heartless alarm, conceived in idiocy and perfected out of shameless want of thought. The editor of the "Star" was even urged to bestir himself in the matter !>y a working man, who wrote: "I wish you would not let that 'Southern Cross' go and frighten our wives and children in the morning after we go to wftrk when they get hold of a newspaper and read in it about the Russians and go half mad. They do want very bad to sell their paper, but if any of us working men take in the confounded paper again we ought to be kicked, as it is all humbug from beginning to end. If my wife gets ill through it I will bring an action for doctor's expenses against the 'Southern Cross.'" The following editorial footnote was appended to the above letter: "We have no control over our contemporary's movements. If he cannot take a pattern from our veracious and exemplary example he must be left to his fate."